Is It Shirk To Celebrate New Year

How do Muslims celebrate Christmas?

A few Muslims celebrate Christmas with trees and gifts, but not to worship the Prophet Jesus.  This happens especially when people have kids who are surrounded by Christians, and therefore demand extra toys.Remember that Christmas is not the day of the birth of the Prophet Jesus. It is a holiday made to coincide with earlier, pagan holidays.My former sister-in-law, a Muslim who is a Citizen of the UAE, put up a Christmas tree in her home, and on the door of their condominium home in Dubai.  Her husband was angered, but the tree remained because she thought it was cute, and she spent a few hundred dollars on it.In practice, a goodly percentage of Muslims will participate in the festivities, if asked, or if there is nothing else fun to do, and the festivities provide entertainment.However, many Sunni Muslims do not believe in celebrating any holidays except Ramadhan and the two Eids.  Shia (the 10% minority), however, do have holidays.This was my answer to another question.:But in the Gulf Arab countries (n, as in the U.S., there are usually huge Christmas trees in the malls, and, OF COURSE holiday sales.  No retailer would miss that opportunity!Christmas celebration starts after Halloween or Thanksgiving, except when it conflicts with Muslim holidays.  Then, it starts later.This was the most expensive Christmas tree in the world in 2010And there is usually a Santa in most malls.  Meet Santa at Ski DubaiMany people love to take pictures with Santa:Christians celebrate at church:And, of course, there are school celebrations, Christmas pageants, and Christmas plays.Most Christians will take time off for Christmas Day, and employers won't stop them.  Then, the Muslims and Hindus often decide not to show up for work, either, since they know that Christians won't be coming in. Legally, the employer can deduct this from the employee's pay, but larger employers generally wouldn't do it, and most others wouldn't, either.

Why Muharram festival is celebrated by some Muslims and not by some?

Muharram is not festival to celebrate, It is a first month in Islamic Calender where Muslims like SHIA and BOHRA begin mourning and beating from the first night of Muharram and continue for ten nights, i.e 10th of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashura. The last few days up until and including the Day of Ashura are the most important because these were the days in which Imam Hussein and his family and followers including women, children and elderly people were deprived of water from the 7th onward and on the 10th, Imam Hussain and 72 of his followers were killed mercilessly by the army of Yazid I at the Battle of Karbala on Yazid's orders. The surviving members of Imam Hussein's family and those of his followers were taken captive, marched to Damascus and imprisoned there.SHIA and BOHRA mourns in Muharram as they Believe and Follow Prophet Muhammad’s Son-in-law and his family. Imam Hussain was Grandson Of Prophet Muhammad and was killed brutally in Karbala whereas SUNNI Muslims follow Prophet Muhammad’s companion First,Second and Third Caliph Abu Bakr,Umar and Usman. And Thats the major reason some muslims don’t mourn in Muharram.SHIA Muslims performing MATAM(beating).

Why is celebrating birthdays a sin in Islam but not a death anniversary?

Celebration are culture of wealthy people. Islam is a religion that puts no burden on poor person, but on the contrary poor people benefit from compulsory charity in Islam. We have two festivals, which are Eid. In one Eidul Fitr charity to poor is obligatory even before you go for Eid prayers. In Eid Adha you sacrifice an animal and distribute one third if it among the poor. There are no other festivals or celebration in Islam.There is no Islamic teachings that talks about celebrating death anniversary. It is a biddat , means new thing, which Muslims started practicing in Indian subcontinent under influence of other religions. In Islam it is not permitted to have sorrow for more than 3 days after the death of a loved one. There is no dinner to be hosted for anyone.All these rituals people do are innovations in relgious, mostly under social influence and often taking them as excuse to show their social status. How can it be piety to spend money when your loved one died? What if somebody doesn't have enough money to eat? It's a shame that some people have to sell property to feed people when their loved one dies.The only ocassion in which a Muslim is recommended to hold feast are two: 1) Birth of a boy or girl and 2) A man should give feast when he marries. It is because these are social functions to notify additon to a family.There is no tradition of feast in the part of a girl's father upon her marriage in Islam. Its only obligation is for the man. The girl's father pays nothing, gives no dowry or gift and no feast to anyone.Birthdays are modern day festivals that gained popularity in the middle class. In older times on kings and royals could afford them. Most Muslim scholars discourage them because they become an excuse to show social status. When you invite some kids and don't invite others and you spend money, leaving poor parents worried how they are going to live up to heir children's expectations, you actually do social injustice in my view. I feel for parents who cannot afford birthday celebration for their children. How would these kids feel when they see other kids celebrating but they cannot afford it?The truth is that poor people even don't have enough money to celebrate the main festivals of their religions. So in my view it's morally wrong.You can invite kids to a party and let them eat, have fun etc but when you link it to birthday you create a moral compulsion on others to do the same, like a give and take thing, because it becomes a ritual.