Muslims can say ‘Merry Christmas’
Every year around this time, some segments of Muslim social media light up for the season. But it’s not to wish each other “Merry Christmas.”
For some Muslims, there is an ongoing debate on whether they can wish their Christian friends and neighbors “Merry Christmas.” Some believe that saying these words is a sin, while others proclaim it is a religious obligation to wish people well during their festivities. Like all things rooted in scripture or law, it can be subjective to one’s interpretation and approach. Some may even argue it is a question of intention.
As if this was not enough of a minefield, there is ever-present debate in the broader country about divorcing Christmas from the holidays to make it more inclusive. Proponents of this view argue that we should wish people “Happy Holidays” while opponents campaign to “take back” the holidays and insist on saying “Merry Christmas.”
In the spirit of the holidays, and as a Muslim law professor and attorney, I decided to draft this nonbinding, inclusive greeting on a pro bono basis for those who wish to play it safe:
“I hereby wish each of my past, present and future friends, colleagues, students, clients and even strangers, a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Other Religious or Non-Religious Celebration or Commemoration you may mark during this period!*
*DISCLAIMER: These wishes are extended without any personal liability on my part. Notwithstanding the preceding greeting, I make no representation and offer no warranty or guaranty that you will, in actuality, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Other Religious or Non-Religious Celebration or Commemoration.
I further make no representation that I celebrate any of these.
In the event you do not celebrate any religious/cultural holiday, then I covenant that no offense was intended and none should be inferred. If such is the case, then on a without prejudice basis, I hereby retract the respective religious greeting and herein substitute “Happy Holidays” in its place.
In the event you wish to respond or reciprocate, I undertake not to bill you for reading the said response.
This solemn wish is made on my own accord and not under any duress or coercion. The greetings are extended on a without prejudice basis in the spirit of tolerance, pluralism and human courtesy.
This greeting is assignable and transferable. I hereby grant you a nonexclusive, sublicensable and transferable right to use and extend this greeting strictly in the same manner and only to the extent expressly stated in this grant. This license has no quantity restriction. You may issue an unlimited number of greetings for an unlimited number of times during the term of the license. This license is valid for a period covering 30 days before and after December 25th. Once the license expires, you need to wait for the following year. The rights granted to you, above, may be exercised by any persons receiving the greeting from you provided that such persons agree to abide by the terms of this greeting.
NOT SOLICITOR-CLIENT OR ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGED
This message is NOT the subject of solicitor-client or attorney-client privilege and MUST be communicated with as many others as you possibly can. Thank you for your assistance.”
Feel free to use this greeting.
All kidding aside, I have no hesitation in wishing my Christian friends and colleagues a Merry Christmas. For some Muslims, like the former mayor of San Carlos and the second Muslim mayor in the country, Omar Ahmed, they create new traditions that embrace their identity as Muslim and American. Every year before his passing in 2011, Mayor Ahmed would dress up in a Santa Claus hat and hold “Muslim Christmas,” bringing friends together for a meal and a movie.
For Muslims who are concerned that a Christmas greeting may be crossing the line, you should know that there is a growing chorus of Muslim religious leaders who have issued nonbinding religious opinions, or fatwas, stating that greeting non-Muslims during their festive seasons was “permissible.”
For instance, Mufti Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, the grand mufti of the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan in Malaysia, said, “It’s no more than a mere greeting to express happiness and enjoyment upon seeing the happiness of those celebrating ... ”
According to another fatwa by the European Council for Fatwa and Research, it is permissible to say “Merry Christmas” to non-Muslims. They note the Quran does not forbid us from being kind and civil to non-Muslims, and there is no clear evidence in the Quran or the teachings of the prophet against it.
Shaikh Ahmad Kutty, a Canadian scholar and my dad, said, “There is no harm in using the standard greeting that is common to people. If you are greeting Christians, you may wish them happy or Merry Christmas. This does not in any way mean that you are adhering to the specific Christian dogmas of trinity, crucifixion, etc., unless you definitely intend it. We are not to project onto words meanings that are not commonly understood by them. Just as Christians wish Muslims happy Eid, we can definitely our wishes to Christians for a merry Christmas. Islam is all about reciprocating kindness with kindness.”
And so in the spirit of the holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzah and a belated Hanukkah Sameach!