Abdur-Raheem McCarthy – Am I Allowed To Celebrate Christmas

			Bismillah Al Rahman Rahim Al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa will suddenly what will send him Alain
Mabrouk Rama tunnel Alameen Nabina Muhammad and will Allah early he was so happy he edge Amin Salam
alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, my dear brothers and sisters, the Christmas season, and the
challenges facing the Muslims in the West. And in fact, the challenges that now face the Muslims all
around the world, even in the Muslim countries, when this season comes, we always get the same
questions time and time again. Am I allowed to celebrate a little bit just some of the things if I
don't really have the intention for it being an act of worship? Can I greet my colleagues or my
		

			family members? Perhaps we revert Muslims who want to know what they should do? When our neighbors
and our colleagues they say to us Merry Christmas? How do we respond? Can we respond? Is there any
type of response that is permissible? Can we attend some of the events if we don't have the
intention of celebrating, but just to be part of the community? All of these questions are asked
time and time again. So what we want to do in this lecture here today, is to lay down some
foundation because it's important that we understand some basic principles once you understand these
basic principles, and we lay down this foundation and Chautala it becomes easy for us to then
		

			understand what is the ruling of celebrating, not just Christmas or taking part. But also when it
comes to all of the other non Islamic holidays and celebrations. Once we understand these
principles, we'll be able to understand how we can do and how we can deal with them in shallow Tada.
First of all, we need to understand that the general ruling or general principle is that the only
holidays that we have and that we're allowed to celebrate as Muslims are the two eights, either
flipper and either up half. And celebrating any other festival is not allowed. Celebrating any other
festival is not allowed for Muslims. That's the general and clear ruling when it comes to this
		

			issue. Now, we hear a lot of things. Nowadays, people say what times are different and need because
now our intention is this and our intention is that and that's what we're going to cover now in
general, when we lay down this foundation, but first of all, whenever you hear someone say that
something is not permissible, that it's haram in Islam to do this, it's very important to know why
not just to hear it, not just to see it, not just to believe it, but to know where we're coming from
and why it's something that's not permissible. And what is the proof? What is the deal? What is the
evidence for this? And the evidence for this is made clear in the Quran. And the sunnah of our
		

			beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and in the age match the consensus of the scholars of
Islam. And also it's common sense that this is something that is forbidden and not allowed for
Muslims to partake in. When we look into the Quran in surah Al Furqan, Allah subhanahu wa Tada said,
well, leadin Elia shadowed a zoo with Mr. Robie love, we Maru KERAMA and they are in they do not
testify to falsehood. And when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity, when it comes
to the meaning of layer shadows zoar they do not testify for falsehood. The scholars mentioned
different meanings for this zoar this type of falsehood, such as shirk, and what have you indicate
		

			theory ma'am, even Kathy Rahimullah Talon is tafsir he mentioned several of these meanings, but from
the meanings that fall under this category of this testifying for the zoar of this falsehood is the
idea that we should be keen the festivals or celebrations of the Mushrikeen of the polytheist. And
as even Kathira him along to other said, he said this was this tafsir was mentioned by Abdullah Alia
workboats and Mohammed ibn serine, what Behat orbia Bananas and others all of them said that from
this what is the meaning of this ayah Allah has shown a zoo that they do not testify to the zoo or
to this falsehood that it means they do not attend the celebrations of the machete King. So here it
		

			is clear that if Allah subhanho wa Taala is forbidding us from even attending, pay attention, we're
forbidden from even attending, then how about those who increase and they actually participate? And
they take part in these events, then you're going to see it's going to be even worse and even more
haram. And when you look into the sunnah of our beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as it
was narrated in the Muslim Imam Ahmed and the Sunnah of a Buddha route and among many say all of
them. Imam Hussain Imam Abu the oedema Muhammad all of them narrate it in their books, the Hadith,
when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when he came to El Medina, and he found the unsought
		

			the Horned Owl Muslims
		

			They've entered into Islam, but they were celebrating two days. They had these days that they were
they had these days that they were celebrating. So the Prophet said, Allahu Allah, he was telling me
he asked him Maha, or Maha then Yo, man, what are these two days that you're celebrating? So they
said that these were days that we used to play and have fun with a celebrations from the days of LJ
Leah from the days of the pre Islamic time, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and I want you
all to pay attention to this. Because a lot of times now for us what is happening during the
holidays, and the celebrations? We look at it as it's not something nowadays because we always hear
		

			this CH it's not it's no longer a religious celebration. So originally, it is but nowadays, it's
become more just holidays and family and fun and games. What have you and this we hear this all the
time when it comes to all of the different celebrations that people celebrate throughout the year
which have a religious origin but it's it's a nowadays it's changed. So what did the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wasallam say to these Sahaba?
		

			The Sahaba who have the Eman mashallah in their hearts, they're good. You know, pious Muslims, no
doubt about that. But they're celebrating two days they used to celebrate before Islam. So the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to them, did he let it slide like the people would say that
a fish hug is no big deal. Let the people have fun. Let the people partake in and participate in
these events. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said, Allah has substituted for them. I
mean, these two days, something better than them. The day of L filter either filter and the day of
Eid at Aloha, from this hadith, it's very clear that these e these Eades from the J Leah the
		

			celebrations from the J hadiah. From the pre Islamic time, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
didn't permit them to celebrate them. He didn't let them continue to,
		

			to play to have fun during these days. I want you to pay attention to the fact that the Prophet
salallahu or that the what they were doing was no act of worship involved in it. It was just these
celebrations they had from before. And if there was any aspect of a bad or worship during the
celebrations, obviously they had left those and they weren't doing those because it said in the
Hadith they were just playing and having fun during those days. And still the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam didn't allow it. So here clearly we see my dear brothers and sisters from the
Quran. And from the sunnah of our beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that it's not
		

