What is the ruling on congratulating people for the New Year?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is the ruling on congratulating people at the beginning of the year, as people do... such as one saying to another: "May you be well every year," or the like?
The Shaykh : This is not known among the Salaf; congratulating people for the New Year is not known among the Salaf. Therefore, leaving it is preferable. However, if a person congratulates another based on the fact that he spent the past year in the obedience of Allah the Exalted, congratulating him for the length of his life in the obedience of Allah, then there is nothing wrong with that, because the best of people are those whose lives are long and whose deeds are good. But this congratulation is only for the beginning of the Hijri year. As for the beginning of the Gregorian year, it is not permissible to congratulate people for it, because it is not a religious year. Rather, if one congratulates the disbelievers on their festivals, the person is in great danger of congratulating them on the festivals of disbelief, because congratulating the festivals of disbelief is approval of them and an increase in them. And approval of the festivals of disbelief may take a person out of the circle of Islam, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his book *Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimmah* (Rulings on the People of the Book).
In summary: Congratulating people for the beginning of the Hijri year, leaving it is definitely preferable, because it is not the custom of the Salaf. If a person does it, he does not commit a sin. As for congratulating people for the beginning of the Gregorian year, it is not permissible.
His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is the ruling on congratulating people at the beginning of the year, as people do... such as one saying to another: "May you be well every year," or the like?
The Shaykh : This is not known among the Salaf; congratulating people for the New Year is not known among the Salaf. Therefore, leaving it is preferable. However, if a person congratulates another based on the fact that he spent the past year in the obedience of Allah the Exalted, congratulating him for the length of his life in the obedience of Allah, then there is nothing wrong with that, because the best of people are those whose lives are long and whose deeds are good. But this congratulation is only for the beginning of the Hijri year. As for the beginning of the Gregorian year, it is not permissible to congratulate people for it, because it is not a religious year. Rather, if one congratulates the disbelievers on their festivals, the person is in great danger of congratulating them on the festivals of disbelief, because congratulating the festivals of disbelief is approval of them and an increase in them. And approval of the festivals of disbelief may take a person out of the circle of Islam, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his book *Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimmah* (Rulings on the People of the Book).
In summary: Congratulating people for the beginning of the Hijri year, leaving it is definitely preferable, because it is not the custom of the Salaf. If a person does it, he does not commit a sin. As for congratulating people for the beginning of the Gregorian year, it is not permissible.