Is it okay to celebrate Christmas?

Question

I'm a Muslim as well as both of my parents but my mom use to be a Christian. My family from my mom's side are Christians. We celebrate Christmas as a tradition because of this, not for Jesus being the "son of God" or anything like that, but like celebrating him as a prophet or as a tradition. Would this still be considered a sin?

Answer 1

Assalamu alaikum,

unfortunately, celebrating religious festivals - even if it is for cultural reasons - is not allowed.

: Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”

Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4031

thus, engaging in the religious festivals of others is not allowed.

However, Allah also says: Allah does not forbid you as regards those who did not fight you on account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that you do good to them, and deal justly with them. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice. (Quran 60:8)

this verse explains that we should still be good to those who have been good to us. thus, do not go on Christmas day, but go the day before or a few days after, give gifts, sit with them, and have a good time - a day before or after is not a celebration of Christmas.

Answer 2

Neither Prophet Muhammad nor Jesus Christ celebrated the birthdays of anyone in either the Sunnah or the New Testament, so what's exactly the wisdom from this innovation?

We know that Jesus [AS] was born in a time period near the summer according to the Qur'an:

19:25 وَهُزِّىٓ إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ ٱلنَّخْلَةِ تُسَـٰقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا

And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.

The dates of 25th Dec. and 7th Jan. have no business with Jesus, he was born in neither of them.

Secondly, there's no record of any Christmas festivals before the 4th century, and the date of 25 December was actually the birth of the sun god, an old pagan Roman festival.

The early Christians scholars [before that time] didn't show any remarks or writings that Jesus was born in the winter, at all. And they didn't celebrate the Christmas either. Is this an innovation or not?

Third, the Prophet said:

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَسَّانُ بْنُ عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُنِيبٍ الْجُرَشِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who imitates any people is one of them.

And Allah said:

5:51 ۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلْيَهُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنْهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

Imitate the Christians, and you will be one of them:

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ، وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ، حَتَّى لَوْ سَلَكُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَسَلَكْتُمُوهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ ‏"‏ فَمَنْ ‏"‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a mastigure, you too will go there." We said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?" He replied, "Whom else?"

Personal advice, if you can't convince your family that what they are doing is wrong, then [please] don't join them in this shirk, even Prophet Jesus doesn't like what Christians do and say, so use your wisdom and look what's written in their books:

Matthew 7

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Don't satisfy anyone, only Allah.