Question: Assalaam Alaikum, Sheikh, I need you to help us clarify or teach us how a Muslim can respond to New Year greetings. This is because we have a lot of non-Muslims all around us, and they believe that the New Year festival is general. So, they usually greet us for this, and since we have come to know the reason why we Muslims don’t celebrate New Year’s, we believe that we must not join them in this, either.
Answer: Alhamdulillah, we give praises to Almighty Allah. You’re not alone in this, my brother. The question of “how a Muslim can respond to New Year greetings?” is one many Muslims ask during these festive seasons, especially those who truly understand that we Muslims don’t join them in celebrating the New Year festival.
But Islam doesn’t leave any matter unexplained. Islam is a religion of clarity, balance, and principled mercy. Allah says:
“And thus We have made you a balanced nation.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:143)
This issue is not small because it touches on identity, belief, customs, and how Muslims live among others. Islam does not ask you to abandon your creed to please people. So before rushing to conclusions, Islam teaches us to understand the root of the matter, its meanings, and its implications. When you understand why something is sensitive, responding wisely becomes easier and more sincere.
To truly understand how a Muslim can respond to Happy New Year greetings, we must first understand why this greeting raises concern in the first place. Islam never prohibits something arbitrarily. There is always a foundation rooted in belief, worship, and intention.
Calendar Years vs Religious Celebrations: A Crucial Distinction
At the heart of the issue lies a key question: Is “Happy New Year” merely a calendar statement, or is it tied to religious meaning? We all know that the answer is that it is just a mere calendar statement. Nothing changes, we only move from one day to another. The calender changes only. Nothing more. The two major celebrations we have in islam is Eid Al Adha and Eid Al Fitr. Other celebrations are not part of our deen
The Prophet ﷺ was explicit when he arrived in Madinah and found people celebrating certain days. He said:
“Allah has replaced them for you with two better days: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.”
(Abu Dawud – Hasan Sahih)
From this hadith, scholars derived an important principle: Muslims do not adopt religious celebrations that are not legislated in Islam. The Gregorian New Year (January 1st) originates from a calendar system historically tied to Roman and later Christian traditions. While today it may appear secular, its roots and global celebration culture are not religiously neutral in origin.
Festivals and celebrations are symbols of religion. To participate in them outwardly reflects approval inwardly. This does not mean a Muslim cannot know or use the Gregorian calendar, it is widely used for civil matters. But celebrating its ‘New Year’ is where sensitivity arises.
Congratulating them for their festivals is more serious than congratulating them for drinking wine or committing immorality, because it involves approval of their religious symbols.”
This strong statement is not about manners, but about religious endorsement. Our Prophet ﷺ said…
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Sunan Abi Dawud 4031
Imitating them in part of their festivals implies contentment with their falsehood and a sickness in the heart… even if the Muslim does not intend to imitate them, the resemblance in form may lead to resemblance in hearts. So, my dear brothers and sisters, your awkward feeling is the healthy sensitivity of your faith (Eeman) telling you that joining them might lead to a path of diluting our unique faith and compromising a matter of our creed.
How a Muslim can respond to Happy New Year greetings…
The basic ruling is that it is not permissible for us to greet them first, like saying “Happy New Year’ No, this is not allowed, but when they greet you with ” Happy New Year, how will you respond? You can say…
“All praise to God (Allah) for keeping us alive and may He grant us goodness in all time”
You don’t have to stress it more and perhaps if you can just reply with a general greeting if you think the person won’t notice or mind, that’s better. Like saying
Good afternoon, or Good morning, Oh, may God (Allah) keep us upon goodness
This is enough and you don’t need to stress it. You don’t have to keep saying I wish you the same, or happy new year and all that. The evidence for the above statement is the dua we say after waking up, where we thank Allah for keeping us alive after taking our souls while sleeping.
Islam commands good character even with those who do not share our beliefs. Allah says:
“Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who do not fight you because of religion.” (Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:8)
So, ignoring people harshly, appearing cold, or acting superior is not from the Sunnah. At the same time, Islam protects the heart from affirming religious meanings that contradict Tawheed. This balance is essential when handling New Year greetings.
What You Should Avoid
- Avoid explicitly celebrating the New Year as a religious or festive event
- Avoid phrases that mirror endorsement, such as:
- “Happy New Year to you too!”
- “May this New Year be blessed!”
- “Wishing you a joyful New Year celebration!”
Respond with words that are general, not specific. This is the key. General goodness, not a specific celebration wording, human warmth, not religious approval
We ask Allah to keep us firm upon our deen and grant us a better understanding and the ability to practise it very well. Aameen.