			permissible for us to celebrate or to partake in any of these, Salat, this nun non Islamic
celebrations. And here also we have the edge map the consensus of the scholars of Islam. It's well
known that in Islamic history,
		

			all throughout the early time, the early generations and all throughout the rest of Islamic history
that the Christians and the Jews, they lived safely in harmony and peace, and Muslim countries. And
obviously, they celebrated their celebrations, but yet none of the Muslims ever used to celebrate
with them. And even if you look into the conditions, that Omar ImmunoCAP barbital, the Allahu and
that he put for the people over them, I let them and that all of the Sahaba Radi Allahu Anhu. They
agreed with Omar about these shrewd or these conditions, and also the fuqaha and the scholars who
came after him. All of them agreed upon these conditions in from these conditions is that they were
		

			not allowed to openly celebrate in the Muslim country meaning if they're going to celebrate their
festivals, they do it between themselves or in their churches or what have you. But they're not
going to go out and decorate the streets and put up certain types of trees or lights or decorations
that wouldn't be allowed in the Muslim country but they can celebrate by themselves. So here we even
see that Omar of the Allahu and that he said, er come war upon at the lodge him. He said that stay
away from speaking the foreign language of the foreigners and stay away from speaking their
language. And then he said on today's call out illusory Kena Yo Ma ed him he cannot see him and he
		

			said end to beware stay away from entering into the churches of the party theist during the days of
their celebration. So here Omar will be Allahu and he forbid from speaking their language and to
enter in their churches another narration another statement of Omar obey Allah Who and he said is
steady boo Adel la vie the him stay away from the enemies of Allah during their ease during their
celebrations.
		

			So as shekel Islam, even to me or him hello to Allah said. He said that Omar forbid even speaking
their language or to even enter into their churches during their celebrations. So how about doing
some of the things
		

			They are doing during their celebrations, or the things which are from their religious actions. So
if you're forbidden from even going to their churches, how about those who increase and do even
more, they take part in and they start to celebrate. And they're doing even religious actions that
they're doing during those days to be part of to fit into the crowd and what have you. Obviously,
this is going to be something that is even more severe, and even more haram. Also, we said, from the
evidence that we're not allowed to partake and participate in these celebrations. It's common sense.
And here shithole Islam even Taymiyah Rahim Allah Allahu taala. He said that festivals are part of
		

			the shittier meaning the law followed by all the different religions, everyone has their own shitty,
their own laws, their own ways. He said festivals are part of the shittier the clear way and the
rituals are which Allah says, And he mentioned here to ayat, one from Santa Monica, and one from
Surah Al Hajj and Psalter married li coolin Jalna Minh come Shirato woman herder to each among you
we have prescribed a law and a clear way. And the verse in Surah Al Hajj, equally omet in Jalna man,
second man second home nursing who and for every nation, we have ordained religious ceremonies,
which they must follow. And then he gave a few examples shackled Islamic set, for example, such as
		

			the people or the direction they faced in prayer, and the prayer and the fasting all of them had
their different their their different ceremonies, religious ceremonies of different Sharia law,
different ways and laws. All of them had the different things they had obviously each of them
prayed, all of them fasted, all of them had celebrations, but perhaps they differed and how they did
them and then he said something very interesting once you pay very close attention to what Scheffel
Islam even Taymiyah or him otol is about to say to us. He said there is no difference between
they're participating in the festival and they're participating and other rituals no difference
		

			whether you participate in the celebrations or and the other religious fest the religious rituals
and then he said Rahim Allah Tala joining in fully because now it's important understand what's
about to be said because sometimes people will say, you know, I just do some of the things I don't
do all of the things I don't do some of the religious things. He said joining in fully with the
festival is joining in with Cooper is joining in with Cooper with disbelief and joining in with some
of its minor issues
		

			is joining in with some of the branches of Kufa so we have to be very careful realize when we hear
what the scholars of Islam are telling us that it's not just a custom it's not just my fish hug it's
no big deal it he let it slide let's not be extreme this could actually be something that nullifies
one's Islam as we mentioned inshallah Tao shortly from some of the Hanafi scholars and others who
mentioned this, that if someone takes partake, they they they they participate in the celebrations
you could actually leave the fold of Islam this is serious stuff. So shekel Islam, Rahim Allah, He
said, that no doubt, in joining in with them may lead to complete Cofer. It can complete to can it
		

			can lead to complete disbelief when you partake in these events. And he said, particularly in
joining in, and then he said as well, Rahim, Allah Tala, he said something, which I really want you
to pay attention to, which is very important when it comes to these festivals. He said, Indeed,
festivals are one of the most unique features that distinguish various religions. And among their
most prominent symbols.
		

			I want you to pay attention once again to what we just said, because we look at it as just
celebrations and names and it's not a big deal. We're just you know, just like a party. It's just
this. He said, Indeed, festivals are one of the most unique features that distinguish various
religions and among their most prominent symbols.
		

			The most prominent symbols of these religions are the celebrations he said. So joining in with them
is joining in with the most characteristic and prominent symbols of Kufa. So joining in is joining
with the most prominent symbols of Kufa, you have to be careful and realize the danger of is and
then he said no doubt that joining with with this may lead to complete Coover to complete disbelief.
Therefore, you must be very careful and understand the dangers of taking part in such celebrations.
That is the rule when it comes to celebrating or taking part in the celebration. What about when it
comes to being greeted? Because obviously, it's become customary now, where the people say to us,
		

			Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas. What should we say in response in response? Is it permissible to
respond to just be nice? Is there something else that we can say? This is what we're going to learn
right now in general Tottenham's