Fatwa ID: 04065

Answered by: Alimah Sabrina Saidova

Question

Salam Maulana,

I would like to ask, as we live in England and Christmas is creeping up slowly, many Muslims decide to have a feast on Christmas day with the family. They specifically cook Turkey, imitating the non-Muslims.

They say it is the only day the family can get together (as Christmas day is a bank holiday). I usually tell them Boxing Day is also a bank holiday, cook it on the 26th December?

Is cooking a Turkey on Christmas day permissible in light of the Hadith, "Whoever imitates a nation is from them"?

        بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

On the outset, there is nothing wrong with getting together with one’s family and having a feast or cooking a turkey. However, when one gets together on the same day in which it is a known custom for the non-Muslims to get together for Christmas and on top of that,  they cook a turkey, this isn’t permissible in the light of the Hadith you have mentioned above, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a nation, he is from them”[1]. Therefore, they should strongly avoid doing what Christians do and get together and cook a turkey on another day, such as boxing day. Nevertheless, if a certain individual did this purely without having the intention to imitate the non-Muslims, then we won’t question them as actions are based upon their purpose. It is possible that they would want to gather the family on Christmas day, rather than boxing day because it is the first day of their break and the first day of breaks are for when most people make their plans.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Alimah Sabrina Saidova

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham