Keep your faith distinct during holidays
“Whoever imitates a people is from them.”
The khutbah argues that Muslims should preserve a distinct religious identity by avoiding participation in non-Muslim religious holidays, while meeting non-Muslims with kindness and creating joyful Islamic celebrations for their families.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Opens with an exhortation to fear Allah and recounts the Prophet’s arrival in Medina.
- Explains how the Prophet replaced the Ansar’s festival days with Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
- Uses imitation hadiths and early Muslim examples to prohibit participation in Christmas, New Year’s, and similar religious celebrations.
- Distinguishes accepting halal gifts or kindness from actively joining another religion’s practices, while urging respectful speech toward non-Muslims.
- Answers objections about fun, intention, extremism, and lack of holidays by presenting Islam as balanced and rich in Eids.
- Calls families to make Fridays and Eid al-Adha joyful and warns against materialism and unexamined customs.
In the khateeb's words
“So as long as what you are being given is halal, your boss gives you some money, somebody opens a door for you, any kind of kindness that is directed towards you, okay, you can accept it as a Muslim.”
“We got 52 Fridays in a year. We got Eid al-Fitr. We got Eid al-Adha. We have the days of Tashrik.”
“We do a lot of things without questioning why, without understanding the meanings behind things.”
For the dinner table
The khutbah teaches that Muslims should keep their religious celebrations distinct and not join Christmas, New Year’s, or other religious holidays. It also draws a line between participating in a celebration and receiving halal kindness or gifts, urging Muslims to remain gentle and make dua for non-Muslims. Families should make Friday, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the days of Tashrik feel genuinely joyful, especially by doing something together. The speaker closes by warning against materialism and following customs without asking what they mean.
- What could make our Friday feel more like a special family Eid?
- How can we be kind to neighbors during their holidays without joining the religious celebration?
- What is one custom we should think about more carefully before following?
More on the Islamic calendar
7:52Dar Alnoor · Manassas, VA · Jul 11, 2026Use summer to grow closer to Allah“This opportunity can make me a great Muslim, a great human being, or it can make me a very bad person, depending on how we use the summer.”
Never miss a salah during this free time.16:04Muslim Neighbour Nexus · Mississauga, ON · Jul 25, 2026Use summer time for what matters
EPIC · Plano, TX · Jul 3, 2026Honor Muharram through fasting and justice“We cannot even enter into Jannah if I have violated someone else's rights.”