CELEBRATING THE NEW YEAR
By Dr. Bilal Philips
Origins
January is named after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gateways. He was commonly depicted in statues, carvings and paintings as a two headed man with one head facing forward and the other head facing backwards. In 46BC Julius Caesar chose January 1st as the first day of the New Year as Janus symbolically represented the door to the New Year. Wild parties and orgies were held on the night before the New Year’s Day as a re-enactment of the chaos which Roman mythology depicted as preceding the cosmos or the ordered world whose organization was set by the gods. Furthermore, by that time, Janus had become, in practice, the highest god receiving the ritual sacrifices of Roman worshippers before the other gods, including the chief god, Jupiter.[1]
Thus, in its essence the celebrations of the New Year on January 1stand New Year’s Eve, the night before, are a part and parcel of pagan religious rituals based on idolatrous beliefs in false gods. Consequently, it is completely Haraam (sinful and forbidden) for Muslims to participate in or adopt any of its related rituals, customs and symbols.
If a non-Muslim greets a Muslim, “Happy New Year”, the Muslim is not allowed to respond in a similar manner or say, “Same to you.” Instead, in order not to offend or hurt the feelings of non-Muslim friends or acquaintances, one may say instead, “Happy holiday.”
As for celebrating the New Year according to the Islamic calendar which begins with the month of Muharram, this is also not permissible from a number of perspectives. First and foremost, if one does so believing that it is pleasing to Allah to do so, thereby transforming it into an act of worship, it becomes a Bid‘ah or cursed innovation in the religion about which the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Every innovation in religion is misguidance and all misguidance leads to the Hellfire.” If one does so merely as a custom, it is still impermissible as it falls under the prohibition of imitation of pagan customs about which the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever imitates a people becomes one of them.”
[1] Pope Gregory 13th who set the modern calendar, the Gregorian calendar, also officially fixed the first day of the year for Christian Europe as January 1st in 1582.
45 replies on “Celebrating The New Year”
this is very educative. jazakumullah shaykh
To greet or not to greet a non-Muslim is a patty matter Gunah-e-Saghira. which is pardonable in case Muslims do not commit Gunah-e-Kabira. But non is bothered for Gunah-e-Kabira , whereas all over the world Muslims are engaged in Gunah-e-Kabira, specially in Muslim dominated countries, almost all of the Muslim ummah behaving in an averse rather vice-versa Islamic teachings, fighting & killing each other in holy months like Ramadhan, Zi-qaádah, Zil-Hajjah, which is not only Haraam but it will lead to great HELL, Most of the Islamic web sites are delivering stereotype, conventional, formulaic conception of Islamic image, whereas there is a chaos allover Muslim nations, mostly formless and disordered there is no any organisation or a Muslim country to form a united militia to tackle the situations there, and establish peace in Egypt, Turkey, Syria. Afghanistan. All of them are looking towards America to come and combat with, what a sorry affair!
As.wr.wb…First of all I would like to appreciate your effort to up hold Islamic value. Your moderate attitude and effort to avoid misunderstanding is greated benefited me personally. I have one question for you, ” What do Quran say about birth day and valentine day Inslam. Is it appropriate to celebrate, if not why? I expect you will answer my question in a reasonable way…thank you once again.
As Salam Walaykum Dr. Bilal,
I too appreciate your great work and for such a brief article packed with precise and beneficial information and would like to also see if you could please do the same for birthdays as well.
Jazaka Allahu Khairan
I love this succinct presentation. What a Reminder!!!
Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu,
Very interesting, Thank you for increasing our knowledge
Jazak’Allah Khairan
Jazak Allah
I just cannot wrap my head around this explanation. Happy Holidays has the same meaning as Happy New Years”. Why not say “best wishes” or “May God bless us all”
This is a reply from Dr Bilal
The secular government designates periods of the year where people take a holiday from work which has nothing in itself to do with worship or pagan beliefs. Christmas is a day, New Year’s is a day, etc., not a period. Holiday is general. Read the dictionary to know the difference: Holiday, a time, often one or two weeks, when someone does not go to work or school but is free to do what they want, such as travel or relax:
a camping/skiing holiday
Have you decided where you’re going for your holiday(s) this year?
Patricia is on holiday next week.
How many days’ holiday do you get with your new job?
We thought we’d go to France for our summer holiday.
Surely the school holidays start soon. Dr Bilal
Salam alykom. Dr. Bilal, you are correct. But the word HOLIDAY is originally derived from two English words: holy day – defined as the day of a religious festival. Based from your reasoning, governments of today use holiday as free [time] for employees so they can do what they want as they are exempted from reporting to work. May ALLAH guide us rightly. The gregorian calendar and new year day are very useful and significant things to the humanity, including us, Muslims. There is good when a person feels very grateful on the coming of new year day and expresses that feeling by offering thanksgiving, by sharing money, foods or times with others. One’s gratefulness to ALLAH is not only expressed by uttering ALHAMDULILLAH but also through our behavior – that results to a good product. ALLAH is good thus considers good acts. But as Muslims, we have to avoid imitating non Muslims’ ways like dancing, drinking wines, and partying wearing spaghiti dress and toxidos attire. The original and pagan connotation about January 1st is no longer as appreciated in our generation but a day for inventorying and starting or expanding to a new business or start implementing a plan in life. Although we can always begin a change in doing things anytime and any day. But it is actually a matter of individual right to decide when to effect such plan to change. What exactly matters is we must intend every action we commit for ALLAH’s pleasure only.
Very obliged for this information. im trying not to participate in this ritual but you see, you talked about non muslims saying Happy New year… the muslims are no different either.. everywhere we see are happy new year messages. how do you politely deal with our muslim bretheren who may be our bosses or colleagues or juniors. i mostly end up being the only one NOT returning the greeting and eventually made to see offended faces. Not that i care much as i always pray to Allah to keep me in between momin people so that our ideas may not differ… but still you know.. it pinches me to know ive been secluded for not returning the greeting or even initiating it. Please give some guidance in this matter. Also a dua is required, as i pray everyday for every muslim woman around me that they be more acquainted with Allah and His deen .. without my being depicted as the molvi of the day
Assalamalekum Warahamathullahi Wabarakathahu..
Nice Work About Happy New Year is nice to see and i had the question when i not see this image my question is my friends are telling the Happy New Year i am not saing niothing for that guys frnds are ur hurting for us when I saw this Image I also saying to mY frnds when they saying the Happy New Year I am saying Happy Holiday….Thank U for Your Work and Nice to see this Work…
Jazakallah…
THANKS FOR THIS PRECIOUS TEACHING MAY ALLAH REWARD U ABUNDANTLY
May Allah forgive us. Thank you for the reminder; may you be rewarded with Allah’s mercy.
Alhamdulillah, in sha allah May His Al-Mighty Allah guide us towards avoidance in celebrating of such idolatrous beliefs. Today, I have learnt even celebrating Islamic new year is not permissible. I have one question; if that’s the case, how about our daily usage of this calender that is globally followed and recognised. What’s the way forward? Jazaa kumu Allahu khairan katheera
as salaam wa alaikum
i see how we shouldnt answer same to you, but how is replying happy holiday different? dont understand
The secular government designates periods of the year where people take a holiday from work which has nothing in itself to do with worship or pagan beliefs. Christmas is a day, New Year’s is a day, etc., not a period. Holiday is general. Read the dictionary to know the difference: Holiday, a time, often one or two weeks, when someone does not go to work or school but is free to do what they want, such as travel or relax:
a camping/skiing holiday
Have you decided where you’re going for your holiday(s) this year?
Patricia is on holiday next week.
How many days’ holiday do you get with your new job?
We thought we’d go to France for our summer holiday.
Surely the school holidays start soon. Dr Bilal