Ruling on accepting Christmas gifts from stores

3-2-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

Asalamu 3alaikum warahmatullahi ta3ala wabarakatuh I was wondering if it is haram to participate in a "Christmas giveaway" where a shop wants to give all their clients a special giveaway on instagram. It is a Chanel cardholder for women. They give it away for those who write their name, email, country and which bag is their dream bag. They call it a special Christmas giveaway. So I was wondering whether it is haram to participate in these kinds of things? In'Shaa'Allah you answer me as fast as possible Jazakom Allah khairan Wasalamu 3alaikum warahmatullahi ta3ala wabarakatuh

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

We have already issued Fatwa 88771 clarifying that it is permissible to take gifts from non-Muslims on the occasion of their festivals if it is not feared to commit an Islamic prohibition by doing so, like flattering them.

However, some scholars are of the view that it is disliked to accept such gifts. Ash-Sharh Al-Kabeer ‘Ala Mukhtasar Khaleel by Ad-Dardeer, from the Maaliki School, reads: "It is disliked for us to accept a gift for the cross or for ‘Eesa (Jesus), let alone if it was for their dead, or to accept what they give as gifts on the occasion of their festivals, like cakes and eggs." [End of quote]

In the case which you mentioned, we fear that it (giving gifts) is for an evil purpose, so we emphasize the warning against taking it. If someone abandons something for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will compensate him with something better.

If the person offering the gift is a Muslim, then it is not permissible to engage in that with him because that would consist in helping him in sin as he is not permitted to celebrate or give gifts on this occasion.

Allaah Knows best.