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How Christmas and New Year Threaten a Muslim’s Faith According to Qur’an and Sunnah. Part 2

Ruling on Celebrating or Congratulating Christmas

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله والعاقبة للمتقين ولا عدوان إلا على الظالمين

“All praise is due to Allah, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. And the final success is for the righteous, and there is no aggression except against the wrongdoers.”

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatu`u!

In the first part, we established a critical foundation. Islam is not built on feelings, customs, or social pressure; it is built on revelation (Qur'an) from Allah, understood through the authentic Sunnah, and the path of the Salaf As Salih. We learned that festivals are not cultural habits. They are religious acts tied directly to belief and identity.

We also saw that Christmas is not a neutral event. It is based on a belief that directly contradicts Tawhid, the oneness of Allah. We were reminded that imitating the religious practices of other faiths is not a small matter; it's something the Messenger of Allah ﷺ clearly warned against.

Now pause and reflect honestly.

If festivals are acts of worship (Ibaadah)

If Christmas is built on false creed

If Islam has clearly defined limits

Then ask yourself

What's the ruling on participating in Christmas celebrations?

What is it about congratulating them?

What about attending their gatherings?

What about saying it is only respect or culture?

What about doing it out of fear of people or family pressure?

Does intention alone make it permissible?

Does ignorance excuse the action after knowledge arrives? And most importantly

What is the consequence on one’s faith?

These are not theoretical questions. They affect your Islam, your Tawhid, and your standing before Allah. If you understand all the answers correctly, then you can defend your Eeman against the virus that can kill it.

In this part, we will answer these questions directly. Not with opinions. Not with emotions. But with clear evidence from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the understanding of the Salaf.

Read carefully! What comes next is serious.

Participating in Christmas Celebrations

There is consensus among the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah that it is haram for Muslims to celebrate Christmas or participate in its rituals. There are 2 meanings if we say something is haram in Islam. I'm going to write on it in the episode of “3Levels off Deen”, In Shaa Allah, the way you'll understand it, but I'll just mention the 2 meanings here.

1. It sometimes means a “Greater Sin” like Shirk “associating partners with Allah” or Bid`ah “innovating an act of Ibaadah that Allah and His messenger ﷺ did not approve”, Allah will not forgive such a sin.
2. It means a “Major Sin”, like “drinking alcohol”, committing zina, “fornication”, and so on, and that means Allah will punish the offender if He will, and might forgive him if He will.

In reference to that in the Qur'an, Allah says in Qur'an 4: 48

“Surely Allah will not forgive associating any partner with Him (for No.1), but He forgives what is besides (lesser than) that (No. 2) to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever associates anything with Allah, he commits a great sin.”

So the Haram mentioned by scholars here falls into the first category, which is Shirk “associating partner with Allah”, because Allah does not permit any of these festivals, any act of worship that's not from Allah will definitely be from Shaeton.

Allah says:

“And those who do not testify to falsehood.”

(Surah Al-Furqan 25:72).

It is narrated by Abdur-Rahman b. Abu Bakra said that his father (Abu Bakra Athaq'fi) said: We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he observed: Should I not inform you about the most grievous of the grave sins? (The Holy Prophet) Repeated it three times, and then said: Associating anyone with Allah, disobedience to parents, false testimony, or false utterance (which translates the verse of the Qur'an mentioned). The Prophet (ﷺ) was reclining, then he sat up, and he repeated it so many times that we wished that he should become silent.

Sahih Muslim 87

Many scholars of Tafsir, including Mujahid and Ibn Sirin, explained “falsehood” here as referring to the festivals of the polytheists. Means whoever participates has borne witness to falsehood and witness against Allah and His Apostle ﷺ, and such a person is considered a disbeliever.

Amr ibn Qays said: This Ayah refers to gatherings of evil and obscenity.

Malik narrated from az Zuhri that it means drinking wine. They do not attend it, and they have no desire for it. As mentioned in the hadith:

“Whoever believes in Allah and Akhirah (The Last Day) should not sit at a table where wine is being passed around.”

Quote from “Tafsir Ibn Katheer”.

What We Have Not Answered Yet In this part.

We addressed only one issue “Participating in Christmas celebrations”, and the ruling was made clear, with evidence, but several serious questions are still unanswered.

What about congratulating them without joining?

What about attending out of family pressure or work?

What about saying it is only respect and not belief?

What about fear of losing relationships or being isolated?

What about claiming good intention?

And what about ignorance after the truth becomes clear? These questions are more dangerous than participation itself because they are the doors through which many Muslims justify disobedience while thinking their faith is still safe, in the next episode, we will deal with these questions one by one with clear statements from the Qur’an, explicit words of the Prophet ﷺ, and the explanations of the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah.

Do not rush to conclusions!

What comes next will either protect your Eeman

Or expose the excuses that silently destroy it.