Amid controversies over Muslims celebrating Christmas, exchanging gifts and greetings the head of the Muslim World League in an interview clarified Islam’s stance on the same.
Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al-Issa stated that the religion does not prohibit Muslims from exchanging Christmas greetings with Christians. He reiterated that the Sharia law did not state a clause disallowing Muslims from extending greetings to Christians.
While noting senior Muslim scholars had issued fatwas regarding the exchange of holiday greetings with non-Muslims, he stated that it was not permissible to object to any issue related to Sharia jurisprudence.
He added that objection was only on issues with definitive consensus, not presumptive ones, reported Arab News,
He stated that there was no text that prohibited Muslims from greeting a non-Muslim on religious holidays and neither did it account for acknowledging another faith.
The head of the Makkah-based nongovernmental organization Muslim World League, which aims to clarify the true message of Islam, stated that congratulating non-Muslims on their holidays “is an apparent interest that serves the reputation of Islam.”
Some Muslim scholars over the years have triggered debates by labelling Christmas greetings as “un-Islamic” and thus prohibited.
