Non-Muslim Celebrations

Hayfa wrote: okay.. don't be friends with them... but Muslim men can marry them...?? And this was posted all of last month.. the whole issue of Christmas, etc.

 That was a good post. Very interesting and illuminating !!

Knowledge01 wrote: I intentionally did not touch on this point because it does not pertain to the topic at hand because sometimes we do not use the word "kafir" properly and as Allah uses it in Al Qur'an Al Karim. In the link, "kafir" will be used to represent all non-Muslims, regardless if they are mushrikeen or Ahlul Kitaab. Your definition is correct though, according to Qur'an and Sunnah. BarakAllahu fik.

Yes brother, but i started this discussion from its root , so as to discuss it with minuteman. We had this discussion last days, which i cud n't pay much attention.

Minute man i didnot understand your definitions. Can u explain them.

Knowledge here is why I disagree see the following quotes:

Collecting donations to give gifts to poor families at Christmas

In my school it is Christmas time. My school has this Christmas tradition. Every year a classroom gets an adopted family that is poor so they can buy gifts, food, and donate money to them for Christmas. Unfortunately, I have refused to donate any money or give any food for the following reason: -These denotations will be done in the name of christmas, so that when the adopted family receives these donations, they will say "God Bless The Christians".
Am I right for refusing to give donations?

The highlighted above is a misleading question. Some people receive donations to help poor people out during Christmas time purely out of semi-altruism. If someone is poor they are mostly likely thankful enough to receive the gift and bless anyone who had a part in the gift whether they are Muslim, Jewish or Christian.

Muslims must beware of imitating the Christians in their festivals and of following the customs that belong only to them. You did well and you did the right thing when you did not agree to collect donations for poor families

This is ridiculous advice. So you congratulate this person for not helping with the collection of money to help poor families out yet, don't encourage this person to give him/herself in the name of Islam? I understand this is simply a Q & A but the answer is not logical. Giving during Christmas time and the meaning of this act is not universal to everyone. Some people give because commercially speaking, this is the time when people give the most because people typically buy gifts for their families and spend a lot of money. So when you see the collection of toys for poor families its not always done in the name of Jesus or the Messiah or whatever it is sometimes done in the "spirit" of giving back to other human beings who are less fortunate.

"If we Muslims want to give in charity, we can give to those who really deserve it"

So poor people during Christmas time are less deserving?

"We should do that whenever there is a need, and make the most of good and great occasions such as the month of Ramadaan and the first ten days of Dhu�l-Hijjah, and other virtuous occasions when rewards are multiplied"

This is contradictory. The person states "We should do that whenever there is a need," yet states further, "and make the most of good and great occasions such as the month of Ramadan and the first ten days of Dhul'Hijjah, and other virtuous occasions when rewards are multiplied." So we should donate only on virtuous days which reards are multiplied? Doesn't sound like altruistic advice to me. Why would I care about my rewards being multiplied in the first place when giving to other humans? If I do something because I believe I'll get a reward from God then I'm not doing an act out of sincerity of myself but because I believe that what I'm doing will spiritually benefit me. This is not true altruism but inherent selfishness. In addition, the person giving advice express that we should give to those anytime regardless of the occassion which I agree, but contradicts this by specifying an Islamic holiday simply because rewards are multiplied during this time this is not reasonable thinking.

Is it permissible for a Muslim to eat the foods that the people of the Book or the mushrikoon prepare for their festivals or accept such foods if they are given on the occasion of their festivals?.

HMMM....

"It is not permissible for the Muslim to eat foods that the Jews, Christians and mushrikoon make for their festivals. It is not permissible either for a Muslim to accept such things that are given to them on the occasion of their festivals, because that implies honouring them and cooperating with them in manifesting their symbols and propagating their innovations and sharing their happiness on the days of their festivals."

The blue part of this remark is more of an assumption than a factual statement. First, the only way I'm cognizant of a Jewish or Christian holiday is first by its commercilization in the media. So, if I receive a gift during these holidays yet the gift is done in the spirit of goodwill how am I honoring it? I understand if a Muslim partakes in the actual festival (such as participating in the nativity scene or lighting a Menorah-ouch I may have mispelled that). However if one receives food from a Jewish or Christian person during these times is it not out of courtesy that we take it? Even if we accept these gifts out of courtesy how are we honoring them? This is something the author didn't explain in detail. There are several ways to look at this because if someone gives even during their religious festivals it may not be done in the name of their religion, again it may be done in the "spirit" of giving. In some religious practices, during their festival holidays they are taught to give to other humans in good will. We should be prepared to answer this.

His mother will be angry if he does not celebrate Mother�s Day

Celebrating Mother�s Day is an innovated matter which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not do.

I agree that Mother's Day is an invented holiday, but let's put things into perspective here. First off women globally are not treated in the same respect as men ANYWAY and in many sectors on the globe are disadvantaged on many levels in society so putting things in this perspective why is it so wrong to partake is this non-religious holiday? I understand that most actions of muslims must imitate the prophet however we ourselves are not prophets and not Muhammad. If such a holiday like Mother's Day does not interfere with Islam why not partake in it? This is not adding it in Muslim festivities but this more or less recognizing your mother on one day despite the current circumstances women are in. Some Muslim men do not openly celebrate their wives period because we are so conservative as it is so how can we show the world that we love our women? If you asked me I'd rather be known to celebrate an artifical day such as Mother's Day than being recognized by the newspress for beating my wife.

In our religion mothers have been given something which has not been given to them in any other religion; the mother�s rights take precedence over those of the father.

We always talk big about the benefits of our faith yet societies across the planet do not reflect this reality. We need to stop saying what we have and what other religions don't have just maintain practicing our faith and rebuilding ourselves. Muslims nowadays do too much religion comparing and not enough actual practicing. When some of our brothers and sisters stop committing murderous crimes and harming each other for ignorant reasons or imprison our own simply for a difference of opinion I'll be less harsh.

Overall

There are many foreigners (Arab, Southeast Asians, Central Asians etc) who own liquor stores near where I work and have Allah frames behind their counters (of course away from public eye). There are Muslims who celebrate the prophet Muhammad's birthday. There are Muslims who wail in front of Ali's shrine and there are Muslims who whip themselves to imitate a historical event. There are Muslims who belly dance (yes it is a provocative dance) and smoke Hookah ( there are chemical elements that constitute it as a drug) and smoke Marijuana. Despite the current title who are we to tell each other about participating in non-muslim festivities when we have conjured up ones of our own? I personally believe that we should take consideration the intentions of others who give in the name of their faith and what we do by participating in it. I'm not condoning celebrating Christmas or Hannukah, but we ned to be more considerate when taking and giving during these times. I don't think its good advice to tell someone (especially if they're young) don't give to poor families on Christmas because it may honor Christians, rather the individual should encourage the person to give and if the person gives during the time of Christmas give in the name of Islam and human goodwill.

Seekshidayath, how can you not have emotional attachments to non-muslim family members? It isnt fair to generalise in this way. For us reverts we all have individual circumstances. My 11yr old son does not live with me, but with his father. How can I disassociate from him and his Christmas celebration just because I accepted Islam and he as such is still a Christian? That isnt fair to my son, regardless of my own beliefs now. Am I supposed to give up my youngest altogether?