Is Celebrating New Year Forbidden In Islam?

As Muslims, we should congratulate each other at the beginning of the Islamic year and promote it.

On the first day of our first Islamic month, “Muharram,” we are encouraged to recite the prayers that have been taught to us and ask Allah (SWT) for His blessings.

That said, no matter the occasion, we should make it a point not to be a part of any event where loud music blares and other sinful acts occur. 

Not to mention, it’s vital to remember that New Year celebrations, as per the Gregorian calendar, are never free from superstition and sin, to begin with. Therefore, we, as Muslim Ummah, should never participate in those. 

Understandably, we shouldn’t imitate Non-Muslims in religious practices since that’s Shirk. However, we also can’t deny that Islam urges us to be kind to everyone, not discriminating against anyone due to differences in faith or race. 

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with “only” congratulating the Non-Muslims on their New Year when it’s treated as a social occasion, and as long as we don’t make any arrangements, avoiding all wrongful acts.

Rest assured, Allah (SWT) knows best, and all we can do as dutiful Muslims is to carry out our Islamic practices with sincerity and undeterred belief.