What is the ruling on congratulating and celebrating the day of Chrismas Sheikh Muhammad Al-Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)?

* Congratulation of the infidels after Chrismas.

 Congratulating the infidels on the occasion of Chrismas or other religious festivals is forbidden by agreement

 As conveyed by Ibn al-Qayyim - may God have mercy on him - in the book (the rulings of the people of Dhimah)

He said: "Praise be to you for this Eid, and so on. This is a taboo. It is a taboo to congratulate him on his marriage to the Cross, but that is the greatest sin." And many of those who do not have the amount of religion that is in it, and does not know the ugliness of what he did, who congratulated a slave by disobedience or heresy, or disbelief has been subjected to hatred of God and discontent. Ended his words, God bless his soul - .

Rather, it is not permissible for a Muslim to accept the rites of kufr or to congratulate others on it, because he is not satisfied with this kufr. God does not accept this

As Allaah says

 { إِنْ تَكْفُرُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنْكُمْ وَلا يَرْضَى لِعِبَادِهِ الْكُفْرَ وَإِنْ تَشْكُرُوا يَرْضَهُ لَكُمْ)سورة الزمر :7

The Almighty said:

 (الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا )سورة المائدة:3

And congratulating them is haraam whether they are involved in the work or not.

He said:

(وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ)(سورة ال عمران :85).

 And the Muslim's response to their invitation on this occasion is haraam, because this is greater than congratulating them because of their participation in it.

* The rule of celebration of Chrismas.

Similarly, it is haraam for Muslims to imitate kaafirs by holding parties on this occasion, exchanging gifts, distributing sweets, or eating dishes, or disrupting deeds, and so on, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book:

"Their similarity in some of their feasts requires that their hearts be pleased with their falsehoods, and perhaps they will be tempted to seize opportunities and humiliate the weak." Ended his words, God bless his soul .

Whoever does something of this is a sinner whether he does a compliment, a favor or a shyness or for any other reason because he is insulting in the religion of Allaah, and one of the reasons for strengthening the souls of the infidels and their pride in their religion.

God is responsible that Muslims cherish their religion, and provide them with steadfastness, and victory over their enemies, it is strong Aziz. (Total fatwas and letters of Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen 3/369).

May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions