What Muslims do not realize is that ....

Greeting the kuffaar on Christmas and other religious holidays of theirs is haraam, by consensus, as Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said in Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah: "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 Allah."

Congratulating them also reflects acceptance of their rites and rituals, which are nothing but disbelief.

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.

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 aceept the rituals of kufr or congratulate anyone else for them, because Allaah does not accept any of that at all, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"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. . ."
[Surat al-Zumar 39:7]

". . . This day, I have perfected (completed) your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion . . ."
[Surat al-Maa’idah 5:3]

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

If they greet us on the occasion of their festivals, we should not respond, because these are not our festivals, and because they are not festivals which are acceptable to Allah. These festivals are innovations in their religions, and even those which may have been prescribed formerly have been abrogated by the religion of Islam, with which Allah sent Muhammad (ﷺ) to the whole of mankind. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"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." [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]

Allāh describes Christians as “those who went astray” in the opening chapter of the Qur’ān, thus to celebrate something that is not even sanctioned in their religion is to imply that their straying is of no consequence. to take part in their festivities or to give greetings such as ‘merry/happy Christmas’ is to encourage and congratulate them in their actions instead of censuring them for their falsehood. This is in opposition to Qur’an teachings whereby Allāh states,

They believe in Allāh and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous. (Qur'an 3:114)

Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour. Fear Allāh, for Allāh is strict in punishment. (Qur'ān 5:2)

It is haraam for a Muslim to accept invitations on 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 (ﷺ) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtidaa’ al-siraat al-mustaqeem mukhaalifat ashaab al-jaheem: "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 to be friendly, 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.

Majmoo’ah Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 3/369)

Imām Ibn al-Qayyim (Allāh have mercy upon his soul) said: “.. Rather that (congratulating a disbeliever on Christmas) is the greatest sin with Allāh and it is more hated than congratulating someone for drinking alcohol or killing a soul or committing illegal sexual intercourse and the likes of it.”

● [أحكام أهل الذمة ١\٤٤١]

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning the festivals of the People of the Book:

Just as it is not permissible for them to celebrate them openly, it is NOT permissible for the Muslims to help them in that or ATTEND with them, according to the consensus of the scholars. This was stated clearly by the fuqaha’ who follow the four imams, in their books.

Then he (may Allaah have mercy on him) quoted the words of the imams of the madhhabs and the prominent scholars.

Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah (3/1245-1250).

Muslims, by the grace of Allāh, have been afforded a complete way of life which details that which is best and most beneficial for the entire human race. We have the Qur’ān and sunnah, and to cling to them is an aspect of the faith, regardless of the taunts of liberal Muslims and non-Muslims who may call us ‘radicals’ and ‘fundamentalists’. To be fundamental is a part of Islām as ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanha) narrates that the Prophet (sall Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) said ‘Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (Islām) that is not a part of it will have it rejected.’

Christmas remains a stark warning and example to Muslims of what can happen to Islām if we were to accept innovations into our faith. To cling to the Qur’ān and sunnah as understood by the salaf is the only way to remain within the sanctified parameters of our deen. Christmas is a phenomenon that should encite the awareness of the Muslim laity to be mindful about those from whom they take their religion and religious knowledge. We thank Allāh for preserving our faith and pray that he bestow upon us the ability to stay on the Straight Path.