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Are catholic holidays haram to celebrate for muslims?

Started by Kaiokenred, February 27, 2011, 02:58:33 PM

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Kaiokenred

I heard many times that celebrating catholic and other religion's holidays is a sin, but can someone tell me:

Is it a sin from Hadiths or Qu'ran?

Doesn't Quran say: respect and believe in ALL the prophets?

p.s I only worship God!
?Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.? - Buddha

Rana

 :peace:

This question interests me too. My children attend a religious school (that is - NOT Islamic) and so this comes up for me. We talk about the difference but I explain that it's the same God and they are praying to God, not to Jesus. Hopefully someone else will have something constructive to add. :)
The middle path is the way to wisdom.
Rumi

Jundullah

Peace,

Dont assume its a sin because you heard others say it is, what do you feel about it?  Its about our intentions and in the end only God knows and will judge us on them.  I was born and raised as a Roman catholic for 35 years, and then I became a Quran/ God alone Muslim for the last six years.  My wife and my entire family are all still practicing catholics, and most of them didnt accept that I converted to Islam, in fact a few of my brothers told me im crazy and losing my mind, but I never gave up on my beliefs.  So, as to celebrating their holidays I dont see the harm in it, as long as you dont openly say your worshipping  Jesus or mary or any other saints etc, it should be ok.  I usually try to use these occasions to subtley question their beliefs and make them think about what they really beleive, and it has  worked some, yet I still show them respect for their beliefs and celebrations.  We just had christmas and I bought everyone gifts, and they appreciate that I do this even though im Muslim now, so I am slowly winjing their admiration and respect.  I think they assumed i was going to be like the muslims they see on tv with big beards and screaaming Allahu Akbar at them while calling them infidels or something.  I even made my wife a wooden shelf in the shape of a crucifix (kinda invented that design) and gave it to her for valentines day recently.  She realy loved it and it has made her start to accept me as a Muslim a little more I think, she sees that im open and respectful and even supporting her in her beliefs and it is making her more curious about what exactly a Muslim is and believes.  I also let her raise our children in the catholic church since I do think they still teach alot of things that are very admirable and good, and I beleive that it is still important for them to have a strong religious foundation to grow and build upon.  I am hoping as they get older and begin to think and question more on their own I will start to let them know what I beleive and why, I dont think it will be too big of a leap for them to accept God alone and to let go of the version of jesus they have been taught.  Finally, though i still go to church with them now and then, I do not participate in the mass where they eat and drink the bread and blood of jesus, though I get alot of stares at people curious why I dont go up and just sit in my seat by myself, especially as they all know me here as I grew up in the church with most of them, I think it is earning my families respect .  So be accepting, open, and supportive, just dont cross the line you have in your conscience as to what you beleive is  acceptable to God or not. 

Kurt

SarahY

why "celebrate" a non muslim "holiday" if you don't prescribe to it?

does respecting and believing in ALL prophets mean celebrate each and all of their praises on special dates which could be who knows true or heresy but hey it's the dominate practice of the day.

I think the question is not about haram or halal but purpose and culture.

I don't think i need to celebrate catholic holidays, some people may have family that celebrate... so nothing wrong with acknowledging people's beliefs but why should i celebrate it?

besides catholic's don't celebrate "ALL prophets"

peace
We all have blind spots.
Follow your heart but take your brain with you.
ambiguity is there for a reason, why do you think?
We're all different, so how can we all be equal?

BornAgain

Salaam,

Maybe you need to further clarify what it means by celebrating religious holidays. In my opinion, acknowledging and sending peaceful greetings to people from different belief systems is harmless as it promotes tolerance. You can say, "May you have a peaceful Christmas/Easter break" and perhaps attend their dinners/feasts if invited, but do not rejoice in the spirit of such celebration.

Respecting prophets is more in the line of recognizing and learning from their teachings/the message they delivered, and not in celebrating a holiday ritual where the prophets are portrayed as deities. Religious tolerance does not equate rejoicing other beliefs that are not compatible with the Qur'an. That being said, it is your intention that matters. Most religious holidays bear no weights or have religious significance, and they use it as an opportunity to get together and share some lovin'. I see nothing wrong with that.

