Is It
Permissible For Us To Gather On New Year's Eve To Remember
Allah, Offer Supplication (Du‘aa') And Read Qur'aan?
Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
This is a message that I have seen a lot on the
Internet, but in fact I have not sent it to anyone
because I am not sure if it is an innovation (bid‘ah)
or not. Is it permissible to spread it and will we be
rewarded for doing so, or is this not permissible
because it is an innovation?
"In sha' Allah, at 12 midnight on New Year's Eve we
will all pray two rak‘ahs, or read Qur'aan, or
remember our Lord, or offer du‘aa', because if our
Lord looks at the Earth at a time when most of the
world is disobeying Him, he will find that the Muslims
are still obeying Him. By Allah, you have to send this
message to everyone you know, because the more our
numbers increase, the more our Lord will be pleased."
Please advise me, may Allah bless you.
Praise be to Allaah.
You have done very well not to spread this message
which is widespread on many websites on which
uneducated attitudes and ignorance prevail.
With regard to those who published this message and
want the Muslims to pray and recite dhikr, we do not
doubt that their intentions are good and great,
especially if they want acts of obedience and worship
to be done at a time when sins are being committed.
But this good and righteous intention does not make
the actions legitimate, sound or acceptable in
sharee‘ah. Rather it is essential that the action be
in accordance with sharee‘ah in terms of its reason,
type, quantity, manner, time and place. For a detailed
discussion on these six categories, please see the
answer to question number 21519. In this manner the
Muslim may distinguish between legitimate and
innovated actions.
We may list the reasons why this message should not be
spread by noting a number of points, including the
following:
1. There have been Jaahili special occasions and
special occasions of the disbelievers and misguided
since the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) until the present time, but we have
not seen any text from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) which encourages us to do
acts of worship and obedience at the time when others
are committing acts of evil and disobedience, or to do
prescribed actions at the time when innovated actions
are being done. There is no report of any of the
well-known imams recommending doing such a thing.
This comes under the heading of dealing with sin by
means of innovation, as happened in the case of
responding to the innovation of mourning on the
occasion of ‘Ashoora', as done by the Raafidis, by
introducing the innovation of spending a great deal
and making a show of joy and happiness.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on
him) said:
As for taking the days of calamities as occasions for
mourning, this is not part of the religion of the
Muslims; rather it is closer to the religion of
Jaahiliyyah. Thus they missed out on the virtue and
reward of fasting on this day. Some other people
introduced things on the basis of fabricated hadeeths
for which there is no basis, such as the virtue of
doing ghusl on this day, or applying kohl to the eyes,
or shaking hands. These and similar things are
innovations, all of which are makrooh. What is
recommended is to fast on this day.
There are also well known reports about spending
generously on one's family on this day, such as the
hadeeth of Ibraaheem ibn Muhammad ibn al-Muntashir
from his father, who said: We heard that the one who
spends generously on his family on the day of ‘Ashoora',
Allah will give him in abundance for the rest of the
year. This was narrated by Ibn ‘Uyaynah, but the fact
that he said ‘we heard that…' and it is not known who
said it indicates that the isnaad is munqati'
(interrupted). It is most likely that this was
fabricated because of the hatred that appeared between
the Naasibis and Raafidis. The Raafidis regarded the
day of ‘Ashoora' as a day of mourning, so the Naasibis
fabricated reports about it which indicated that one
should spend generously on this day and take it as an
Eid. Both views are false.
It is not permissible for anyone to change anything in
Islam for the sake of anyone. Expressing joy and
happiness on the day of ‘Ashoora' and spending
generously on this day are all innovations that were
introduced as a reaction against the Raafidis.
Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, p. 300, 301
We have quoted some other valuable words of Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in the answer to question number
4033.
2. There are special times for offering du'aa' and
prayers as prescribed in Islam. The Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) encouraged us to offer
du'aa' at these times, such as the last third of the
night, which is the time when the Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted, descends to the nearest heaven.
Encouraging people to do that at a time when no saheeh
text has been narrated concerning it is introducing
legislation concerning the reason or the time, and
going against sharee'ah with regard to either of them
is sufficient to deem the action to be a reprehensible
innovation, so how about if it has to do with both of
them?!
In the answer to question number 8375, we were asked
about giving charity to poor families at the time of
the Gregorian New Year, and we replied that it is not
allowed. Among the things that we said there was the
following:
If we Muslims want to give in charity, we can give to
those who really deserve it, and we should not aim to
do that specifically on the days of the kaafirs'
festivals. We should do that whenever there is a need,
and make the most of good and great occasions such as
the month of Ramadaan and the first ten days of
Dhu'l-Hijjah, and other virtuous occasions when
rewards are multiplied. End quote.
The basic principle for a Muslim is to follow (the
Sunnah) and not introduce innovations. Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him to mankind): ‘If
you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept
Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'aan and the Sunnah),
Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And
Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'
32. Say (O Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him to mankind):
‘Obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad Peace Be Upon
Him to mankind)." But if they turn away, then Allaah
does not like the disbelievers'"
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:21, 32].
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This verse states that everyone who claims to love
Allah but is not following the path of Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is lying in
his claim unless he follows the path or religion of
Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) in all his words and deeds, as it is proven in
al-Saheeh that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever introduces
an action that is not part of this matter of ours will
have it rejected."
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/32
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah
have mercy on him) said:
You should love the Messenger more than you love
yourselves, and your faith is not complete unless you
do that. Do not introduce into his religion anything
that is not part of it. What the seekers of knowledge
should do is explain to the people and tell them:
Occupy yourselves with legitimate and sound acts of
worship; remember Allah; send blessings upon the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) at
all times; establish regular prayer; pay zakaah; and
be kind towards the Muslims at all times.
Liqaa'aat al-Baab al-Maftooh, 35/5
3. You are forgetting to do what you are obliged to do
with regard to these sins and evils, which is
enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil,
offering sincere advice to those who are going against
Islam, and focusing on individual acts of worship when
there are other communal acts of disobedience and evil
which you should not do.
What we think is that it is haraam to spread such
messages and that it is an innovation to adhere to
these acts of worship on such occasions. It is
sufficient for you to warn against haraam celebrations
on occasions of shirk and innovation. You will be
rewarded for that and you will be doing your duty with
regard to these sins.
See the answer to question no. 60219 for some comments
on good intentions and that good intentions will not
benefit a person or make his innovated deeds
rewardable.
And Allah knows best
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