To spend secular holidays and festivals as a Muslim

To spend secular holidays and festivals as a Muslim

Each year, the Christmas season, new year's eve and Valentine's day Muslims think of leaving, "What to do?"

Like every year, and a new one begins, Muslims all over the world are faced with the Dilemma, to celebrate whether some international holidays and Festivals that close to each other, the heels will follow. Examples of this are Halloween, Thanksgiving, CHristmas, new year's eve and Valentine's day. This follow soon after Easter.

in Particular, in Western countries, Muslims living get a rush of celebrations, decorations, greetings, school holidays, seasonal sales, and fun-making at the local level leave you with little options of what to do.

Although the claim most companies, the individual freedom of choice, to provide their inhabitants with multi-ethnic groups, mutual tolerance and respect, the fact that Muslims em> respects the rarely, really

There are Muslims about their worship and Islamic obligations in an intrepid sphere of life & be it social interaction, dress code, dietary rules or work ethics & they are usually silent antagonism from their communities, the 34-year-old quietly under the surface, but very present.

As a Muslim, If you and your family with the Dilemma of how to spend the time while everyone around you is preparing for or celebrating a holiday that is not part of Islam, how they should think, act and react in General with other Muslims, as also non-Muslim peers and colleagues?

1. Inform you and your family in a Mature way:
   
   you can Find original sources of knowledge about what should be a Muslim and should not Festivals during the secular, and celebrate. What exactly is on the part of these celebrations, which is frowned upon in Islam? It is not the aspect of the imitation of non-Muslims? It is the extravagance and involved spending? Or is it the support of the Beliefs and concepts on which these celebrations are based, the unpopular?

   you can Find in your local mosque, or Islamic QA sources in the Internet for your answers, so that you can make an informed decision about their actions. After that you can Muslims, their colleagues - those who train to hear the ready and eager about what they have learned. However, lecture or preach, please do not, emphatically, that those Muslims who do not hear & those who want to parties are interested in the holidays and have little thought about the Islamic view of this issue.

   In the following comes an example for such an educational Lecture, a Video of Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick, University of Miami, about festivals and holidays in Islam:

2. Enjoy the holidays Alternatively:
   
   Since the family will be away for a few days, somehow, always, you should carefully plan some fruitful and fun outings to make the most of them. Visiting Relatives in another city or in another country is a good choice. Going to Parks, Zoos, have a picnic by the lake or a cabin in the mountains for the weekend yet other pleasant options.
   
   If you are on a Budget, you can Camp in your own backyard, Teach your children to camp and a fire to start!

will start to flow Once you have him down, your creative ideas. For example, during Halloween, when all the other kids are Trick or getting pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, you can buy your children some candy and a pumpkin on each case, explain how Allah created it. Later, after the holiday is gone, you can buy a costume of your liking to upset if you feel not, while other children do.

For older children, you can. you a short Background about Halloween and why is it in Islam is celebrated The same is true for Christmas - If your children ask you who Santa is, why each is or Decorating a tree in your living room, you can give them the Background of the whole Celebration. But this is only possible when you yourself know it first!

keep in mind that unless you focus on providing fun alternative for family entertainment and outings, want to connect to your children, in any case, the international holidays feel left and lonely. It's simple, to them their joys refuse, but difficult to really pleasing Alternatives. As Muslim parents, it is your a duty to do this.

Is not one of the questions many Muslims mothers have asked me, "how do I my celebrate children's birthday? I give in to the pressure of Relatives, they say it's only a couple of harmless fun, but after that I feel at the end of bad about promoting a Celebration that has no basis in Islam."

The answer to this question: an alternative Celebration to your child, a month or so before her birthday comes.

First of all, they explain to you that your date of birth according to the lunar calendar moving, such as the annual Eid to celebrate the move every year. Make your lunar calendar date of birth, and year (click here for a solar-lunar-date-Converter), in addition to a Gregorian recall.

Because children should not be your fun and parties rejected each year for each of their children before , to organize your birthday comes a Party, in which all are invited to join your friends for games, food and fun.

In this way, the child will not feel that his parents loves him / her, if your birthday uncelebrated goes by you feel special and thought of.

Instead of a cake, you can keep the individual Muffins. The song birthday candle-blowing and cake-cutting, you can, but you have the games, assorted party food, Islamic musical entertainment (e.g., Duff, Nasheeds) and colorful decorations, as part of the festivities. Instead of your child expect gifts from guests, I'll buyNdividual gifts that he or she can give to each friend when you leave. This encourages your child to have a giving spirit.

