Celebrating the Holidays of the Jews and Christians is Forbidden
Question :
Some of the Muslims in Ghana celebrate the holidays of the Jews and Christians, while abandoning their holidays; at the times of Jewish and Christian holidays, they declare holidays in the Islamic schools in celebration of their holidays, but when the Muslim holidays come, they do not close the Islamic schools and they claim that if we observe the holidays of the Jews and Christians, they will enter the religion of Islam. O our dear Shaikh! Please make clear to us whether this action of theirs is correct or not.
Answer:
First of all, the Sunnah is to declare the Symbols of the Islamic religion among the Muslims and to abandon the declaration of them is contrary to the guidance of the Messenger. It has been authentically reported that the Prophet said:
*It is incumbent upon you to follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the righteous, Well-Guided Caliphs.
Secondly, it is not permissible for the Muslim to participate with the disbelievers in their holidays, nor to celebrate or show happiness on these occasions, nor to cancel work, whether they are religious holidays or secular holidays, because this is imitation of the enemies of Allah, which is forbidden. It has been authentically reported from the Messenger that he said:
"Whoever imitated a people, he is one of them.»
We advise you to refer to the book Iqtidha' As-Sirat Al- Mustaqim by Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah - may Allah have mercy on him for it is very beneficial in this matter.
Allah is the Granter of success, and may peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.
Source:
The Permanent Committee
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 1 Pages 255-256
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