Living in the west creates many questions about how far a Muslim assimilates or participates in western holidays. Often, we look to the origin of the holiday, and make decisions on whether we will participate based on how the holiday started, the important traditions and their meanings, and the significance of it today. I believe Halloween and Christmas are fairly obvious holidays to avoid (and yes, I realize many people do not avoid them, but generally, most Muslims in America do), but holidays like Thanksgiving and Independence Day (both American holidays) are less clear.
I am not here to offer a fatwa (religious ruling) on whether you can participate or not.
With that said, I’d like to offer some thoughts, insight, and information.
Origins of Thanksgiving
- http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving
- http://americanhistory.about.com/od/holidays/a/thanksgiving.htm
Rulings on whether you can celebrate
Not all of these agree. It is all food for thought.- http://muslimmatters.org/2013/11/22/islamic-ruling-regarding-celebrating-thanksgiving-day/
- http://muslimconverts.org/2011/09/16/can-i-celebrate-thanksgiving/
- http://islamqa.info/en/947
Personally, I have a hard time celebrating something that only means to people what we are told it means in the media. We are told Thanksgiving means giving thanks, and celebrating the bounties in the last year, regardless of their size and significance. We are told it is a time that we bring families together to bond and reconnect after a possibly busy year. Some of these things are true, but I personally have issue with glazing over what Thanksgiving means to the Native Americans. I would love if we could bring in traditions that honor the sacrifices they have made, and the troubles they still face because of the immigration of Europeans just a few short centuries ago. In sha Allah (God willing), that can be a beneficial addition if one chooses to participate in Thanksgiving traditions.
Eid is always #1
One thing all scholars agree on is Eid should never be overshadowed by the celebration of another holiday. Ever. For the sake of our families, our faith, and our kids, we should make Eid as exciting, enjoyable, and enriching as possible, in sha Allah (God willing). I recognize with the media and the ease of finding decorations, it takes more work to make Eid bigger and better than the other holidays. Even if you don’t participate in western holidays, if you own a TV, or head to a store anytime between October and February, you are overrun with advertisements for various holidays. No one said the right thing is going to be easy, but it will be worth it, in sha Allah.
The meaning of Thanksgiving
We know that the reason behind Thanksgiving should be something we concentrate on every day of the year, but in practice do we make that happen? Is Thanksgiving the only time we share what we are thankful for? Is it the only time we reflect on what we are thankful for? Muslim or not, we should be reflecting and speaking our thanks throughout the year. Let’s work to make it a daily practice to be thankful, inside and out.
Family ties
Some families put incredible significance on certain holidays, and choosing not to participate is akin to a slap in the face. Each person knows their own family, but remember: slow and steady wins the race. If you came to Islam, or decided to start seriously practicing Islam relatively recently, and now your family is grappling with how you are changing, then on top of it you are refusing to attend their special event, even for a short period of time, it could be doing more harm than good. On the other hand, pacifying family members year after year with your continued participation as if nothing changed isn’t beneficial for you either.
We should live our Islam each day. Not just the days it is convenient for us.
Make the steps you are able to make, but remember that life and its inevitable changes do not happen within your comfort zone.
Western holidays look different for everyone. Everyone takes different steps to their ultimate goal: Jannah (Heaven/Paradise), but in sha Allah we are all making steps. Decide for yourself how western holidays affect you and your iman, but don’t confuse this with how comfortable you feel. Comfort is not a sign of iman necessarily. Shaytan (Satan) is wonderful at helping us feel comfortable.
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