their children into the bath-house at that very time, claiming that it is good for the child. This, however, is part of the Christian religion and is one of the most repugnant, prohibited abominations.

The same ruling applies to the festivals of the Persians—such as Nowruz and Mihrjān—and to the festivals of the Jews or of any other group of unbelievers, whether non-Arabs or Bedouins; all of them fall under the ruling already stated.

[The Prohibition of Assisting the Unbelievers in Their Festivals]

Just as we are forbidden to imitate them in their festivals, so too we may not help a Muslim who tries to imitate them. On the contrary, he must be admonished. Thus, if someone holds a banquet on their festival in a way that departs from ordinary custom, his invitation is not to be accepted. Likewise, if a Muslim offers a gift during those festivals that is not normally given at other times, his gift is not to be accepted—especially when the gift helps one to imitate them.

Examples include presenting candles and the like at Christmas, or giving eggs, milk, and sheep on the “Little Thursday” that comes at the end of their fast. In the same way, no gift should be given to any Muslim on these festivals for the sake of the festival itself, particularly when the item facilitates imitating them, as just explained.

A Muslim must also refrain from selling to other Muslims anything that would help them resemble the unbelievers in their festival—whether food, clothing, or the like—for that would be aiding in wrongdoing. As for selling such items to the unbelievers themselves for their own festival, or attending their festivals in order to purchase from them, we have already mentioned that Imām Aḥmad was asked about the festivals that occur in our region of Syria, such as at Mount Ṭūr