Ruling on students congratulating Hindu teachers on their feasts


Question:

All our teachers are Hindu and many of their festivals and religious ceremonies come up on which all the students greet and congratulate them. We find it embarrassing not to greet them, so what should we do? Should we greet them or not? Would you please help us, may Allah grant you all goodness.

Answer:

It is not permissible for Muslims to take part with the Hindu disbelievers in celebrating their festivals and religious occasions. One should neither show happiness and approval, nor congratulate them on such occasions. This is imitation of the enemies of Allah in their forbidden acts which are not in line with Islamic tenets. It also constitutes a sort of assisting them in sin and transgression, bringing them joy, flattering them, adding numbers to their gatherings [thus giving them significance], and giving them prestige. Allah, the Exalted states, “Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment.” [al-Maidah: 2]

It is authentically narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “Anyone who imitates a people becomes one of them.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (Hadith compilation) and Abu Dawud in his Sunan (Hadith compilations classified by jurisprudential themes).1

  1. Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on clothing, no. 4031; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 2, p. 50. ↩

May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, his family and Companions