Can Muslims Celebrate Christmas?

Yeayh, it is Christmas eve for those Christian. I am not going to wish them, sorry. As I have just noticed it harem pants and I wanna share these piece of knowledge with some of them that they might not well-aware of it. Even me, I do have the intention to wish them, used to exchange gifts with my friends too! Astaghfirullah...

Too bad, I can best say this using Malay language but am going to try my best translating it. Mr Google, please make it happen! :P

Christian: It is Christmas, why don't you wish me, 'Merry Chrismas'?
Muslim: No. We do tolerate with other religion but in this case, it's totally different. Our religion against it.
Christian: But why? Isn't it just words? My other Muslim's friends do wish me already.
Muslim: They didn't noticed it perhaps... I wanna ask you, can you mention Syahadah now?
Christian: Off course not, am not going to say it out! My Christianity may effect my faith and belief.
Muslim: Why not? its only by words? Come on, just once!
Christian: Now,... I get it..

How beautiful Islam is, isn't it? :D These are the best approaches after all to make them understand what was actually the point there. So, it is harem wishing someone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as it is mentioned in our Muslim's Hadith:

"Barangsiapa yang meniru, mengucapkan selamat kepada agama lain bererti ia telah kafir dan Neraka Jahanamlah tempatnya" (HR Bukhari Muslim).

Ouch! it is in Bahasa, but the point are the same as below:

"Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." (Ali-Imraan 3:85)

Thus, wishing Merry Christmas or even Happy Diwali towards others religion and others related greetings even though not directly as mentioned before, still, has not saved from being kufr, it is still forbidden as long as it sounds like congratulate them for prostrating  to the cross, or even worst than that.

Christmas was happens when the Christian do believe  to be the-day-of-God's-Son which they use to called it 'God Incarnate'. Thus, this is not only their celebration, it is also a ritual-based on belief which is totally against the teaching of Islam itself.

From Islamic point of view, the belief in the Son-of-God or God-in-the-flesh is denial of God's Oneness. By participate celebrating with them is not a pleasure but possibilities one may lose his/her conciousness towards the basis. Many of them may not aware of the offensive towards their action which is totally fall into our religion's error which may exposes to the anger of Allah, Nauzubillah.

The above also referred to what had our Prophet said:

"Whoever imitates a people is one of them".

Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtidaa' al-siraat al-mustaqeem mukhaalifat ashaab al-jaheem:

"Imitating them in some of their festivals implies that one is pleased with their false beliefs and practices, and gives them the hope that they may have the opportunity to humiliate and mislead the weak".

Muslim must take it seriously as the greatest danger is for our next generation, who may slowly loose their Islamic faith in tawhid and may start believing in Jesus as 'more than a prophet and servant of Allah'. Perhaps, as mentioned by Mufti Perak, 250,000 Malay had murtad according to their statistic analysis.

In a nutshell, I prefer to celebrate date-of-Muhammad-birth instead of congratulate them or even get involved in their Jesus Christ, Son's-of-God-birth-day as I love the mighty Prophet Muhammad very much. It is hard to captured in words and I hope this limitless feelings will increasingly remain, Amen... 

Salawat and Salaam upon him.

Praise to Allah, am proud to be Muslim ;D