What is the ruling on Muslims participating in New Year celebrations?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Muslims should praise Allaah The Almighty for guiding them to Islam. They should ask their Lord the Exalted to make them firm on the straight path, the path of those on whom He has bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked His anger or those who have gone astray.

Disbelieving nations do their best to keep Muslims away from their religion and to sever their relations with it. Allaah the Almighty Says (what means): {Many of the people of the scripture wish they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of envy from themselves [even] after the truth has become clear to them. So pardon and overlook until Allaah delivers His command. Indeed, Allaah is over all things competent.}[Quran 2:109]

As Muslims, we have our own religion which Allaah The Almighty has legislated and approved of for His believing servants. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.}[Quran 5:3]

Celebrating the advent of the new millennium or the New Year is an act of falsehood which should be avoided by Muslims because it is not an Islamic ‘Eed (festival). Allaah The Almighty Says about believers (what means): {And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.}[Quran 25:72] Several of the righteous predecessors, such as Ibn Seereen and Mujaahid interpreted the term {falsehood} in the verse to mean the 'Eeds of disbelievers.

It is narrated on the authority of Anas that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, disapproved of the people of Madeenah when he saw them celebrating two days that they used to celebrate in the pre-Islamic era. He told them that Allaah The Almighty had given them two days better than this: "Eed Al-Fitr and ‘Eed Al-Adh’haa. The word ‘Eed in Arabic is a general term meaning 'the day that recurs."

Evidence from the Quran and Sunnah (tradition) establishes that it is impermissible for a Muslim to glorify a day that is glorified by disbelievers or to glorify a place where they hold religious gatherings. Every act that they perform at a specific time or place where they celebrate is part of their ‘Eeds. On the authority of Thaabit ibn Adh-Dhahhaak the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, allowed a man who vowed during the pre-Islamic era to slaughter in a place called Buwaanah to fulfill his vow, provided that there was no idol worship or celebration of any pre-Islamic feast in that place.

The new millennium has certain indications and significance to disbelievers that makes them glorify its occurrence. They pin hopes on it, and link it to some of the creeds in their distorted books. Celebrating the millennium involves an imitation of the People of the Book, mixing truth with falsehood and breaking the barrier of repulsion towards their religion, which is a requisite for disassociating from them. How can someone who participates in their ‘Eeds be repulsed by their beliefs?

‘Abd Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas mentioned that anyone who lives with them, participates in their celebrations, imitates them and dies in this state will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection. There is a Saheeh Hadeeth (authentic narration) in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told us that anyone who imitates a certain people is considered one of them. [Ahmad and Abu Daawood] Accordingly, it is impermissible for a Muslim, who is content with Allaah The Almighty as his Lord, with Islam as a religion, and with Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as a Prophet and Messenger, to participate in the new millennium or new year celebrations or to congratulate anyone on this occasion. Ibn Al-Qayyim narrated the consensus of scholars that it was unlawful to congratulate them on the rites of disbelief.

How strange it is to see Muslims rush to join Christians in celebrating their ‘Eeds, while Christians do not care about Muslims’ ‘Eeds! They may even reject giving Muslims a vacation for their ‘Eeds. Is it ordained for us to love those who hate us? If someone says that this matter is a punishment from Allaah The Almighty because of our negligence of His rights, we answer that this is probable.

We supplicate Allaah The Almighty for help and we ask Him to guide Muslims to what benefits them.

And Allaah Knows best.