|
Muslims
are Distinguished by their Festivals
The
Prophet’s words “Every nation has its festival, and this is your
festival” indicate that these two `Eids (`Eid al-Fitr and `Eid
Al-Ad-ha) are exclusively for the Muslims, and that it is not
permissible for Muslims to imitate the disbelievers and polytheists in
anything that is a distinctive part of their celebrations, whether it be
food, dress, bonfires or acts of worship. Muslim children should not be
allowed to play on those disbelievers’ festivals, or to put up
decorations, or to join in with them on those occasions. All non-Islamic
or innovated festivals are haram, such as Independence Day celebrations,
anniversaries of revolutions, holidays celebrating trees or accessions
to the throne, birthdays, Labor Day, the Nile Festival, Shamm an-Naseem
(Egyptian Spring Holiday) and Teachers’ Day.
The
Muslims have no festivals apart from `Eid al-Fitr and `Eid al-Ad-ha,
because of the hadith narrated from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)
who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
came to Madinah and the people had two days when they would play and
have fun. He said, ‘What are these two days?’ They said, ‘We used
to play and have fun on these days during the Jahiliyyah. The Messenger
of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Allah has given you
something better than them, the day of Ad-ha and the day of Fitr.’”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, 1134)
These
two `Eids are among the signs or symbols of Allah which we must
celebrate and understand the aims and meanings behind them.
|
