Its mere mention is, in itself, a ground for censure.

He—Allah knows best—referred specifically to those who dwell in their territories, because during the time of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr and the other Companions, the People of the Book were forbidden to display their festivals openly in the lands of Islam, and no Muslim imitated them in their celebrations; one could only do so by residing in their lands.

As for ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with him—he disliked even using the name of a festival day that is uniquely theirs; how much more, then, must he have disliked conforming to them in deed!

Imām Aḥmad stated explicitly the same principle that has come down from ʿUmar and ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with them both—and his pupils discussed the legal issue of such festivals in detail. We have already cited the position of Qāḍī Abū Yaʿlā under the heading: “The prohibition of attending their festivals.”

Imām Abū l-Ḥasan al-Āmidī, known as Ibn al-Baghdādī, said in his work ʿUmdat al-Ḥāḍir wa-Kifāyat al-Musāfir: “Section: It is impermissible to attend the festivals of the Christians or the Jews. This was the explicit ruling of Aḥmad in the narration of Muhannā, who based it on the Almighty’s words: ‘And those who do not witness falsehood’ (Qur’an 25:72).”