I think I have read some restrictions on seafood like crab, shrimp but
please correct me if I am wrong.  I know fish is allowed but there are some
other types of seafood which may not be permissible.  Let me know if I am
wrong on that.
Thank you,
Halima S.

-----Original Message-----
From: Habib Ghanim [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2002 11:19 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Celebrating or Participating in Holidays of the Disbelievers



Mr Mbooj,

Muslims men are allowed to marry Christian or Jewish women  ( Hindus
,Buddists or idol worshipers excluded) Muslim women are allowed to marry
only muslim men ( or any man who says the Shahada - believes in One God and
all his prophets- )

As far as food is concerned it is preferable we eat from Jews (first choice)
whose Kosher laws & practises  are closer to ours (exceptions are alcohol
-some modern distorted latter day Jews drink the forbidden liquid and use it
on their foods) and even Christians provided there is no pork or alcohol (
we must invoke bismillah to our selves before eating the food) This practice
is allowed especially when invited by our Christian friends or neighbours or
family. Always ask politely about the contents of the food and let your
friends know of the religious requirements  of not eating pork or drinking
alcohol. If they are unsure they it is best to avoid the main dish and eat
may be fruits/salads ( if available ) and drink water only. It is important
to be polite and respect them .

What brother Malamin is probably  refering to is the RITUALS only .( correct
me if I am wrong)

I hope that answers some of your questions.

Lastly, There are some other ways to avoid this issue . Remember it is
always safe to eat FISH ,so ask or tell them that you would like to eat fish
if available. We can eat all sea food.



Habib



>From: ALAN MBOOJ
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Celebrating or Participating in Holidays of the Disbelievers
>Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:59:01 -0800
>
>malamin,
>What does islam have to say about the treatment of one's neighbours?
>One has to be very careful and refer to the Quraan and Hadiith. Afterall
each
>and everyone of us is human. What was the relationship of the
prophet(SAW)and
>his non-muslim neighbours in Madinah? Are the people of the book
disbelievers
>in the sense being inferred? Cant we marry Christians and Jews? Can't we
eat
>their food (meat etc.)?
>
>
>--- Malamin Johnson wrote:
> > Celebrating or Participating in Holidays of the Disbelievers
> > Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo
> > Al-Jumuah Magazine, Vol. 9 Issue 2 Vol. 9 Issue 2
> >
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
> >
> > Is it permissible for Muslims to celebrate or participate in holidays
such
> > as Halloween, birthdays, and Christmas functions?
> >
> > Answer (By J. Zarabozo)
> >
> > The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) made it very clear that in
Islam
> > there are two festivals or holidays. These are the Eid festivals. The
> > celebrations and holidays of a people are from among the actions that
most
> > distinguish one people from another. In a Hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud, the

> > Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Whoever
imitates
> > (or resembles) a people is one of them." Therefore, it is not allowed
for
> > Muslims to participate in the holidays or celebrations of the
non-Muslims.
> >
> > Shaikh al-Islam ibn Taimiya wrote in Iqtidha al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem
(vol.1,
> > p.470), "There are a number of points that must be considered when
> > discussing (the non-Muslims') festivals and holidays. First, festivals
and
> > holidays are from the wide range of laws, ways, and rites that Allah
> > (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) describes in the verse, "For every nation We have
> > established rites that they follow," such as facing the Qiblah, prayer
and
> > fasting. There is no difference between joining them in their festivals
and
> > joining them in their other rites. Agreeing to their holiday is agreeing
to
> > infidelity (Kufr), and agreeing to some minor aspects (of their
religion) is
> > like agreeing to a branch of infidelity. In fact, the holidays and
festivals
> > are one of the major items that distinguishes their customs and laws,
and
> > are one of the most obvious of their rites. Agreeing to it is agreeing
to
> > one of the most specific of the acts of infidelity and one of the most
> > blazon of their rituals. There is no doubt that agreeing to or being in
> > accord with something of that nature can only lead to apostasy, in
general,
> > given its conditions"
> >
> > Indeed, beyond that, the scholars have even stated that it is not
allowed
> > for Muslims to congratulate the non-Muslims on their holidays or
festivals.
> > Ibn al-Qayyim in Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimma (vol. 1, p. 205) writes, "Giving
> > congratulations on the special events that are specific to the
disbelievers,
> > such as congratulating them on their holidays by saying, "Blessed
holiday
> > for you" or other similar greetings, is considered forbidden by the
> > agreement of the scholars. Even if the one who states it is free from
any
> > aspect of apostasy, it is still a forbidden act and it is the same as
> > congratulating them upon their prostrations to the crucifix. In fact,
that
> > is one of the greatest sins in Allah's (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) sight. That
is a
> > greater sin than congratulating them for drinking wine, having illegal
> > sexual intercourse and so on. Many of them who are not very religious do

