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I am working in MNC software company. Over here all employees, mostly non-Muslims, wish each other with "Good morning" and "Good night". And during special festival with "Happy Holi", "Happy Diwali" etc.

So, is this allowed in Islam? Can we wish them during ordinary days and during festivals?

Are there any alternatives to wishing them with "Good morning" and "Good night"?

EDIT

Thanks Everyone, i got answer for secular greetings (good morning), that we can wish them,

But can we wish religious greetings (happy diwali , happy holi,...) ?

Final EDIT

Thanks everyone..

I Got answers of my questions.

Yes, We can greet non-muslims with Good Morning or Good Night.

But, We can not wish non-muslims to on their Religious Festival.

Reference:

Fatawa Mahmoodiya 19/567,
Kitabul Fatawa 1/304

http://masaail.com/diwali-aur-un-ke-naye-saal-ki-mubarakbadi-dena/

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    Although you only stated that you're working in an Indian company. I assumed you meant to ask about the permissibility of wishing non-Muslims. If not, then feel free to remove it and clarify what you exactly mean.
    – Bleeding Fingers
    Mar 26, 2014 at 17:45
  • Do you want to split this into two questions: religious greetings (happy diwali) and secular greetings (good morning)
    – PracticingFerret
    Mar 26, 2014 at 18:41
  • @Pureferret: Yes, it would be great if you give detail for both. i have doubt for religious greetings (happy diwali), can we wish?
    – Toseef Khilji
    Mar 27, 2014 at 3:54
  • What I'm suggesting is that you ask a new, separate question about religious greetings.
    – PracticingFerret
    Mar 27, 2014 at 9:00

7 Answers 7

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Thanks everyone..

I Got answers of my questions.

  1. Yes, We can greet non-muslims with Good Morning or Good Night.

  2. But, We can not wish non-muslims to on their Religious Festival.

Reference:

Fatawa Mahmoodiya 19/567,

Kitabul Fatawa 1/304

http://masaail.com/diwali-aur-un-ke-naye-saal-ki-mubarakbadi-dena/

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Sorry but I totally disagree with Maythux's answer. It's forbidden in Islam to wish non-Muslim on Diwali and Christmas and other religious festivals as it's the biggest sin (shirk) in Islam and wishing on Christmas and Diwali (like saying "happy Diwali") implies we are greeting that "I'm really praying that you enjoy your day associating partners with Allah". Astagfirullah. Never do this. May Allah guide us.

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    – Medi1Saif ♦
    Nov 2, 2016 at 7:07
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Islam means humanity, morality and goodness towards others.

During the Prophet's time a Jew used to throw his wastes on the Prophet door and on his path. In spite of that when the Jew got sick, the Prophet went to visit him at his home. And this is how we should be.

So it's a good thing to make good wishes for others even though if they are not Muslim. Moreover, you should be so, because this is what Allah asked us to be like.

Note: The only thing that you shouldn't wish a non-Muslims with is Salam Alaykum which is an Islamic greeting. This the only greeting that should be used for Muslims, but in general you can and you should be nice to others.

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  • You are Welcome.. Absolutely there is no problem, but don't use Alsalam AAlaykum
    – Maythux
    Mar 26, 2014 at 9:22
  • This answer would benefit from relevant sources.
    – Ghasan
    Feb 24, 2017 at 0:03
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In the name of God, Most Merciful, Most Kind

All praise and thanks are due to God, the Lord of the worlds. We cannot find words to praise Him, as He only sees fit how laudation should be addressed to Him. We seek refuge in God from the evils within ourselves and the evils of our bad deeds. Whosoever God guides will never be led astray, and whosoever He leads astray will never find guidance. We bear witness that there is no god but God, the One without any associate, and We bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger and bondman, peace and blessings be upon him, his kith and kin, his Companions and all those who follow their guidance until the Day of Judgment

your question: Can we greet non Muslims on their festivals?

answer: The basic principle is that, it is totally prohibited to congratulate non Muslims on their feasts because it is involves all types of forbidden things such as: shirk in Christmas, adultery(kissing and love) in Valentine's Day. And some say it is merely a word when you greet non Muslims as long as you don't believe in others's feasts. And I'm gonna try to explain my best of ability.

