Imam Murtada Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Brothers and sisters! Around this time every year, the audio-visual and print media in many non-Muslim and even Muslim countries actively broadcast and circulate programmes on celebrating the New Year’s Eve. They invite people to participate in the celebrations that are held in certain places specially assigned for them. Public workplaces, private homes and streets are decorated in many different ways. This state of affairs necessitates that the scholars and students of knowledge explain the ruling of Shari‘ah on this issue. To this end, I have collected many Ayat (verses) from the Quran and Ahadith of the Prophet (SAW) and statements of Scholars.
It is indisputably established that Allah has perfected His religion and completed the message. Allah Says:
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” [Quran, 5:3]
There is no true religion other than Islam which Allah sent Muhammad (SAW) to convey. Allah Says:
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them – out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in (taking) account.” [Quran, 3:19]
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion — never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [Quran, 3:85]
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Commenting on this Ayah (verse), Imam Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said:
“Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam to believe in, Allah will not accept it from him. “He, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers” means that, by doing so, he will deprive himself of his share of the mercy of Allah. It was mentioned that after the revelation of this Ayah (verse), the followers of other religions claimed that they were Muslims according to what is meant by the Ayah (verse). Hence, Allah commanded them to perform Hajj if they were true in their claims, because Hajj is an Islamic practice, yet they refused to do so. In this way, Allah refuted their claim.”
Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir said:
“Allah Says: “Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” This indicates that Allah The Almighty does not accept a religion other than Islam, which is to follow the Messengers who were sent by Allah The Almighty until the final Messenger, Muhammad (SAW). Allah closed all the ways leading to Him except the way of Muhammad (SAW). Hence, anyone who meets Allah after the mission of Muhammad (SAW) following anything other than his Shari‘ah, his belief will not be accepted, as Allah Says: “And whoever desires other than Islam as religion — never will it be accepted from him.”
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that he said:
“The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘Deeds will come on the Day of Judgment. The prayer will come and say, ‘O Lord, I am the prayer.’ He will Say, ‘You are good.’ Then charity will come and say, ‘O Lord, I am charity.’ He will Say, ‘You are good.’ Then fasting will come and say, ‘O Lord, I am fasting.’ Then He will Say, ‘You are good.’ Other (good) deeds will come and say, ‘I am so-and-so’ and Allah will answer them, ‘You are good.’ Then Islam will come and say, ‘O Lord, You are As-Salam and I am Islam.’ So, Allah will Say, ‘You are good. Today, I will punish and reward on account of you.’ That is why Allah Says in His Book:
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” [Quran, 3:85]
Imam Ahmad and Abu Ya‘ala Al-Haythami said:
“‘Abbad Ibn Rashid is one of the narrators of this Hadith, who was accredited by Abu Hatim and other scholars but declared weak by another group of scholars. The rest of the narrators of Ahmad’s Isnad are among the narrators of Al-Bukhari and/or Muslim.” [Majma‘ Az-Zawa’id]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said:
“Islam is the religion of the dwellers of the heavens and the religion of the followers of Tawhid on earth, and Allah does not accept a religion other than Islam. There are six religions followed by people on earth: one religion belongs to Allah and five religions belong to Satan. The religion that belongs to Allah is Islam (the religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Noah, Muhammad etc), and the religions that belong to Shaytan are Judaism, Christianity, Magianism, Sabeanism, and polytheism.” [Madarij As-Salikin]
The Prophet (SAW) explained the meaning of Islam in full. It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that he said:
