Is It Permissible to Celebrate Holidays That Have Not Been Established by Islam?

Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle

Question: Is it permissible to celebrate holidays that have not been established by Islam?

Answer: Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

I really appreciate this worthy and important question.

In short, as Muslims, we cannot celebrate any religious occasions of other religions. So if the holiday is a purely religious holiday, we cannot celebrate it. (Not going to work because it is a public holiday does not constitute celebrating that day.)

If however, it is just a cultural or national event, such as Thanksgiving or Independence Day, then there is no harm in celebrating it. This is obvious on the proviso that you don’t believe it has any particular blessings or sanctity.

For more detail, please see: Context for the Hadith: Whoever Imitates a People Is of Them

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language