Empowering Muslim children at Christmas time

Giving gifts on Christmas
Q: Is it permissible to buy gifts for kids because its Christmas and give them on the morning of Christmas?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
As Muslims, we are sensitive to our belief of pure tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah Taʿālā). This requires us to also completely disassociate ourselves from all practices related to Christianity.
Christmas is celebrated by Christians. Exchanging gifts during Christmas is an expression of reverence for Christmas and Christianity. As Muslims it is prohibited for us to revere Christians or any other religion besides Islām. In fact there is a strong fear of kufr in doing so.[1]
As a Muslim parent, it is equally important to preserve your Īmān as well as the Īmān of your children. Inculcate in them the importance of tawḥīd and aversion from kufr and its related practices. This attitude will keep them firm on Īmān and hate kufr.
If children are accustomed to receiving gifts from their parents on Christmas day, they would grow up finding it difficult to understand the gravity of imitating non-Muslims. Such an attitude will be detrimental to their Īmān as the practice of imitating Christianity borders on kufr.
It is not permissible for you to offer gifts to your children during Christmas.[2]
And Allah Ta’ālā Knows Best
Mahmood Patel Azaadville, South Africa
Student Darul Iftaa

[1] (وَإِنْ قَصَدَ تَعْظِيمَهُ) كَمَا يُعَظِّمُهُ الْمُشْرِكُونَ (يَكْفُرُ). (الدر المختار ، 6/ 754)
[2] [(وَالْإِعْطَاءُ بِاسْمِ النَّيْرُوزِ وَالْمِهْرَجَانِ لَا يَجُوزُ) أَيْ الْهَدَايَا بِاسْمِ هَذَيْنِ الْيَوْمَيْنِ حَرَامٌ (وَإِنْ قَصَدَ تَعْظِيمَهُ) كَمَا يُعَظِّمُهُ الْمُشْرِكُونَ (يَكْفُرُ) قَالَ أَبُو حَفْصٍ الْكَبِيرُ: لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا عَبَدَ اللَّهَ خَمْسِينَ سَنَةً ثُمَّ أَهْدَى لِمُشْرِكٍ يَوْمَ النَّيْرُوزِ بَيْضَةً يُرِيدُ تَعْظِيمَ الْيَوْمِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ وَحَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ اهـ وَلَوْ أَهْدَى لِمُسْلِمٍ وَلَمْ يُرِدْ تَعْظِيمَ الْيَوْمِ بَلْ جَرَى عَلَى عَادَةِ النَّاسِ لَا يَكْفُرُ وَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَفْعَلَهُ قَبْلَهُ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ نَفْيًا لِلشُّبْهَةِ.]
(قَوْلُهُ وَالْإِعْطَاءُ بِاسْمِ النَّيْرُوزِ وَالْمِهْرَجَانِ) بِأَنْ يُقَالَ هَدِيَّةُ هَذَا الْيَوْمِ وَمِثْلُ الْقَوْلِ النِّيَّةُ فِيمَا يَظْهَرُ ط وَالنَّيْرُوزُ أَوَّلُ الرَّبِيعِ وَالْمِهْرَجَانُ أَوَّلُ الْخَرِيفِ وَهُمَا يَوْمَانِ يُعَظِّمُهُمَا بَعْضُ الْكَفَرَةِ وَيَتَهَادَوْنَ فِيهِمَا. (الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين ، 6/ 754)
وقال صَاحِبُ الْجَامِعِ الْأَصْغَرِ إذَا أَهْدَى يوم النَّيْرُوزِ إلَى مُسْلِمٍ آخَرَ ولم يُرِدْ بِهِ تَعْظِيمَ ذلك الْيَوْمِ وَلَكِنْ جَرَى على ما اعْتَادَهُ بَعْضُ الناس لَا يَكْفُرُ وَلَكِنْ يَنْبَغِي له أَنْ لَا يَفْعَلَ ذلك الْيَوْمَ خَاصَّةً وَيَفْعَلَهُ قَبْلَهُ أو بَعْدَهُ كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ تَشَبُّهًا بِأُولَئِكَ الْقَوْمِ. (الفتاوى الهندية، 6/ 446)

Checked and Approved by Mufti Ebrahim Desai. www.daruliftaa.net

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