SwordofAllah16
Heros of Islam
:salam2:
Just thoguht i'd share some knowledge i recently gained shouldn't take too long to read
*Accepting a gift from a kaafir on the day of his festival*
Praise be to Allaah.
*Firstly:* The basic principle is that it is permissible to accept gifts
from kaafirs, so as to soften their hearts and make Islam attractive to
them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted
gifts from some of the kaafirs, such as the gift of al-Muqawqis etc.
Al-Bukhaari gave a chapter in his *Saheeh* the title of: Accepting gifts
from the mushrikeen. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said, narrating from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) migrated
with Saarah and entered a city in which there was a king or a tyrant, and he
said: 'Give her Haajar (as a gift).'" And the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) was given as a gift a (roast) sheep in which there
was poison. Abu Humayd said: The king of Aylah gave the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) a white mule and a cloak, and wrote to him.
And he mentioned the story of the Jewish woman and her gift of a poisoned
sheep to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
*Secondly:* It is permissible for a Muslim to give gifts to kaafirs and
mushriks, with the aim of softening their hearts towards Islam, especially
if they are relatives or neighbours.
'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) gave a hullah (suit) to his mushrik
brother in Makkah, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari (2619).
But it is not permissible to give a kaafir a gift on the day of one of his
festivals, because that is regarded as approving of or participating in
celebration of the false festival.
If the gift is something that will help in celebrating the festival, such as
food, candles and the like, then it is even more haraam, and some of the
scholars are of the view that this is kufr.
Al-Zayla'i said in *Tabyeen al-Haqaa'iq* (6/228): Giving gifts on the
occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan [two non-Islamic Persian festivals] is not
permissible, i.e., giving gifts on these two days is haraam, and is in fact
kufr. Abu Hafs and Kabeer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If a man were
to worship Allaah for fifty years, then on the day of Nayrooz he were to
give an egg as a gift to one of the mushrikeen, intending thereby to
venerate that day, he would have committed kufr and his good deeds would be
cancelled out. The author of *al-Jaami' al-Asghar* said: If he gives a gift
to another Muslim on the day of Nayrooz, not intending thereby to venerate
that day, but it is the habit of some people to give gifts on that day, then
this is not regarded as kufr. But he should not do it on that particular
day; he should do it before or after, so that he will not be imitating those
people. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." It says in *al-Jaami'
al-Asghar*: A man bought something on the day of Nayrooz which he did not
buy before that. If he intended thereby to venerate that day as the
mushrikoon venerate it, then he has committed kufr, but if he wanted to eat
or drink or enjoy himself, then he has not committed kufr. End quote.
It says in *al-Taaj wa'l-Ikleel* (a Maaliki book - 4/319): Ibn al-Qaasim
regarded it as makrooh to give a gift to a Christian on the occasion of his
festival, or to give palm leaves to a Jew on his festivals. End quote. It
says in *al-Iqnaa'*, which is a Hanbali book: It is haraam to attend the
festivals of the Jews and Christians and to sell them things or give them
gifts on the occasion of their festivals.
Moreover it is not permissible for a Muslim to give a gift to another Muslim
because of this festival, as stated above when quoting the Hanafi view.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Whoever
gives a gift to the Muslims during these festivals unlike what he usually
usually at other times, his gift should not be accepted, especially if the
gift is something that helps in imitating them, such as giving candles etc
at Christmas, or giving eggs, milk and lambs on Maundy Thursday which comes
at the end of their fast (i.e., the end of Lent). Similarly, no gift should
be given to a Muslim at the time of these festivals because of the festival,
especially if it is something that helps in imitating them, as we have
mentioned. End quote from *Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem* (1/227).
*Thirdly:* With regard to accepting a gift from a kaafir on the day of his
festival, there is nothing wrong with that, and that is not regarded as
participating in it or approving of it, rather it should be accepted as an
act of kindness, with the aim of softening his heart and calling him to
Islam. Allaah has permitted kindness and fair treatment towards the kaafir
who is not fighting the Muslims, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
*"Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought
not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes.
Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity"** [al-Mumtahanah 60:8]*
But kindness and fair treatment does not mean friendship and love, because
it is not permitted to take a kaafir as a friend or love him. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): *"You (O Muhammad) will not find any people
who believe in Allaah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who
oppose Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their
fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such
He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Rooh
(proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to
Gardens (**Paradise**) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever).
Allaah is pleased with them, and they with Him.
They are the party of Allaah. Verily, it is
the party of Allaah that will be the successful"** [al-Mujaadilah 58:22]*
*"O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers
and polytheists) as friends, showing affection towards them, while they have
disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth" [al-Mumtahanah 60:1]***
*"O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitaanah (advisors, consultants,
protectors, helpers, friends) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews,
Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to
corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared
from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We
have made plain to you the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses) if you
understand"** [Aal 'Imraan 3:118]*
*"And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you,
and you have no protectors other than Allaah, nor you would then be helped"
[Hood 12:113]***
*"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyaa'
(friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa' of each other. And if
any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa'), then surely, he is one of them.
Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)"** [al-Maa'idah **5:51**]*
**
and there are other evidence which indicates that it is haraam to take a
kaafir as a friend or love him.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: As for
accepting a gift from them on the day of their festival, we have quoted
above that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib was brought a gift on the occasion of Nayrooz
and he accepted it.
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that a woman asked 'Aa'ishah: We have some wet
nurses from among the Magians, and they have a festival on which they bring
us gifts. She said: As for what is slaughtered for that day, do not eat it,
but eat from their vegetables.
It was narrated from Abu Barzah that he had some Magian neighbours who used
to bring him gifts on the occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan, and he used to
say to his family: Whatever is of fruits, eat it, and whatever is otherwise,
reject it.
All of this indicates that the festival does not make it forbidden to accept
their gifts, rather the ruling is the same whether it is their festival or
not, because that does not involve helping them with the symbols of their
kufr.
Then he pointed out that meat slaughtered by a kitaabi (Jew or Christian) is
halaal except that which is slaughtered for their festivals, which it is not
permissible to eat. He said (may Allaah have mercy on him): It is only
permissible to eat of the food of the people of the Book, during their
festivals that which has not been slaughtered for the festival, whether it
is bought or received as a gift. As for meat slaughtered by the Magians, the
ruling on that is well known, and it is haraam according to all. As for that
which is slaughtered by the people of the Book for their festivals and that
which they slaughter as an act of worship to draw close to anything other
than Allaah, as the Muslims offer sacrifices as an act of worship to draw
closer to Allaah, namely as that which they sacrifice to the Messiah, two
views have been narrated from Ahmad concerning that, the most well known of
which in his texts is that it is not permissible to eat it even if the name
of something other than Allaah has not been mentioned over it. The
prohibition on that was narrated from 'Aa'ishah and 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar .
End quote from *Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem* (1/251).
*Conclusion:* It is permissible for you to accept the gift from your
Christian neighbour on the day of their festival, subject to the following
conditions:
1 - This gift should not be meat that has been slaughtered for the
festival.
2 - It should not be something that may be used to help in imitating them on
the day of their festival, such as candles, eggs, palm leaves etc.
3 - You should explain to your children the belief in al-wala' wa'l-bara'
(loyalty and friendship vs. disavowal and enmity), lest a love of this
festival or a fondness for the giver be instilled in their hearts.
4 - The gift should be accepted with the aim of softening her heart and
calling her to Islam, not with friendship and love.
If the gift is something that it is not permissible to accept, then the
refusal to accept it should be accompanied by an explanation of why it is
being refused, such as saying, "We only refused your gift because it is meat
that was slaughtered for the festival, and it is not permissible for us to
eat it, or these things are only accepted by those who are taking part in
the celebrations, and we do not celebrate this festival, because it is not
part of our religion, and it involves beliefs that we do not believe in" and
so on, which is a starting point for calling them to Islam and explaining
the danger of the kufr that they follow. The Muslim should be proud of his
religion and apply its rulings, and he should not give them up out of
shyness or to impress anyone, for Allaah is more deserving of us feeling shy
before Him.
Just thoguht i'd share some knowledge i recently gained shouldn't take too long to read
*Accepting a gift from a kaafir on the day of his festival*
Praise be to Allaah.
*Firstly:* The basic principle is that it is permissible to accept gifts
from kaafirs, so as to soften their hearts and make Islam attractive to
them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted
gifts from some of the kaafirs, such as the gift of al-Muqawqis etc.
Al-Bukhaari gave a chapter in his *Saheeh* the title of: Accepting gifts
from the mushrikeen. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said, narrating from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) migrated
with Saarah and entered a city in which there was a king or a tyrant, and he
said: 'Give her Haajar (as a gift).'" And the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) was given as a gift a (roast) sheep in which there
was poison. Abu Humayd said: The king of Aylah gave the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) a white mule and a cloak, and wrote to him.
And he mentioned the story of the Jewish woman and her gift of a poisoned
sheep to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
*Secondly:* It is permissible for a Muslim to give gifts to kaafirs and
mushriks, with the aim of softening their hearts towards Islam, especially
if they are relatives or neighbours.
'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) gave a hullah (suit) to his mushrik
brother in Makkah, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari (2619).
But it is not permissible to give a kaafir a gift on the day of one of his
festivals, because that is regarded as approving of or participating in
celebration of the false festival.
If the gift is something that will help in celebrating the festival, such as
food, candles and the like, then it is even more haraam, and some of the
scholars are of the view that this is kufr.
Al-Zayla'i said in *Tabyeen al-Haqaa'iq* (6/228): Giving gifts on the
occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan [two non-Islamic Persian festivals] is not
permissible, i.e., giving gifts on these two days is haraam, and is in fact
kufr. Abu Hafs and Kabeer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If a man were
to worship Allaah for fifty years, then on the day of Nayrooz he were to
give an egg as a gift to one of the mushrikeen, intending thereby to
venerate that day, he would have committed kufr and his good deeds would be
cancelled out. The author of *al-Jaami' al-Asghar* said: If he gives a gift
to another Muslim on the day of Nayrooz, not intending thereby to venerate
that day, but it is the habit of some people to give gifts on that day, then
this is not regarded as kufr. But he should not do it on that particular
day; he should do it before or after, so that he will not be imitating those
people. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them." It says in *al-Jaami'
al-Asghar*: A man bought something on the day of Nayrooz which he did not
buy before that. If he intended thereby to venerate that day as the
mushrikoon venerate it, then he has committed kufr, but if he wanted to eat
or drink or enjoy himself, then he has not committed kufr. End quote.
It says in *al-Taaj wa'l-Ikleel* (a Maaliki book - 4/319): Ibn al-Qaasim
regarded it as makrooh to give a gift to a Christian on the occasion of his
festival, or to give palm leaves to a Jew on his festivals. End quote. It
says in *al-Iqnaa'*, which is a Hanbali book: It is haraam to attend the
festivals of the Jews and Christians and to sell them things or give them
gifts on the occasion of their festivals.
Moreover it is not permissible for a Muslim to give a gift to another Muslim
because of this festival, as stated above when quoting the Hanafi view.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Whoever
gives a gift to the Muslims during these festivals unlike what he usually
usually at other times, his gift should not be accepted, especially if the
gift is something that helps in imitating them, such as giving candles etc
at Christmas, or giving eggs, milk and lambs on Maundy Thursday which comes
at the end of their fast (i.e., the end of Lent). Similarly, no gift should
be given to a Muslim at the time of these festivals because of the festival,
especially if it is something that helps in imitating them, as we have
mentioned. End quote from *Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem* (1/227).
*Thirdly:* With regard to accepting a gift from a kaafir on the day of his
festival, there is nothing wrong with that, and that is not regarded as
participating in it or approving of it, rather it should be accepted as an
act of kindness, with the aim of softening his heart and calling him to
Islam. Allaah has permitted kindness and fair treatment towards the kaafir
who is not fighting the Muslims, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
*"Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought
not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes.
Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity"** [al-Mumtahanah 60:8]*
But kindness and fair treatment does not mean friendship and love, because
it is not permitted to take a kaafir as a friend or love him. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): *"You (O Muhammad) will not find any people
who believe in Allaah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who
oppose Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their
fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such
He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Rooh
(proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to
Gardens (**Paradise**) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever).
Allaah is pleased with them, and they with Him.
They are the party of Allaah. Verily, it is
the party of Allaah that will be the successful"** [al-Mujaadilah 58:22]*
*"O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers
and polytheists) as friends, showing affection towards them, while they have
disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth" [al-Mumtahanah 60:1]***
*"O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitaanah (advisors, consultants,
protectors, helpers, friends) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews,
Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to
corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared
from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We
have made plain to you the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses) if you
understand"** [Aal 'Imraan 3:118]*
*"And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you,
and you have no protectors other than Allaah, nor you would then be helped"
[Hood 12:113]***
*"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyaa'
(friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa' of each other. And if
any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa'), then surely, he is one of them.
Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)"** [al-Maa'idah **5:51**]*
**
and there are other evidence which indicates that it is haraam to take a
kaafir as a friend or love him.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: As for
accepting a gift from them on the day of their festival, we have quoted
above that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib was brought a gift on the occasion of Nayrooz
and he accepted it.
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that a woman asked 'Aa'ishah: We have some wet
nurses from among the Magians, and they have a festival on which they bring
us gifts. She said: As for what is slaughtered for that day, do not eat it,
but eat from their vegetables.
It was narrated from Abu Barzah that he had some Magian neighbours who used
to bring him gifts on the occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan, and he used to
say to his family: Whatever is of fruits, eat it, and whatever is otherwise,
reject it.
All of this indicates that the festival does not make it forbidden to accept
their gifts, rather the ruling is the same whether it is their festival or
not, because that does not involve helping them with the symbols of their
kufr.
Then he pointed out that meat slaughtered by a kitaabi (Jew or Christian) is
halaal except that which is slaughtered for their festivals, which it is not
permissible to eat. He said (may Allaah have mercy on him): It is only
permissible to eat of the food of the people of the Book, during their
festivals that which has not been slaughtered for the festival, whether it
is bought or received as a gift. As for meat slaughtered by the Magians, the
ruling on that is well known, and it is haraam according to all. As for that
which is slaughtered by the people of the Book for their festivals and that
which they slaughter as an act of worship to draw close to anything other
than Allaah, as the Muslims offer sacrifices as an act of worship to draw
closer to Allaah, namely as that which they sacrifice to the Messiah, two
views have been narrated from Ahmad concerning that, the most well known of
which in his texts is that it is not permissible to eat it even if the name
of something other than Allaah has not been mentioned over it. The
prohibition on that was narrated from 'Aa'ishah and 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar .
End quote from *Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem* (1/251).
*Conclusion:* It is permissible for you to accept the gift from your
Christian neighbour on the day of their festival, subject to the following
conditions:
1 - This gift should not be meat that has been slaughtered for the
festival.
2 - It should not be something that may be used to help in imitating them on
the day of their festival, such as candles, eggs, palm leaves etc.
3 - You should explain to your children the belief in al-wala' wa'l-bara'
(loyalty and friendship vs. disavowal and enmity), lest a love of this
festival or a fondness for the giver be instilled in their hearts.
4 - The gift should be accepted with the aim of softening her heart and
calling her to Islam, not with friendship and love.
If the gift is something that it is not permissible to accept, then the
refusal to accept it should be accompanied by an explanation of why it is
being refused, such as saying, "We only refused your gift because it is meat
that was slaughtered for the festival, and it is not permissible for us to
eat it, or these things are only accepted by those who are taking part in
the celebrations, and we do not celebrate this festival, because it is not
part of our religion, and it involves beliefs that we do not believe in" and
so on, which is a starting point for calling them to Islam and explaining
the danger of the kufr that they follow. The Muslim should be proud of his
religion and apply its rulings, and he should not give them up out of
shyness or to impress anyone, for Allaah is more deserving of us feeling shy
before Him.
