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Wishing someone “Happy diwali”

Q: Can we wish happy diwali to non muslims?

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A: We are commanded to refrain from emulating the kuffaar as well as adopting their ways. The jurist have written that if one participates in the celebration of the Kuffaar out of respect for such days, he will become a kaafir. The great jurist, Abu Hafs al-Kabeer (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) said: “The one who after worshipping Allah Ta’aala for fifty years gifted an egg to a disbeliever, in reverence for the Kuffaar celebration, will become a kaafir and lose the reward of all his righteous deeds.” If one participates in a celebration without respecting and honouring their celebration, he will not become a kaafir. However, this action will be makrooh-e-tahreemi. Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم  The one who imitates a people will be counted among them (in the sight of Allah Ta’ala). Hence, it is impermissible to say “Happy diwali” to non-Muslims as one will be wishing them upon the kufr and shirk practices that they are involved in. 

And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

عن ابن عمر قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم. (سنن أبي داود رقم 4033)

( والإعطاء باسم النيروز والمهرجان لا يجوز ) أي الهدايا باسم هذين اليومين حرام ( وإن قصد تعظيمه ) كما يعظمه المشركون ( يكفر ) قال أبو حفص الكبير لو أن رجلا عبد الله خمسين سنة ثم أهدى لمشرك يوم النيروز بيضة يريد تعظيم اليوم فقد كفر وحبط عمله ا هـ (الدر المختار 6/754)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.

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