Can Muslims celebrate Islamic New Year? Can a person wish Happy Islamic New Year or can we respond to someone if he wishes us Islamic Happy New Year? Let’s discuss in this post.

Can Muslims celebrate Islamic New Year?

Sheikh Muhammad Saleh ibn Uthaymeen replied that if someone wishes you Happy Islamic New Year, you can respond back. but you should not initiate this greeting. if someone wishes you a happy Islamic new year, you can wish them back by saying “May Allah bless you and give you good in this new year”. there’s no problem. but you should not initiate this greeting, because according to him, we find that the salaf e salahin, the sahabas, the tabi’in, the tabi’-al-tabi’in, we never find in any of the Hadith or any historical record that the salaf e salahin ever wished anyone a happy Islamic New Year. so this is not the Sunnah of the prophet. it is not among the Islamic greetings. but if someone wishes you, it is your duty to respond because Allah says in the Quran in Surah Nisa, chapter number four, verse number 86 Allah says,

وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍۢ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا

“And when you are greeted, respond with a better greeting or at least similarly. Surely Allah is a ˹vigilant˺ Reckoner of all things.”

which means that if anyone greets you courteously, you have to wish back more courteously or at least the same way.
for Allah is careful in keeping all the accounts. that means it is further if someone wishes you assalamualaikum, you have to wish back more courteously or at least the same way. it is compulsory. so that’s the reason based on this verse of the Quran if someone wishes you a happy Islamic New Year in the beginning of Muharram the, beginning of this calendar, you have to respond back better or at least the same. wish him back “Happy Islamic New Year” or wish him back “May Allah bless you or bring you good in this year”. but to initiate or say it yourself, it is not amongst the Sunnah. and if someone wishes you, or initiates, it is not amongst the Sunnah, neither is it forbidden. so this is the ruling as far as wishing.

And Allah knows best.

Now you know whether Can Muslims celebrate Islamic New Year. Read more Islamic Blogs or Follow us on social media for daily Islamic reminders.