Q. I have small children who would like to have a tree for the season with only some lights, what are my halaal options?
A. All the different forms of celebrations that occur in this season are all connected to the Christian’s celebration of Christmas, which is totally un-Islamic. The tree itself is termed a ‘Christmas tree’ and is not from the teachings of Islam. Christmas is not our celebration, and as such, we are not allowed to express joy and happiness or to exchange gifts, have Christmas tress, decorative lights, etc. etc. on this occasion. You will need to teach your children the true values of Islam, so that they may understand this from a young age.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan