The Truth Behind New Years and Why We Should Not Celebrate It

Bismillahi ar-Rahman nir-Raheem

Little Abdullah and Little Youssef have decided to spend their New Year’s Eve with Tyrone and Jake and go to the waterfront to countdown the seconds till the fireworks and explosions light up the sky, finalizing 2023 with a bang! Sounds fun, doesn’t it, Abdullah? Youssef?

What if I told you this celebration originated from Pagan traditions? Would you consider this celebration “fun?” I already know the excuses many of you will say, “Oh, come on many of us, we’re just having some fun! We don’t believe any of this shirk pagan thing.” Well, why don’t you enjoy Halloween night? Or Christmas? It isn’t REALLY about the Birth of Christ now! It’s about some overweight blob climbing down a chimney and giving presents. Dance the night, come on. Enjoy a little bit of fun before you enter hell!

New Year’s, Where did it originate from?

The origins of the New Year started in 2000 BC in Mesopotamia, also known as modern-day Iraq. The celebration was understood as ‘Akitu,’ which consisted of observing its holiday near the end of March. Various rituals would be celebrated for 11 days, commemorating the Sumerian “God” Marduk’s victory over the evil “Goddess” of chaos Tiamat. Their “priests” would recite prayers and promises made by the people, which stated paying debts, returning farm equipment, and many other resolutions. Many of these would already scare you, right? Commemorating some random “God?” worshipped by idolaters. But wait! They celebrate in March! So why should Abdullah and Youssef care?

The Romans switching New Years to January the first

You thought it was over, didn’t you? Assuming that you were going to go on r/progressive_islam and have your little filter bubble buddies tell you that it’s okay to celebrate New Year’s, huh? Well, here I arrive with a needle to pop your petite bubble and show you more evidence of why New Year’s is haram.

Julius Ceasar! The lovely (not so pleasant) pagan dictator who ruled the Empire of Rome. He presented the Julian Calendar, with its first Month marking the “God” Janus. The Pagans considered this two-faced Idol the “God” of the Doorways and Gates, with his face indicating his false ability to look at the past and into the future.

Like the Sumerians, the Romans would worship on the eve of this “New Year.” The Romans would give “sacrifices” and pagan rituals to their Idol-worshipped stone Janus, celebrating the start of the New Year with gifts, decorating their homes, and throwing parties. Sounds familiar? Now that this is so forthcoming of it being Shirk, why would you still honor this false pagan holiday? Some would say, “Youssef and Abdullah want to just go and enjoy fireworks, not a party! Come on buddy, they know partying is haram.” Fireworks? Ancient Chinese base them on the belief that they ward off ‘evil spirits,’ so why would you do it and displease Allah?

The Christian Involvement and what the New Year is today

Knowing the traditions of the New Year was a paganistic Holiday, the Christian Church decided it was time to eradicate this calendar and make December 25th the start of the New Year. Both days are pagan holidays, regardless of whether they are on December 25th or January 1st. Christmas also originated from a Greek Pagan tradition of the winter solstice. So there is no difference. Some of you might ask why the pagans celebrate on January 1st again. In 1582, in medieval times, Pope Gregory decided to reestablish January under the new banner of the Gregorian Calendar. So why do you still want to celebrate this pagan holiday?

Islamic Ruling on New Year

It should be well established that it is HARAM to celebrate this holiday or congratulate those observing it.

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah said: “And as for congratulating Kuffar on the rituals which are SPECIFIC to them, then it is HARAM (FORBIDDEN) by the AGREEMENT (of Fuqaha), for example congratulating them on their festivals and fasts by saying: ‘A happy festival to you’ or ‘May you enjoy your festival,’ and so on, so if the one who says this has been saved from Kufr, it is STILL FORBIDDEN, and it is like congratulating someone for PROSTRATING to the CROSS, rather that (congratulating Kuffar) is GREATER of a SIN with Allāh.

And it is MORE HATEFUL (to Allah) than congratulating someone for DRINKING WINE, or MURDERING an INNOCENT SOUL, or COMMITTING ADULTERY, and the likes of it, and many of those who have NO RESPECT for their religion fall into that (error); without Realizing the OFFENSIVENESS of their action, so whoever congratulates a person for his DISOBEDIENCE or BID’AH or KUFR thus exposes himself to the WRATH and ANGER of Allah.”

● [أحكام أهل الذمة ١/١٦١]

The Messenger said ﷺ, “You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a mastigure, you would follow them.” We said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! (Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said, “Whom else?”

● Sahih al-Bukhari 7320

Allah says in the Quran,

وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ ٱلْيَهُودُ وَلَا ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِع ملتَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدىٰ وَلَئِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَآءَهُم بَعْدَ ٱلَذى جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِىٍّۢ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ١٢٠

Never will the Jews or Christians be pleased with you, until you follow their faith. Say, “Allah’s guidance is the only ˹true˺ guidance.” And if you were to follow their desires after ˹all˺ the knowledge that has come to you, there would be none to protect or help you against Allah. 2:120

Umar Ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه said, “Keep away from the enemies of Allah on their holidays.”

● Kanz al-Ummal (1/405, 1732); Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi (9/234).

We finalize that the New Years’ a Pagan Holiday that has no involvement in Islam.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Medina during two days which they were celebrating. The Prophet said, “What are these two days?” They said, “We would celebrate these two days in the time of ignorance.” The Prophet said, “Verily, Allah has replaced these two days with two better days: Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.”

The only Holidays observed for you is the two Eid’s. Do not deviate from the path of Allah and follow the path of those who don’t know the word of Tawheed. Follow Allah and don’t be an innovator.

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751) said: “Innovations pile up, small leading to bigger, until it leads to the person leaving the fold of Islam.”

● {مدارج السالكين صحفة ١٩٦}

Sarri al-Saqati (d. 252), may Allāh have mercy upon him, said:

“Whoever obeys the One above him, those below Him will obey him! Whoever fears Allāh, everything will fear him!”

[Siffatu al-Safwah: 2/627]

Tell your family and warn them! For every innovation is a misguidance, and every misguidance is in hellfire!

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would praise Allah in his sermon, as He deserves to be praised, and then he would say, “Whomever Allah guides, no one can lead him astray. Whomever Allah sends astray, no one can guide him. The truest word is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The evilest matters in religion are those that are newly invented, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire.” Source: Sunan al-Nasai 1578

And Allah Knows Best,

Credits: Hatem Ismail – A concerned Muslim.