> > such things and they do not know how evil what they are doing really is.

> > Whoever congratulates another human for any sin, heresy, or act of
apostasy
> > has exposed himself to the punishment and anger of Allah (Subhaanu wa
> > ta'ala). The pious people from the early scholars would avoid
congratulating
> > the oppressors when they received positions of authority or the ignorant

> > when they were given judicial or teaching positions in order to avoid
the
> > punishment of Allah (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) and falling from His Grace. If
a
> > person would be compelled to go to such people to repel any evil that he

> > expected from him, only to speak well to him and to ask Allah (Subhaanu
wa
> > ta'ala) to guide him, there is nothing wrong with that."
> >
> > Ibn al-Qayyim has included a beneficial section mentioning the opinions
of
> > the scholars concerning this matter (Ahkam Ahl al-Dhikmma, vol. 2, p.
722).
> > It shall be reproduced here with some abridgment: "In the same way that
is
> > not allowed for them to publicly (celebrate their holidays), it is not
> > allowed for the Muslims to assist them for the holidays or to help them
or
> > to attend (their ceremonies) with them according to the agreement of the

> > people of knowledge. In fact, the jurists who follow the four legal
schools
> > have made this clear in their books. Abu al-Qasim al-Tabari wrote, "It
is
> > not allowed for Muslims to attend their (the disbelievers') holidays and

> > festivals because they are a type of evil falsehood. If the people of
good
> > mix with the people of evil without putting an end to what they are
doing
> > then they become like those who are pleased and influenced by the evil.
And
> > we fear falling into Allah's (Subhaanu wa ta'ala) anger because of their

> > gathering."
> >
> > Then he stated relying on Abu Hatim's narration, that Amir ibn Murra
said
> > about the verse, "Those who do not witness falsehood," that "they do not

> > assist the pope of idolatry in their idolatry nor do they associate with

> > them." And al-Baihaqi recorded with a Sahih chain that Umar ibn
al-Khattab
> > said, "Do not learn the lingo of the foreigners and do not enter the
> > polytheists' churches on the days of their holidays for (Allah's) anger
> > descends upon them." And he also recorded with a Sahih chain that
Abdullah
> > ibn Umar stated, "Whoever stays in the lands of the foreigners and
> > celebrates their New Year's Days (of the festivals of the disbelievers)
and
> > behaves like them until he dies, he shall be resurrected with them on
the
> > Day of Resurrection." And ibn al-Qayyim said, "Ibn al-Qasim disliked for
a
> > Muslim to give a Christian a present during his (the Christian's)
holiday;
> > he considered this action as honoring his (the Christian's) holiday and
> > assisting him in disbelief. In the same way, it is forbidden for Muslims
to
> > sell Christians anything they may use in their holidays of meat, blood,
or
> > clothing, nor should he loan him an animal to ride on, nor help him with

> > anything concerning his festival because all of that would be a way of
> > dignifying their idolatry and helping them in their Kufr. It is a must
for
> > the rulers to prevent Muslims from doing such deeds. This is the opinion
of
> > Malik and others. And I do not know of any difference of opinion
concerning
> > this matter." These are his words from al-Wadhiha. And in the books of
the
> > students of Abu Hanifa it states, "Whoever gives them a present, during
> > their holidays, of a watermelon, meaning by that to honor their holiday
has
> > committed act of Kufr (apostasy)."
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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