{"id":1271,"date":"2024-12-16T11:48:17","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T11:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/?p=1271"},"modified":"2025-11-28T06:33:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T11:33:06","slug":"muslim-participate-in-christmas-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/muslim-participate-in-christmas-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Can A Muslim Participate In Christmas Celebration?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0a0a0a;color:#0a0a0a\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/muslim-participate-in-christmas-celebration\/#Christmas_celebration_contradicts_Tawheed_Oneness_of_Allah\" >Christmas celebration contradicts Tawheed (Oneness of Allah)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/muslim-participate-in-christmas-celebration\/#Celebrating_Christmas_is_like_imitating_the_disbelievers_in_their_action\" >Celebrating Christmas is like imitating the disbelievers in their action<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/muslim-participate-in-christmas-celebration\/#Evidence_of_the_Impermissibility_of_Christmas_From_A_Great_Christian_Pastor\" >Evidence of the Impermissibility of Christmas From A Great Christian Pastor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/muslim-participate-in-christmas-celebration\/#Celebrating_Christmas_As_Culture_and_Not_As_Religion\" >Celebrating Christmas As Culture and Not As Religion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/muslim-participate-in-christmas-celebration\/#What_are_the_festivals_for_Muslims\" >What are the festivals for Muslims?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Questioner<\/strong>: Assalaam Alaikum. Please I have a question that is bothering me which I need a good answer to. Can a Muslim participate in Christmas celebration?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Answer:\u00a0<\/strong>Wa alaikumus salaam warahmatullahi wabarakaatuh. Praise be to Allah and may Allah&#8217;s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad. As the season of Christmas approaches, questions often arise concerning Muslims participating in Christmas celebrations. Islam provides clear guidance on this matter and there is a scholarly consensus on it.<\/p>\n<p>The direct answer to this question is that it is not permissible for a Muslim to participate in Christmas celebrations and any other non-Muslim celebrations like New Year or easter festivals. With the growing diversity in societies, many Muslims wonder today that, what is wrong for a Muslim to participate in Christmas celebrations.<\/p>\n<p>Islam is a religion built on submission to Allah&#8217;s will and the guidance provided in the Quran and Sunnah. Let&#8217;s go into the Quran and Sunnah to clearly explain what prohibits a Muslim to participate in Christmas celebrations.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Christmas_celebration_contradicts_Tawheed_Oneness_of_Allah\"><\/span><strong>Christmas celebration contradicts Tawheed (Oneness of Allah)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Christmas celebrated on December 25th, is a significant holiday and festival for Christians around the world. They use this day to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, whom we Muslims also revere as a prophet known as Isa (Peace be upon him).<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s crucial to understand what Christmas represents. For many Christians, <strong>they regard Jesus as God and some regard him as the son of God.<\/strong> While they are celebrating his birth even after having the belief that he is God or God&#8217;s son is a total disbelief and associating partners to Allah (Almighty God).\u00a0 Allah says in the Quran:<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1291 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Green-Elegant-Islamic-Religion-Canvas-Print.png\" alt=\"Can A Muslim Participate In Christmas Celebration, Muslim To Participate In Christmas Celebration\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Green-Elegant-Islamic-Religion-Canvas-Print.png 1200w, https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Green-Elegant-Islamic-Religion-Canvas-Print-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Green-Elegant-Islamic-Religion-Canvas-Print-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Green-Elegant-Islamic-Religion-Canvas-Print-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;\u00a0 He begets not, nor is He begotten;\u00a0 And there is none like unto Him.&#8221; (Qur&#8217;an 112:1-4)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;They say, &#8216;The Most Merciful has taken a son.&#8217; You have done an atrocious thing. The heavens almost rupture therefrom, and the earth splits open, and the mountains collapse in devastation.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>(Surah Maryam 19:88-90)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Allah made it clear in the above verses to clear the misconceptions of saying Allah has a partner, son or wife. He is One, Allahu Akbar. He has no wife not to talk of having a son. We human beings are the ones in need of that. Allah who created the heaven and the earth is in no need of any helper.<\/p>\n<p>The statement they are saying about Allah having a son is a great sin itself that almost causes the heavens to break down and the earth to split. May Allah save us from this statement not to even affirm it.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Celebrating_Christmas_is_like_imitating_the_disbelievers_in_their_action\"><\/span><strong>Celebrating Christmas is like imitating the disbelievers in their action<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We have understood from the above explanation that the belief of the Christians about the prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) is a total disbelief that can take any Muslims that have such belief too out of the fold of Islam. So what about imitating them and joining them in this practice<\/p>\n<p>Saying that Allah has a son and affirming it in mind will take a Muslim out of the fold of Islam likewise accepting that those who are doing it are doing the right thing. That is accepting that the belief of the Christians is right too. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;Whoever imitates a people is one of them.&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>(Sunan Abu Dawood 4031)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Muslims believe that Prophet Isa called Jesus (peace be upon him) is one of the greatest Prophets, not the son of God. Therefore, for a Muslim to participate in Christmas celebrations means that he also accepts that the prophet Isa is a Son of God and celebrating the day of his birth is right. By doing this, one has joined them in the act and will be out of the fold of Islam after knowing about this.<\/p>\n<p>It is not allowed to participate in doing Christmas carols or decorating homes with Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, and other decorations.<span class=\"UV3uM\"> It is not allowed to exchange Christmas gifts with them too. And our Prophet has warned us about this and their ways before. He said:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cYou will surely follow the path of those before you, step by step and inch by inch. If they entered a lizard hole, you would follow.\u201d We said, \u201cO Messenger of Allah, do you mean the Jews and Christians?\u201d The Prophet said, \u201cWho else?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sahih al-Bukhari 3456, Sahih Muslim 2669<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Prophet (Allah&#8217;s peace and blessings be upon him) has already said that stylishly and foolishly we will be following their way till we become part of them, unknowingly thinking we are doing it out of being nice or good to them. Whereas leading to our own destruction. We should stay in our lane and uphold the guidance of Islam. Allah says:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;To you be your religion, and to me be my religion.