Advice for those among whom Christianity has spread, and the ruling on participating in their festivals and imitating them
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The Christianizing trend has increased among us in Kuwait, to the point where many Muslim families now celebrate the festivals of the Christians. Some of the young men have started imitating the Christians in their clothing and attire, and some of them have even hung crosses on their chests. What is your guidance for us, considering that we are in a country that sometimes allows freedom of religion?
The advice is found in a verse from the Book of Allah, which is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: [Al-Ma'idah: 51] This verse is sufficient for every believer. Then, I warn them against imitating these Christians, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Baqarah: 109] So they must not follow in their footsteps. And let them know that it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Whoever imitates a people is one of them) And let them be given examples of what the Christians have done to the Muslims, whether in the present era or in previous eras. How can they be loyal to them when they do to the Muslims what they do? Indeed, how can they be loyal to them when they are the enemies of Allah and His Messenger? In truth, a believing person cannot possibly imitate these people.
As for their celebration of their festivals, Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If this is free from disbelief, then it is one of the greatest sins, and more severe than their approval of drinking intoxicants; because they celebrate these festivals as if they are religious festivals in their religion, whereas they are festivals of disbelief, and it is not permissible for Muslims to celebrate them, nor to raise their heads in their honor.
They might say, for example: Do we not congratulate you on your festivals of Fitr and Adha?So we say: Yes.
But our festival is a religious festival that is pleasing to Allah, whereas your festival is a festival of disbelief that is hateful to Allah. We and you are human beings worshipping according to the Shari'ah of Allah. It was obligatory for you to celebrate our festival and to enter into our religion, let alone to celebrate your own festival. As for us, it is forbidden for us to enter into your religion, and it is forbidden for us to celebrate your laws and rituals. And you, my brothers, in your country, must fight this bad idea and stand up to refute it, but not with violence; because violence only begets violence. So you must use gentleness and explain the religious ruling in a calm manner that achieves the objective.
May Allah bless you, and all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions.
The advice is found in a verse from the Book of Allah, which is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَMany of the People of the Scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّاراً حَسَداً مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْحَقُّAs for their celebration of their festivals, Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If this is free from disbelief, then it is one of the greatest sins, and more severe than their approval of drinking intoxicants; because they celebrate these festivals as if they are religious festivals in their religion, whereas they are festivals of disbelief, and it is not permissible for Muslims to celebrate them, nor to raise their heads in their honor.
They might say, for example: Do we not congratulate you on your festivals of Fitr and Adha?So we say: Yes.
But our festival is a religious festival that is pleasing to Allah, whereas your festival is a festival of disbelief that is hateful to Allah. We and you are human beings worshipping according to the Shari'ah of Allah. It was obligatory for you to celebrate our festival and to enter into our religion, let alone to celebrate your own festival. As for us, it is forbidden for us to enter into your religion, and it is forbidden for us to celebrate your laws and rituals. And you, my brothers, in your country, must fight this bad idea and stand up to refute it, but not with violence; because violence only begets violence. So you must use gentleness and explain the religious ruling in a calm manner that achieves the objective.
May Allah bless you, and all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions.