Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

DEAR BROTHER

ASSALAM-O-ALIKUM

MY QUESTION IS CAN WE EAT DIWALI SWEETS GIVEN BY NON MUSLIMS. AND CAN WE USE THE GIFTS LIKE WATCH, PEN, DRESSES ETC. GIVEN BY HIM TO US.

KINDLY GIVE THE ANSWER IN THE LIGHT OF QURAN AND HADITH.

JAZAKALLAH.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Gifts of non muslim festivals

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Every people have their own civilization, their culture and days of celebration. Allah and His Messenger (saws) have appointed the two Eids for celebration in Islam, and have made every Friday a day of Eid and celebration for the believers. For a true believer, every day that dawns is a Sign from our Merciful Lord, and every day that Allah gives us life, can be a day of celebration for us.

There is absolutely no harm if one celebrates or congratulates one’s non-muslim brethren on their personal accomplishments and happy occasions like their marriage, the birth of their baby, or their children’s graduation, or a promotion in their job, etc. But it would neither behove nor befit a believer who believes in Allah and the Last Day to greet or celebrate any of their religious occasions with them like Christmas, Easter, Diwali, Holi, etc……for that then would be to intentionally witness a falsehood.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verse 72:

72 (The true slave-servants of Allah are) Those who witness no falsehood (intentionally), and if they pass by futility they pass by it with honorable (avoidance)

In light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, the jurors in Islam have listed four categories which would make any celebration or gathering forbidden:

1. The celebration should not be a pagan religious festival.
2. The celebration should not involve any ‘shirk’.
3. The celebration should not involve or encourage ‘fahisha’ or indecency or any of the things absolute forbidden in Islam (alcohol, gambling, etc.)
4. The celebration should not indulge in excess spending.

The pagan beliefs and religions and thus their religious festivals are based on absolute falsehoods, and it does not behove one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day as Truth to indulge in celebrations and/or commemorations of falsehood. To greet, or celebrate, or eat the food prepared for that specific pagan occasion, or exchange gifts on that specific occasion would be to justify their false beliefs at best, and a manifestation of the abomination of ‘shirk’ at its worst!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan