Christmas gifts from gaalos

[fisabililah]

Greeting the Kuffaar on Christmas and other religious holidays of theirs is Haraam, by consensus.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in Ahkaam Ahl ath-Thimmah:

'Congratulating the Kuffaar on the rituals that belong only to them is Haraam by consensus, as is congratulating them on their festivals and fasts by saying ‘A happy festival to you’ or ‘May you enjoy your festival,’ and so on. If the one who says this has been saved from Kufr, it is still forbidden. It is like congratulating someone for prostrating to the cross, or even worse than that. It is as great a sin as congratulating someone for drinking wine, or murdering someone, or having illicit sexual relations, and so on. Many of those who have no respect for their religion fall into this error; they do not realize the offensiveness of their actions. Whoever congratulates a person for his disobedience or bid’ah or Kufr exposes himself to the wrath and anger of Allaah'.


Congratulating the Kuffaar on their religious festivals is Haraam to the extent described by Ibn al-Qayyim because it implies that one accepts or approves of their rituals of Kufr, even if one would not accept those things for oneself. But the Muslim should not accept the rituals of Kufr or congratulate anyone else for them, because Allaah does not accept any of that at all, as He says which means:

"If you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah 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" (Az-Zumar: 7)


He also said which means," This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion" (Al-Maa’idah: 3)


So congratulating them is forbidden, whether they are one’s colleagues at work or otherwise.

If they greet us on their festivals, we should not respond, because these are not our festivals, and because they are not festivals which are acceptable to Allaah. These festivals are innovations in their religions, and even those, which may have been prescribed formerly, have been abrogated by the religion of Islaam, with which Allaah sent Muhammad sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam to the whole of mankind.

Allaah says which means:

"Whoever seeks a religion other than Islaam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers" (Aal ‘Imraan: 85)


It is Haraam for a Muslim to accept invitations to such occasions, because this is worse than congratulating them, as it implies taking part in their celebrations.


Similarly, Muslims are forbidden to imitate the Kuffaar by having parties on such occasions, or exchanging gifts, or giving out sweets or food, or taking time off work, etc., because the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them."

Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah said,

'Imitating them in some of their festivals implies that one is pleased with their false beliefs and practices, and gives them the hope that they may have the opportunity to humiliate and mislead the weak.'


Whoever does anything of this sort is a sinner, whether he does it out of politeness or friendliness, or because he is too shy to refuse, or for whatever other reason, because this is hypocrisy in Islaam, and because it makes the Kuffaar feel proud of their religion.


Allaah 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.

shiekh muhammed salih al munajid.

http://www.alminbar.com/khutbaheng/9017.htm

[Leila2007]

You take the gifts and buy them as well.

it is the best time of the year though! Shops are full of everything and the entire office is full of biscuits, chocolate & miced pies

[Gedo_Boy]

take it if they give it to you and choose another time to give them a gift....like on Eid

[biko]

^^if you want to give them a gift why wait till eid?

[zulaika]

fisa,

i'm not congratulating them...they're the ones offering the gifts to me walalo so my question was simply should i or should i not accept it. i think helwaa gave the answer to that...so i think i'ma keep it.

see these gaalos have caught on to the sensitivities of other faiths...that's why they changed marry christmas to "happy holidays" cuz it bothered the jews that only christmas was being acknowledge when they too have a their hanukah right around the same time.

anyways, my thing is that even if it was xaraam i wouldn't not throw it back @ their faces...i would accept it and then drop it off at a homeless shelter or something.