The reason why it is prohibited is that it is involves all types of falsehood and we cannot agree with falsehood but only with truth. We have "Festival of Sacrifice" and "Minor Festival". And the Prophet has prohibited us this. God Says:

"Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than God, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful." [The Table Spread, 5:3]

So, here we learn that we should not involve in anything which God Almighty has prohibited us to do such as telling lies. God Almighty also Says:

"Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which God has not consented? But if not for the decisive word, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment" [The Consultation, 42:21]

So based on this, it is not permitted even to say to a non Muslim "happy birthday" or "happy New Year" or "Mary Christmas" or "happy holidays" or "happy Diwwali" because it involves all types of falsehood and we should not be partners in sin no matter what.

Quran says that every nation has its own festival and we have ours which is "Minor Festival" and "Festival of Sacrifice".

Anas ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Prophet ( may Allah exalt his mention ) arrived in Medina while people were celebrating two particular festivals, so he ( may Allah exalt his mention ) asked: “What is (the significance of) these two days?” Some people replied: ‘They are days which we used to celebrate during the pre-Islamic era.’ So the Messenger ( may Allah exalt his mention ) replied: “God has replaced them for you with two days which are better, the day of ‘Eid Al-Fitr and ‘Eid Al-Adh-haa”" [Abu Daawood].

Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to celebrate other than these two festivals, because is it not one of the celebrations of the Muslims.

the Prophet ( may Allah exalt his mention ): “He who imitates a people will be from among them (on the Day of Judgement).” [Abu Daawood]

CONCLUSION: So, a Muslim cannot celebrate non Muslim's festivals because it involves a lot of haram things such as: wine, singing, musical instruments, pork, shirk and falsehood and many more. But only those 2 festivals we have are the only one who has true faith. But if you are forced in this, and you have tried to escape this haram, then you are in safe area.

We ask God to guide us to the Straight Path and to make us all people of Paradise. May God send blessings and peace upon His slave and Messenger Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

References:

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There is nothing wrong with this - being cordial to others (even non-Muslims), respect and well treatment of guests are all qualities of a good Muslim.

In case you are wondering if this is a language thing; it is not. At my office we often greet each other with the Arabic equivalent of good morning.

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  • Hi, thanks for replay, can you tell me Arabic equivalent of good morning ?
    – Toseef Khilji
    Mar 26, 2014 at 9:13
  • @Virussmca good morning = sabah alkheir. Listen how to say it translate.google.com/#auto/ar/good%20morning
    – Maythux
    Mar 26, 2014 at 11:00
  • Burhan Khalid: I got my answers from Islamic Scholars that we can wish religious greetings (happy diwali). You can see my Answer.
    – Toseef Khilji
    Feb 24, 2017 at 4:08
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in This world there are several religions. good words or bad words should be come from the religious books only. if we are a muslim we must not compormise on aqeeda. once we wish other religion matters then where is the different to being obidency of own book? same in hindu, if a hindu does not know his way then where is the different in him from others? let religious matter to be celebrate by their own community without harming others. The maximum can do a person is to convince the true path and good things thats all.

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  • So what's the answer to Can we wish non-Muslims “happy holi”, “happy Diwali”, etc.? I find rhetorical questions don't make good answers; I suggest quoting learned scholars instead.
    – Rebecca J. Stones
    Mar 25, 2019 at 11:12
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In the US it is common to say 'Happy Holidays' rather than Merry Christmas or Happy New Year. This practice became common because of the influence of the Jewish population, who like us, also cannot express wishes for festivals of others faiths such as Christian festivals.

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