BTW, any excuse to bake chocolate goodness is never bad, that's what I do on Valentine's Day. I am not celebrating the Saint's death, but rather use it as an opportunity to fatten up my friends ;). And I won't mind a few extra days off due to religious holidays haha.
?For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe.?

?When you judge another you do not define them, you define yourself.?

?Time may heal physical pain but only love can heal emotional pain.?

?My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.?

Kaiokenred

Peace

Thanks all for the answer


SarahY im not saying i have to do it or all was just asking if it was haram to celebrate it because i heard so by many muslims, i believe they were Sunni's based on hadiths, they even say its haram to celebrate New year! Just look how bad hadiths (that aren't real, 99% of them aren't) make muslims look.
?Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.? - Buddha

Rana

Quote from: SarahY on February 28, 2011, 03:49:25 AM
why "celebrate" a non muslim "holiday" if you don't prescribe to it?

does respecting and believing in ALL prophets mean celebrate each and all of their praises on special dates which could be who knows true or heresy but hey it's the dominate practice of the day.

I think the question is not about haram or halal but purpose and culture.

I don't think i need to celebrate catholic holidays, some people may have family that celebrate... so nothing wrong with acknowledging people's beliefs but why should i celebrate it?

besides catholic's don't celebrate "ALL prophets"

peace

I can relate to what you are saying SarahY. While I have become much more relaxed in my views on this through following Quran only I still don't feel the need to go out of my way to take part. I would go to christmas gatherings if I had the opportunity - to see everyone. But I'd much rather attend those when they are not getting together on religious holidays. Mind you my family are experience those days in a secular rather than religious fashion anyhow.

@ Kaiokenred  - it's amazing how many things end up "haram haram haram" according to many muslims.  :laugh:
The middle path is the way to wisdom.
Rumi

SarahY

Lots of things which are considered "haram" are rather from fatwa and independent scholar reasoning. Where's the hadith? not everything is hadith based.

New year is based on a Gregorian calendar which has Christian roots but, it has become the internationally accepted and is the practiced calendar. So for a sunni it might be seen offensive to celebrate a new year in that way. besides it's the events of the celebration that they disagree on more than anything else. i.e. alcohol, free mixing, etc.

not everything is black or white. one should be able to make a logical and rational conclusion.

BTW Rana i don't think it's necessary to go out of your way :) i'd rather avoid those events but every circumstance has a different response

peace
We all have blind spots.
Follow your heart but take your brain with you.
ambiguity is there for a reason, why do you think?
We're all different, so how can we all be equal?

Kaiokenred

Quote from: Rana on March 01, 2011, 04:15:19 AM
I can relate to what you are saying SarahY. While I have become much more relaxed in my views on this through following Quran only I still don't feel the need to go out of my way to take part. I would go to christmas gatherings if I had the opportunity - to see everyone. But I'd much rather attend those when they are not getting together on religious holidays. Mind you my family are experience those days in a secular rather than religious fashion anyhow.

@ Kaiokenred  - it's amazing how many things end up "haram haram haram" according to many muslims.  :laugh:

Yes they play with the word haram, they only follow hadiths and not the Qu'ran, in Qu'ran it says only God can forbid and permit things so be careful what you're saying, that's another reason we don't need hadiths and just Qu'ran, because people made them, not God.

:peace:
?Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.? - Buddha

Jafar

It is clearly HARAM to celebrate those INFIDEL catholics holidays!

For those who celebrate any of those filthy Infidel's holidays, and yes that includes those idiotic mushriqiin shiites holidays of As-Shura or any other holiday which is not in adherence to Sunnis errgg.. Islamic holidays  must be considered as an Apostates, and the stoning of those apostates is a duty of all sunnis erggh.. moslems!

It is clearly evident as the statement of "O hear ye muslimin!, you must not celebrate the catholics holidays!" and also "O hear ye muslimin! you must not celebrate the As-Shura days or any of those mushriqin shiites holidays" appears ZERO times in the Quran!

Salam / Peace