&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>(Surah Al-Kafirun 109:6)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I hope that our brother who asked the question &#8220;Can A Muslim Participate In Christmas Celebration&#8221; now has a better understanding of its impermissibility. We ask Allah to grant us steadfastness.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Evidence_of_the_Impermissibility_of_Christmas_From_A_Great_Christian_Pastor\"><\/span><strong>Evidence of the Impermissibility of Christmas From A Great Christian Pastor<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There was a statement from the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry in the name of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/William_Kumuyi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pastor W.F. Kumuyi<\/a>, who said that Christmas is idolatrous. Pastor Kumuyi was quoted in the following words:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1290 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/White-and-Green-Classic-Merry-Christmas-Greeting-Instagram-Post.png\" alt=\"Can A Muslim Participate In Christmas Celebration, Muslim To Participate In Christmas Celebration\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/White-and-Green-Classic-Merry-Christmas-Greeting-Instagram-Post.png 1200w, https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/White-and-Green-Classic-Merry-Christmas-Greeting-Instagram-Post-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/White-and-Green-Classic-Merry-Christmas-Greeting-Instagram-Post-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/White-and-Green-Classic-Merry-Christmas-Greeting-Instagram-Post-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cWe don\u2019t celebrate Christmas. It actually came from idolatrous background. That is why you don\u2019t hear us sing what they call Christmas Carol. Never! \u2026 When you find anybody coming in, or any leader, trying to introduce the idolatry of mystery Babylon that they call Christmas, and you want to bring all the Christmas carol saying that is the day that Jesus was born, and you don\u2019t find that in the Acts of the Apostles or in the early church, then you don\u2019t find that in the church either. If you don\u2019t know that before, now you know.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Celebrating_Christmas_As_Culture_and_Not_As_Religion\"><\/span><strong>Celebrating Christmas As Culture and Not As Religion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some argue that Christmas today is more like a cultural festival than a religious one. But even if viewed as a cultural event, what about many of its symbols and traditions \u2014 like the Christmas tree, carols, and nativity scenes\u2014 that still carry religious significance? We should be careful as Muslims and not spoil our faith all because of unnecessary celebrations.<\/p>\n<p>We all heard what the Christian leader said to Pastor Kumuyi about Christmas. What concerns you as a Muslim to participate in Christmas celebrations? Allah warns us:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;And do not follow what you have no knowledge of. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart\u2014about all those [one] will be questioned.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>(Surah Al-Isra 17:36)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Prophet (Allah&#8217;s peace and blessings be upon him) warned us too:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cYou will surely follow the path of those before you, step by step and inch by inch. If they entered a lizard hole, you would follow.\u201d We said, \u201cO Messenger of Allah, do you mean the Jews and Christians?\u201d The Prophet said, \u201cWho else?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sahih al-Bukhari 3456<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_festivals_for_Muslims\"><\/span><strong>What are the festivals for Muslims?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The festivals of Muslims are two, which is the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. We also have the weekly festival on Friday. Allah says<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cFor each [religious following] We have prescribed a law and a method.\u201d (Quran 5:48)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the two celebrations prescribed for Muslims.\u00a0Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Medina during two days which they were celebrating. The Prophet said,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cWhat are these two days?\u201d They said, \u201cWe would celebrate these two days in the time of ignorance.\u201d The Prophet said, \u201cVerily, Allah has replaced these two days with two better days: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 1134<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cEvery nation has its festival, and this is our festival (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha)\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>(Sahih al-Bukhari 952)<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Allah has prescribed for each nation its own festival and our own festivals are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. It is also understood that they had a festival during the time of ignorance in Medinah, before which the Prophet told them to stop those ones and hold on to Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adh,a which Allah has ordained for them. This is very clear now that it is not permissible for a Muslim to participate in Christmas celebrations<\/p>\n<p>It is important to be good to them in all way,s but not to compromise our faith for that. Respecting others who are non-Muslim and living harmoniously in diverse societies does not require compromising one\u2019s faith. We can read about<a href=\"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/what-can-nullify-ones-islam\/\"> things that can nullify one&#8217;s Islam here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As Muslims, we are to adhere to the Quran and Sunnah, maintaining the distinct identity of Islam while showing kindness and respect to others. By avoiding practices that conflict with Islamic teachings, we protect our faith and honor the values entrusted to us by Allah.<\/p>\n<p>May Allah guide us to the straight path and grant us the wisdom to uphold our beliefs in all circumstances. O Allah, guide us to the straight path, the path of those who have earned Your favor, not of those who have gone astray. Aameen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Questioner: Assalaam Alaikum. Please I have a question that is bothering me which I need a good answer to. Can a Muslim participate in Christmas celebration? Answer:\u00a0Wa alaikumus salaam warahmatullahi wabarakaatuh. Praise be to Allah and may Allah&#8217;s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad. As the season of Christmas approaches, questions often<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6,50],"tags":[282,283],"class_list":{"0":"post-1271","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-featured","8":"category-ethics-morality","9":"category-fatwa-islam-question-answer","10":"tag-can-muslim-celebrate-christmas","11":"tag-muslim-celebrating-christmas"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1271"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4553,"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1271\/revisions\/4553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deenminder.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}