his secretarial services, while his religion is his own.’ He said, ‘I do not honour them when Allah has dishonoured them, nor exalt them when Allah has humbled them, nor bring them close when Allah has cast them far away.’”

Allah Most High says:

“And those who do not bear witness to falsehood.”

Mujāhid explained this as “the festivals of the polytheists,” as did al-Rabī‘ ibn Anas. Al-Qādī Abū Ya‘lā said:

(A discussion of the prohibition of attending the festivals of the polytheists.

Abū al-Shaykh al-Asbahānī narrated, with his chain of transmission, in his work on the conditions governing protected non-Muslims, that al-Dahhāk explained Allah’s words, “And those who do not bear witness to falsehood,” as “the festival of the polytheists.” He also narrated, through Sinān, that al-Dahhāk explained “And those who do not bear witness to falsehood” as referring to “the speech of the polytheists.”

He further narrated, with his chain of transmission, from Ibn Salām, from ‘Amr ibn Murrah, concerning “And those who do not bear witness to falsehood”: “They do not remain with the polytheists in their polytheism, nor mingle with them.”

The Book, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the Sunnah of his rightly guided caliphs, upon which the scholars have agreed, establish that Muslims should differ from them and refrain from imitating them. . . . (1)

Lighting fires and rejoicing in them are among the distinctive practices of the Magians, the worshippers of fire. A Muslim strives to revive the practices of the Sunnah and eradicate religious innovations. For the two Sahīh collections report from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Messenger of Allah said: