Everything you need to know about X-MAZZ (Christmas)

Yes, it's sadly that time of year again when many Muslims  get confused about their own religion and their ignorance in Tawheed and decide to water down Islam just to fit in with the kafirs and their x-mazz holiday traditionzzzz. Well, let us explore what exactly is x-mazz and where it originated from and what the scholars of ahlul sunnah say about it !!!! Let us please educate ourselves about this major shirk/kufr traditional practice and please remember, Allah is All-Knowing, All Seeing, All Hearing. If we want our duaas to be answered, then we should adhere to His religion the CORRECT way and if we want barakah (blessings) in all that we do, we should adhere to His Rulings the correct way. Please take heed to this information and remember the Day of Judgement. 

The word Christmas is derived from the Old English Cristes maesse, “Christ’s Mass.”

There is no certain tradition of the date of Christ’s birth. Christian chronographers of the 3rd century believed that the creation of the world took place at the spring equinox, then reckoned as March 25; hence the new creation in the incarnation (i.e., the conception) and death of Christ must therefore have occurred on the same day, with his birth following nine months later at the winter solstice, December 25.

According to a Roman almanac, the Christian festival of Christmas was celebrated in Rome by AD 336…

The reason why Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25 remains uncertain, but most probably the reason is that early Christians wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the “birthday of the unconquered sun.” (natalis solis invicti); this festival celebrated the winter solstice, when the days again begin to lengthen and the sun begins to climb higher in the sky. The traditional customs connected with Christmas have accordingly developed from several sources as a result of the coincidence of the celebration of the birth of Christ with the pagan agricultural and solar observances at midwinter.

In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, and gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian. Since the European Middle Ages, evergreens, as symbols of survival, have been associated with Christmas…

So as any rational person can see, there is no sound basis for Christmas, nor did Jesus (peace be upon him) or his true followers celebrate Christmas or ask anyone to celebrate Christmas, nor was there any record of anyone calling themselves Christians celebrating Christmas until several hundred years after Jesus. So were the companions of Jesus more righteously guided in not celebrating Christmas or are the people of today?

So if you want to respect Jesus, peace be upon him, as Muslims do, don’t celebrate some fabricated event that was chosen to coincide with pagan festivals and copy pagan customs. Do you honestly think God, or even Jesus himself, would approve or condemn such a thing? If you say approve, then obviously you are not interested in the truth.

We ask Allah, the One, Singular God, with no partners or sons, the God of all creation and mankind, to guide us all to the path of guidance and sincerity.

Giving and Accepting Christmas Gifts – Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen

The Christians’ celebrating the ‘Eid of the birth of ‘Eesaa, upon him be peace, is for them. However, it is not permissible for the Muslim to participate in their holidays. They are not to give them gifts at the time of their holidays nor is it befitting to accept their gifts from them at the time of their holidays. Nor is it permissible to sell them anything which will aid them in the celebration of their holidays; all of this is incorrect. This is because it entails being pleased with that which they are upon if the person were to do so. And being pleased with Kufr and the holidays of the disbelievers is prohibited for the Muslims.

Source

How could a Muslim celebrate Christmas and New Year’s? – By Shaykh Uthaymeen

Then what is worse than that; is some Muslims celebrate the New Year, and they glorify it and venerate it, and it is connected to the religious occasion of the Christians; which is; what? The birthday of the Messiah Eesa ibn Maryam peace be upon him. Thus celebrating New Year’s Eve, yes, in relation with the birth of the Messiah; this is rejoicing with their religious rites and practices. And rejoicing with kufr practices—if the person who is pleased with this is safe from disbelief—then it is as ibn Al Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him said in his book, ‘the ruling on the dhimmi’ it is more severe than being pleased with drinking alcohol and worshiping the cross.

Thus the affair is very dangerous O brothers. It is not permissible for the person to celebrate Christmas; if he is a Muslim. And it is not permissible for him to congratulate them for this holiday; if he is a Muslim. And it is not permissible for him to respond to this greeting if they congratulate him for this holiday; if he is a Muslim.

Subhan’Allah! Shall we congratulate them for a holiday which is considered as a religious practice? And is this anything other than being pleased with disbelief? But most of those who congratulate them do not intend to exalt their religion or practices, but rather they only intend what; to be courteous. And this is incorrect.

If someone says; I am courteous to them because they are courteous to me and they congratulate me for Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. We say: Alhamdulillah. If they congratulate you with Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr, then they have congratulated you for legislated holiday, which Allah has made for His slaves. And it is mandatory for Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr to be their holidays, because it is obligatory upon them to accept Islam. But if you congratulate them for Christmas then you are congratulating them for a holiday which Allah has not designated as a holiday.

Thus Christmas has no basis in history and it has no basis in the religious legislation. Eesa ibn Maryam did not command them to establish this holiday. Thus it is either that, which was entered into the religion of the Messiah as innovation and misguidance, or it was prescribed in the legislation of Eesa ibn Maryam but it has been abrogated by the legislation of Islam. Therefore it has no basis by any estimation. Because if we said it is from the innovation of the Christians and it is not from their legislation; then it is misguidance. And if we said it is from their legislation, then it has been abrogated; and to worship Allah with an abrogated religion is misguidance; thus it is misguidance by any estimation. And because it is misguidance, how is it befitting for me—while I am a Muslim—to congratulate them for it?!

And we have answered the issue of them congratulating us for our Eid and us not congratulating them for their holiday because our Eid has been legislated by Allah the Exalted; while their holiday is not legislated. This is because it has either been fabricated in their legislation or abrogated by our legislation. Thus it has no basis in any regard.

Source

The Ruling on Participating in Christmas – by: Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah)

Question: Our brother says: He notices that some of the Muslims participate along with the Christians in the Festival of the Birth, or Christmas as they call it; he hopes for some guidance regarding that.

Answer:

It is not permissible for the Muslim male or female to participate with the Christians, the Jews, or other than them from the disbelievers in their holidays. Rather, it is obligatory to abandon that. This is because:

“He who imitates a people is from them.”

And the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) warned us against imitating them and adorning ourselves with their mannerisms. So it is upon the believing male and female to beware of that, and not to aid in the celebration of these holidays with anything. This is because they are holidays which oppose the Legislation of Allah and the enemies of Allah establish them. So it is not permissible to participate in them nor to cooperate with its people or to assist them with anything; not with (giving them) tea, coffee, or anything at all; such as utensils, and the likes. Also, Allah the Glorified says:

Help you one another in Al­-Birr and At­-Taqwaa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. [Al-Ma’idah 5:2]

So participating with the disbelievers in their holidays is a type of helping them upon sin and transgression. Hence, it is obligatory upon every Muslim male and female to abandon that and it is not befitting for the one who has intellect to be deceived by the people in their actions. It is obligatory to ponder over the legislation of Al-Islam and that which is has brought and to adhere to the command of Allah and His Messenger, and not to look towards the affairs of the people. For most of the creation has no concern for the Legislation of Allah. As Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said:

And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path. [Al-An’am 6:116]

He, Glorified be He, has said:

And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly. [Yusuf 12:103]

So the holidays which oppose the Legislation, then it is not permissible to accept them, even if the people are doing it. For the believer weighs his actions and statements, and the actions and statements of the people, by the Book and the Sunnah; the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).That which coincides with them or one of them, then it is accepted, even if the people have abandoned it.That which opposes them or one of them, then it is rejected, even if the people do it. And may Allah grant all Tawfeeq and guidance.

[By: Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah)]

Greeting The Kuffaar On Their Festivals

Question: What is the ruling on congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration? And how do we respond to them if they greet us with it. And is it permissible to go to the places where they are having celebrations for that purpose. And does the person (Muslim) take a sin if he does the aforementioned without any intent? Rather he only does it being courteous, or due to shyness or due to being put in an awkward situation, or due to some other reasons. And is it permissible to resemble them in this?

Answer:

Congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration or other than that from their religious holidays is not permissible according to the consensus. As was related by Ibn Al Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, in his book “Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah”, when he said: As for congratulating the disbelievers for their religious ceremonies that have kufr (disbelief) attached to it, then it is not permissible according to the consensus. For example congratulating them for their holidays or their fasts, so the person says, “May you have a bless holiday”, or he wishes them well for their holiday or something like that. So this, if the one who says it escapes from falling into kufr (disbelief), is (still) from the impermissible things. And it is on the same level as congratulating them for prostrating to the cross. Rather it is a greater sin with Allah. And it is a more severe abomination than to congratulate them for drinking alcohol and killing someone, committing illegal sexual intercourse and things of this nature. And many of the people who do not have any religion (or respect for the religion) fall into this. And he does not know the ugliness (evil) of what he has done. So whoever congratulates a person for committing sins, or bid’ah (innovations), or disbelief, then he has exposed himself to the hate, wrath (anger) of Allah.

–End of the Shaykh’s (Ibn Al Qayyim) speech may Allah have mercy upon him–

So congratulating the disbelievers on the religious holidays is not permissible, as shown by the proof brought by Ibn Al Qayyim. Because in it, (congratulating the kufar on their religious holidays) is an approval for what they are upon from their kufr ceremonies, and showing them that you are please with it. Even if the person is not pleased with the actual kufr itself, it is also not permissible for the Muslim to be pleased with kufr ceremonies, or to congratulate them for it. Because Allah the Exalted is not pleased with that, as Allah the Exalted says, “If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you.” (Chapter 39 verse 7) And the Exalted says, “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Chapter 5 verse 3) So congratulating them with this is not permissible whether this person is your co worker or not. So if they greet us with their holiday greeting we don’t respond to them with it, because it’s not our holiday, and they are holidays that Allah is not pleased with, and because it is something that is either innovated in their religion, or it was legislated but has since been abrogated by the deen of Islam that which Muhammad peace and blessing be upon him, was sent with to all of the creation. And He (Allah) says about it (Islam) “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” (Chapter 3 verse 85). And for the Muslim to accept their invitations to these occasions (holiday celebrations) is haram. (Impermissible) Because this is worst than congratulating them with it, because this would entail participating with them in this. Also it is haram for the Muslim to imitate the disbelievers by establishing celebrations for these occasions, or to exchanges gifts, or to distribute sweets, or trays of food, or to stop work or anything like this. Due to the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, “Whoever imitates a people is from them.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood in al-Libaas, hadeeth 3512]

Shaykh of Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said in his book, “Follow the straight path and oppose the path to the fire”: Imitating them in some of their celebration causes happiness in their hearts for what they are upon from false hood. And it is possible that this might encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity to humiliate the weak minded. [Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Mukhaalifat Ashaab al-Jaheem]

And whoever does anything from this is a sinner. And it is the same whether he did it being courteous, or seeking friendship, or due to shyness, or any other reason, because this is from being deceitful in the deen of Allah. And this is from the reasons that reinforce the psyche of the disbelievers and to make them proud of their deen.

Allah is the One Whom we ask to make the Muslims feel proud of their religion, to help them adhere steadfastly to it, and to make them victorious over their enemies, for He is the Strong and Omnipotent.

[By: Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Ibn 'Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) - Source: Majmoo’ah Fataawa wa Rasaa’il]

“No You Too!”

If someone wishes you a merry Christmas or the like,
In response dare not say, “You too.”
For this would imply an acceptance of their disbelieving ceremonies,
Even if this is not you,
So explain to them -if you can- that you don’t celebrate such,
Only if this is what you have the time and the ability to do,
If not then draw silent and don’t reciprocate,
Whatever you do, dare not say, “You too!”

(A short poem by Abu ‘Abdis Salaam Siddiq Al Juyaanee)

source: http://dawatussalafiyyah.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/christmas-or-kufrmas/