Muslim parents should also plan special celebrations on both the oath, so that your children never feel that their family is "No-Fun" or "boring". If, in addition to the annual children's festivals, picnics on the beach, trips to the Park/Playground, to the Zoo, the Museum, and fun-fairs, in addition to Swimming, Cycling, archery, other sports and horse riding, an integral part of the lives of their children, do not miss "celebrate a birthday", because your desire will be for pleasure more than satisfied never.

you Have, as Muslim parents, to ensure that you enjoy a healthy, Islamic Alternatives for your children, so that this is possible.

Other preaches intolerance or judgmental behavior:

Just because you and your family will not commit to a specific holiday, there is no need for judgments to admit those who are. Allah alone is the judge of mankind. You can pass the days calmly unaffected by the hearty festivities, and if asked why you are out, be conveyed in a factual and brief in your answer, for example, "they celebrate it because it is their cultural and religious Tradition," or "It is a special, festive day in the religious calendar."

Reflect on your identity:

people do a lot of things in the heat of the moment, just because everyone is doing around you. This attitude is indicative of youth, Immaturity and impulsiveness. Wise, mentally independent and intelligent people only do something because the world tells you to do it. Think about who you are, what you believe and where you go in life, before you want to do something.

As a Muslim If you believe 'nothing' to Believe with as part of a community Celebration, even if it means, or is derived from the Belief Set of a different Religion, Maybe you should some important questions about your questions. What you believe, and why? Why are you a Muslim? Because you were born one? As their parents, you as a trigger? Or because you have chosen , on the one hand, after serious study of the authentic sources of Islam? You are like a leaf floating on a river going wherever the river takes it? Or you are an individual strong, confident, someone who knows who you are, what you want in life, and is not apologetic about it?

Regardless of, to celebrate, whether you do or not - there are no need to worry about your opinions to vowel:

So, Maybe you're one of those Muslims who go ahead and celebrate every holiday under the sun with your eclectic group of friends. You pull out all the stops, and do not give two hoots about any kind of Islamic restrictions, when the time comes to eat, drink and be merry. You can, therefore, not stand the sight, sound, or company of Muslim men in Thobes, to wear Kufi and sporting beards, with their Hijab-dressed women in tow, he days other about the reality of these holidays and how you celebrate in Islam is not allowed. If you get the Chance, snub, criticize, and affect these practicing Muslims calling them demeaning names and reject their polite efforts to Islamic brotherly relations.

A little tolerant of his self-life and let live. When you defend you for any reason, causing you to go on the Offensive, self-feelings of guilt you resist the urge you against non-Muslims - it doesn't look so pretty. Just live and let live. Quiet.

Try not to get into arguments, get:

not celebrate their Muslim neighbors, sibling or friend may be overly excited about the new year. You are not to let their children to go to a new year's eve Party. Your 'weird' Cousin got a gift of chocolates or flowers for his wife on Valentine's day, he does not "believe" it will say. Your married sister instead of pulled their kids from a secular school when there is a Christmas party. Your parents refuse to buy a Christmas tree, gifts, or stockings for the living room on Christmas eve because they insist that they are Muslims.

do not understand no Matter how much you still appreciate this apparent "extremism" or "bigotry" do not try to discuss with them about their Faith. You have your reasons for your Actions and perhaps those reasons are real to them. If you are not trying your friends of other religions to preserve their own cultures and traditions, don't you hate Muslims for the intention to do the same. Ever wonder why Chinese Restaurants with red-colored? Ever thought why most of the Hindus don't eat meat? Ever for criticize? To not treat your fellow Muslims with the same respect.

do you Think you are When comfortable and sure about your Islam, you are not really bothered about what the world thinks, if you do not participate in secular festivals and celebrations. However, if you are inclined to these celebrations, they will complain, probably, resort to, and to criticize the limitations of Islam, label those who hold them as extremists, holes, or fundamentalists. What is the case, try not to get into fights about any other choice of the measure, and remember that mutual respect and tolerance of all the religions of the humanity they preached, Therefore, to follow this universal law, especially with their own brothers and sisters in Islam, if pumpkins, fir trees, red hearts or Santa's appear on the horizon.

Sadaf Farooqi is a freelance writer articles regularly to Hiba magazine, sisters magazine, Helium and, more recently, the group Blog, Muslim matters. It can be contacted at [email protected] .

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