ISLAMIC RULING ON MUSLIM CELEBRATING XMAN by Utman

ISLAMIC RULING ON MUSLIMS CELEBRATING XMAS,NEW YEAR AND OTHER NON ISLAMIC FESTIVALS
By Aliyu Yahaya Uthman Olamilekan
1. Islam is not against  being kind to our non Muslim  neighbours:

Allah says “Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes -  from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. Quran 60 vs 8

2. We must not take non-Muslims as our intimate friends and allies:

  Although, Allah does not prohibit us from being kind to them, He however  warns us from taking them as our intimate friends because they may influence us negatively
O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya' (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliya' to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya', then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust). Q5 vs 51

O you who believe! Take not for Auliya' (friends ,protectors and helpers) those who take your religion for a mockery and fun from among those who received

the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, nor from among the disbelievers; and fear Allah if you indeed are true believers. And when you proclaim the call for As-Salat [call for the prayer (Adhan)], they take it (but) as a mockery and fun; that is because they are a people who understand not. Q5 Vs 57-58

3 . It is prohibited for us to celebrate their festivals with them or participate in them

A-And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance." If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper. Q 2vs 120. We all know that Xmas and Gregorian New year are not even biblical but are products of Romans festival inroduced into xtianity. This is where some xtians don’t  celebrate  them

B- حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ  إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ  قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ وَلَهُمْ  يَوْمَانِ يَلْعَبُونَ فِيهِمَا فَقَالَ " مَا هَذَانِ الْيَوْمَانِ "  . قَالُوا كُنَّا نَلْعَبُ فِيهِمَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ . فَقَالَ  رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَبْدَلَكُمْ  بِهِمَا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمَا يَوْمَ الأَضْحَى وَيَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ " .
  Narrated Anas ibn Malik:                             When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to Medina, the people had two days  on which they engaged in games. He asked: What are these two days (what  is the significance)? They said: We used to engage ourselves on them in  the pre-Islamic period. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah has  substituted for them something better than them, the day of sacrifice  and the day of the breaking of the fast. Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1134

The fact  that the Prophet Pbuh said Allah has substituted the non Islamic festivals with something better  than  them  implies that Muslims cannot  combine between the pre- islamic festivals and the Islamic festival because a substitute and the substituted cannot  be combined. One has to pick one and drop the other .

Why should we celebrate with them when our Eids are better in the sight of Allah as seen in the hadith?

C- عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، عَنْ  يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ، قَالَ  حَدَّثَنِي ثَابِتُ بْنُ الضَّحَّاكِ، قَالَ : نَذَرَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى  عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَنْحَرَ إِبِلاً  بِبُوَانَةَ، فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ : إِنِّي  نَذَرْتُ أَنْ أَنْحَرَ إِبِلاً بِبُوَانَةَ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى  الله عليه وسلم : " هَلْ كَانَ فِيهَا وَثَنٌ مِنْ أَوْثَانِ  الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يُعْبَدُ " . قَالُوا : لاَ . قَالَ : " هَلْ  كَانَ فِيهَا عِيدٌ مِنْ أَعْيَادِهِمْ " . قَالُوا : لاَ . قَالَ  رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم : " أَوْفِ بِنَذْرِكَ، فَإِنَّ