Greeting the non-Muslims on Christmas and other religious holidays like Thanksgiving is prohibited by consensus because it implies that one accepts or approves of their rituals of disbelief, even if one would not accept those things for oneself.

It is not permissible to join in the non-Muslim festivals because this entails imitating or resembling them and taking part in their festivals is a kind of befriending them and showing love for them.

It is not permissible to eat from the food which the Christians or non-Muslims prepare on Christmas or other festivals. It is also not permissible to accept their invitations to join them in their celebrations.

It is not permissible for the Muslim to eat foods that the Jews, Christians and disbelievers make for their festivals. It is also not permissible to give them anything on the occasion of their festivals.

It is not permissible for the Muslim to join the non-Muslims in their festivals and to express joy and happiness on these occasions, or to take the day off work, whether the occasion is religious or secular.

It is not permissible for any Muslim to join in the festivals of the non-Muslims, whether by attending the festivities or enabling them to hold their celebrations, or selling any goods or products that have to do with these festivals.

A Muslim husband has the right to forbid his non-Muslim wife to commit evil openly in the house such as setting up statues or ringing bells. This also includes celebrating innovated festivals, such as Easter, because that is an evil action according to Islam. The Muslim husband does not have the right to force his Christian wife to give up her beliefs, but he may denounce her open profession of falsehood.

There is nothing wrong with accepting a gift from a non-Muslim on Christmas and that is not regarded as participating in it or approving of it, rather it should be accepted as an act of kindness with the aim of softening his heart and calling him to Islam.

What is forbidden with regard to congratulating the Christians on the occasion of their festivals is expressing joy to them, being overly polite and showing approval of their actions, even if that is only expressed outwardly without feeling it inwardly.

There is nothing wrong with having celebrations on the occasions of marriage or other worldly occasions provided that they are free of reprehensible matters such as free mixing and music. Among the impermissible celebrations in Islam are those in which there is any imitation of the disbelievers such as birthday celebrations and Mother’s Day.

• It is not permissible for the Muslim to take part in the religious celebrations of the non-Muslims and it is not permissible for them to congratulate them.

• It is permissible for Muslims to attend celebrations of the non-Muslims on their special occasions such as marriage, recovering from sickness and return from travel on condition that it serves a legitimate Shar`i interest.

• It is not permissible for the Muslim to attend celebrations of the non-Muslims or the Muslims in which there is propagation of any false religion or ideology.

• It is not permissible for the Muslim to attend any celebration of the non-Muslims or the Muslims if it is done in the manner of a repeated festival every year or every month and so on, like birthdays and Mother’s Day.

• It is not permissible for the Muslim to attend any celebration of the non-Muslims or the Muslims that is a prohibited celebration in terms of the occasion, such as Valentine’s Day.

• It is not permissible for the Muslim to attend any celebration of the non-Muslims or the Muslims in which there is mixing with women, or music, or where forbidden food is eaten.

Muslims cannot celebrate Christmas because it is an imitation of the unbelievers. Also decorating Muslim houses with balloons at Christmas is obviously joining in with the unbelievers and celebrating their festival.

One of the rituals observed on Christmas is eating a dinner which is called Christmas dinner and exchanging gifts. This is what makes it disallowed for the Muslims to participate in it or to congratulate those who are celebrating it.

It is not permissible to put up a Christmas tree in a Muslim house even if you do not celebrate Christmas because putting up this tree comes under the heading of imitating others which is prohibited, or venerating and showing respect to a religious symbol of the non-Muslims.