In the name of Allah (Most gracious, Most merciful)!

This new year 2010 on its 9th day has embarked upon me a question that really took me on guard. Was my sending new year wishes wrong/sinister? However a similar question of replying to the greeting of pagans or non muslim friends on their festivals too irked me (ignored since long)!

Now after a lot of digging I came up with this:

All praise is for Allah alone and none can guide whom Allah falls astray as none can misguide whom Allah guides! I bear witness that no one is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad (saw) is his slave servant and seal of his messengers.

"Congratulating the non-Muslims on the rituals that belong only to them is haraam by consensus, as is congratulating them on their festivals and fasts by saying ‘A happy festival to you’ or ‘May you enjoy your festival,’ and so on. If the one who says this has been saved from kufr, it is still forbidden. It is like congratulating someone for prostrating to the cross, or even worse than that. It is as great a sin as congratulating someone for drinking wine, or murdering someone, or having illicit sexual relations, and so on. Many of those who have no respect for their religion fall into this error; they do not realize the offensiveness of their actions. Whoever congratulates a person for his disobedience or bid’ah or kufr exposes himself to the wrath and anger of Allaah."
Congratulating the non-Muslims on their religious festivals is haraam to the extent described by Ibn al-Qayyim because it implies that one accepts or approves of their rituals of kufr, even if one would not accept those things for oneself. But the Muslim should not aceept the rituals of kufr or congratulate anyone else for them, because Allaah does not accept any of that at all, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"If you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. . ." [al-Zumar 39:7]
". . . This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion . . ." [al-Maa’idah 5:3]
So congratulating them is forbidden, whether they are one’s colleagues at work or otherwise.



Now another questioned that was raised was about my reply. So Allah guided me with this answer:

If one is greeted or wished by their disbelieving brethren on their pagan occasions like St. Valentine’s Day, or Christmas, or Easter, or Diwali, or Holi, etc…..the best response a believer can give in return is make a supplication for them by saying ‘Allah Yah-deek’ or ‘Hadaak-Allah’, meaning ‘May Allah Guide you (to the Truth)’May Allah guide you brother!


The question of sending wishes on a New Year:

The Islamic New Year is the first of Moharram; but even it is not dedicated as a day of celebration! But there is no questioning to the fact that one shouldn't celebrate man made festivals, it is all about sending warm wishes. So I individually came to the conclusion that there is no special day for sending glad tidings and wishes but if it works more on a particular day I don't see it unwise to send it on that very day (some where around or on the eve of a gregorian new year or Islamic)
It is indeed true that the Gregorian New Year has no religious significance; and seems harmless … but for a believer, it should not constitute a day of celebration ….as it has nothing to do with Islam and its teachings and guidance.

Allah knows best and I am but His slave!