In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

Thanksgiving Day is a modern Christian religious holiday observed on the fourth Thursday of November in America. Thanksgiving has been adopted as a national holiday as well.

The Permanent Council of Scholars in Saudi Arabia, headed by Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have Mercy on him), was asked about the observance of Christian religious holidays, and they responded:

It is not permissible to take part with the disbelievers in their holidays and religious celebrations, due to the description Allah has given to the servants of the Most-Merciful [what means]: ( Those who do not witness “zoor”, and if they pass by falsehood, they pass by it with dignity ). [25:72] “Zoor” is explained to be: the celebrations of the disbelievers and witnessing them, attending them, or taking part in them.

Source: The Permanent Council’s second series of Fatwas (1/452-453). [in Arabic here]

Many other clear statements of the scholars about non-Muslim holidays and celebrations have been made widely available in English.

Aside from being a Christian holiday, Thanksgiving is commonly represented by images depicting the “peace” made between the Native Americans and the European pilgrims who arrived in early America. The bitter reality of true American history stands in stark contrast to the re-written politically correct version promoted by the Americans today. Before European settlers arrived, America had an entire civilization of people living on its land. The Europeans invaded, pillaged, and occupied this land. They fought against its original inhabitants and conquered them, in an attempted mass-genocide of an entire race. They conveniently re-write this terrible reality as a cheerful peace agreement including the sharing of the crops’ harvest in a warm and friendly dinner celebration called “Thanksgiving”. To this day, they still credit Europeans with “discovering” America (a previously inhabited land!). Sadly, many Americans refuse to investigate the real criminal history of their own land. Even more sadly, some Muslims choose to take part in such a vile conspiracy by observing this day alongside the misguided Christians!

Muslims have a complete Religion, rich with daily offerings of honest worship, thanking and praising Allah alone. Muslims have no need to blindly follow the ungrateful and stingy disbelievers who set aside one day a year to give thanks to their gods, paired with a conspiracy to re-write their treacherous criminal history.

“Most Muslims Feel Comfortable in Sharing Thanksgiving” [?]

Even if it were true that most Muslims in America or anywhere else feel comfortable celebrating a Christian holiday, that could never be a proof for its legitimacy in Islam.

It is hoped that most Muslims who know their Religion and seek to please their Lord are not involved in the disbelievers’ festivals and holidays in any way whatsoever. Confused and ignorant Muslims who would fall into such clear violation of Islamic teachings, even if they are many, do not constitute a proof, nor could we conclude that their action means that scholars must have differed about it.

What the majority of the people, Muslims or non-Muslims, feel about a topic has no place in a discussion on the rulings of Islam.

وإن تطع أكثر من في الأرض يضلوك عن سبيل الله

( If you were to obey most people on earth they would lead you away from the Path of Allah ) [6:116]

For further study of Allah’s descriptions of how the majority do not believe, understand, reflect, nor give thanks, read the following Quranic verses: 2:243, 7:17,187, 10:60, 11:17, 12:21,38,40,68,103,106, 16:38, 17:89, 25:50, 27:61, 30:6,30, 34:28,36, 40:57,61, 45:26.

This article was adapted from: “Yusuf Estes: Most Muslims Feel Comfortable Sharing Thanksgiving with Non-Muslims” (found here)

Written by: Moosaa Richardson