Dr. Hüseyin Kami Büyüközer, the president of GİMDES and DHV (Dunya Halal Foundation), has declared that they are against the celebration of the new year and the Christmas in Muslim countries. The celebrations of those days may cause great damages to our belief, prayers, morality, culture, social and economic life. They certainly damage our Imaan (belief). Emulation of non-Muslims’ actions is regarded as seeing them supreme than Muslims and obeying to them. Therefore, celebrations to be made for this purpose and the lottery cannot be accepted and acknowledged. An ayah tells us: “Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely. And it has already come down to you in the Book that when you hear the verses of Allah [recited], they are denied [by them] and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them. Indeed Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together.” (Surah An-Nisa, 139-140).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a mastigure, you would follow them.” We said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! (Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said, “Whom else?” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book 96, 7320).
As a result, we can say that a Muslim who makes an action with the intent of celebrating the New Year, or is conducive to it, as stated in the books of many fukaha “if s(he) intents to honor the day, s(he) becomes kafir (non-Muslim) [we seek refuge in Allah (SWT)]. If there is no intention of honoring, at least, s(he) commits Haram and becomes sinful. We have to be away from such a celebration, which may cause risk to our Halal and Tayyib life-system.
The Holy Qur’an gives the mission of ordering the good and prohibiting the evil (Amr bi al-Maruf wa’l- Nahy an al-Munkar). Ahadith also warns us about this issue. On the authority of Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say, “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.” (Muslim). Then, if being against the evil from the heart is the weakest point of faith, what is the point of faith to applaud the evils and to join them personally?
“O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out the Prophet and yourselves [only] because you believe in Allah, your Lord. If you have come out for jihad in My cause and seeking means to My approval, [take them not as friends]. You confide to them affection, but I am most knowing of what you have concealed and what you have declared. And whoever does it among you has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way. If they gain dominance over you, they would be to you as enemies and extend against you their hands and their tongues with evil, and they wish you would disbelieve.” (Surah Al-Mumtahanah, 1-2)
“And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. And when the earthquake seized them, he said, “My Lord, if You had willed, You could have destroyed them before and me [as well]. Would You destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is not but Your trial by which You send astray whom You will and guide whom You will. You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers. And decree for us in this world [that which is] good and [also] in the Hereafter; indeed, we have turned back to You.” [ Allah ] said, “My punishment – I afflict with it whom I will, but My mercy encompasses all things.” So I will decree it [especially] for those who fear Me and give zakah and those who believe in Our verses.” (Surah Al-A’raf, 155-156).
Therefore, trying to emulate non-Muslims and become like them have detracted us from our identity and culture. If we do not turn away from our mistakes, degeneration of Islamic society will continue and I fear, Islam would eventually leave us.
WE HAVE TO BE AWAY FROM SUCH A CELEBRATION, WHICH CAN DAMAGE OUR HALAL AND TAYYIB LIFE-SYSTEM.