“One day while the Prophet (SAW) was sitting with people, a man came to him and said, ‘What is Iman?’ The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, the meeting with Him in the Day of Judgment, His Messengers, and to believe in Resurrection.’ The man asked, ‘What is Islam?’ The Prophet (SAW) replied: ‘Islam is to worship Allah without associating partners with Him, to offer the obligatory prayers perfectly, to pay the (compulsory) charity i.e. Zakah and to fast the month of Ramadan.’ The man again asked, ‘What is Ihsan?’ The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not actually see Him, then (be certain that) Allah actually sees you.” The man further asked, ‘When will the Hour be?’ The Prophet (SAW) replied: ‘The one who is questioned about it does not know more than the questioner, but I will tell you about its portents. When the female slave gives birth to her master; when the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of high buildings. The Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah.’ Then the Prophet (SAW) recited: “Indeed, Allah (Alone) has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” [Quran, 31:34] Then the man departed. The Prophet (SAW) asked the people to bring him back, but they did not find him. So, the Prophet (SAW) said: ‘That was Jibril who came to teach people their religion.’” [Al-Bukhari]
It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar that he quoted the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saying:
“Islam is built upon five (things): testifying that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger, establishing the prayer, giving Zakah, performing Hajj and fasting Ramadan.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This applies to all the nations from among the People of the Book as well as others. Anyone who does not believe in and follow the Messenger of Allah (SAW) is one of the people who are described by the Ayah (verse):
“Indeed, they who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding eternally therein. Those are the worst of creatures.” [Quran, 98:6]
It was also narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“By Him in Whose hand the soul of Muhammad is, any Jew or Christian who hears about me, but does not believe in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be one of the people of Hell.” [Muslim]
“New Year” The Festival Of Disbelievers Not Muslims
Allah says in Qur’an:
“ﻭﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻻ ﻳﺸﻬﺪﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﺰﻭﺭ…”
“And those who do not witness falsehood…” [Quran, 25:72]
Mujahid and other than him from the pious predecessors (Salaf) said that falsehood here (Zuur) refers to the festivals of disbelievers.
ﻗﺎﻝ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠ : “ﻣﻦ ﺗﺸﺒﻪ ﺑﻘﻮﻡ ﻓﻬﻮ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ.”
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:
“Whoever imitates a nation then he is from amongst them.” [ ﺭﻭﺍﻩ ﺃﺑﻮ ﺩﺍﻭﺩ ]
ﻗﺎﻝ ﻋﻤﺮ ﺑﻦ ﺍﻟﺨﻄﺎﺏ ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ : ﺍﺟﺘﻨﺒﻮﺍ ﺃﻋﺪﺍﺀ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻓﻲ ﻋﻴﺪﻫﻢ .
Umar bin al-Khattab ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ said:
“Avoid the enemies of Allah during their festivals.”
And in one narration with addition:
“… For the Wrath of Allah descends upon them during it.” [ ﺗﺎﺭﻳﺦ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮ ﻟﻠﺒﺨﺎﺭﻱ ]
“ﻗﺎﻝ ﻋﺒﺪﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺑﻦ ﻋﻤﺮﻭ ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ : ﻣﻦ ﻣﺮ ﺑﺒﻼﺩ ﺍﻻﻋﺎﺟﻢ ﻓﺼﻨﻊ ﻧﻴﺮﻭﺯﻫﻢ ﻭ ﻣﻬﺮﺟﺎﻧﻬﻢ ﻭ ﺗﺸﺒﻪ ﺑﻬﻢ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻤﻮﺕ ﻭ ﻫﻮ ﻛﺬﻟﻚ ﺣﺸﺮ ﻣﻌﻬﻢ ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﺎﻣﺔ .”
Abdullah bin Amr ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ said:
“Whoever settles in the land of the non-Arabs (i.e. non-Muslims) and celebrates their new year and festival and imitates them until he dies while he is in that state, will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection.” [ ﺃﺧﺮﺟﻪ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﻬﻘﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﺮﻯ ]
Ibn Taymiyyah said:
“Muslims should not celebrate any festival of the disbelievers.” [ ﻣﺨﺘﺼﺮ ﺍﻗﺘﻀﻬﺎ ﺃﺳﺼﺮﺍﻁ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﻴﻢ ١٧ – ١٨ ]
Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah Raḥimahullah said:
“And whosoever inclines towards religious festivals of polytheists and of Jews and Christians then it is a MUST that the sanctity of Islamic ‘Eid will DIMINISH from his heart.” [ ﺇﻗﺘﻀﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺼﺮﺍﻁ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﻴﻢ ١ / ٤٨٣ ]
Wassalamu Alaikum,
