On the Prohibition of Greeting Non-Muslims on Their Religious Festivals, with Evidences and Categories

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On the Prohibition of Greeting Non-Muslims on Their Religious Festivals

This article argues that greeting non-Muslims on festivals defined by religious creeds or rituals contrary to Islamic monotheism is not a matter of neutral courtesy. Rather, it is treated within the article as a religiously significant act that can imply approval, soft endorsement, or symbolic participation in false worship.

The discussion gathers general evidences from the Qur’an, Sunnah, legal maxims, and the writings of scholars to distinguish between two separate issues: lawful kindness and justice in worldly dealings, on the one hand, and affirming religious celebrations built on unbelief or shirk, on the other. The article insists that Islam commands fairness and good treatment without dissolving doctrinal boundaries.

It also categorizes the matter in terms of loyalty, disavowal, imitation, and the difference between civil coexistence and religious validation. Several common objections are then answered briefly, especially the claim that such greetings are “just manners” with no theological meaning.

Its conclusion is that a Muslim may deal kindly, justly, and compassionately with non-Muslims in daily life while still abstaining from greetings tied to their religious festivals, thereby preserving both upright conduct and doctrinal clarity.

Original publication

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