Section on Festivals

Reasons Why Conforming to Them in Their Festivals Is Impermissible

First Reason: It Is an Imitation of the People of the Scripture in Matters That Are Not Part of Our Religion

(1) Once this foundational principle regarding imitation has been established, we say: conforming to them in their festivals is impermissible for two distinct reasons.

The first reason is what has already been stated: such conformity is alignment with the People of the Scripture in something that neither belongs to our religion nor was ever a practice of our predecessors. In it lies the harm of imitating them, whereas refraining from it secures the benefit of differing from them. Even were that conformity to occur merely by coincidence—without having been consciously adopted from them—the prescribed course for us would still be to differ from them, because of the benefit found in doing so, as has been indicated earlier. Whoever nonetheless imitates them deprives himself of that benefit, even if he has not brought about a specific harm; how much worse when both harm and deprivation are combined!

From another angle, this practice is a newly invented innovation. This consideration alone unquestionably indicates the reprehensibility of resembling them in it, for the least ruling that applies to such imitation is that it is disliked, and the least ruling concerning innovations likewise is that they are disliked. Many texts, however, point to the outright prohibition of imitating them in their festivals, such as the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement:

“Whoever imitates a people is counted as one of them.”(2)

The implication of this ḥadīth is the absolute prohibition of imitating them. The same holds for his command, “Differ from the polytheists,” and similar directives, as well as the Qur’ānic and Prophetic proofs we have already cited that forbid adopting the way of those who have incurred wrath and those who have gone astray. Their festivals are among the clearest manifestations of that path.