Brother Malamin,
You have mentioned a very touchy issue.
Example 'Gainteh'- naming ceremony
It is not proper to have all the protocols we do in Gambia and here like the kolaand rice in the water plus the baigneh and food distribution and parties. This is purely a custom and tradition that our forefathers had been doing and it is now amalgamated into the religious practice of a simple 'athan" into to ears of the baby as prescribed by the prophet mentioning the name of the child and his/her religion. A simple process that any one can do even the dad of the child alone.
Question here is
Do we stop it ? if so why & if not why not
I understand your position but sometimes I have a problem with some comflicting hadiths .
We need to draw the fine line and be as peaceful as posible with each other
best regards
Habib
>From: Malamin Johnson <
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>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <
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>To:
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>Subject: Re: Celebrating or Participating in Holidays of the Disbelievers
>Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 16:05:07 +0000
>
>Yus & Mr Ghanim:
>
>In Islam we do not innovate we follow the Holy Qur'an and the sunnah
>of the
>prophet(pbuh). Because we grew up in a society(Gambia) that allowed
>and
>encouraged our participation in non-muslim celebrations and holidays
>doesn't
>make it right. It is okay to live peacefully and be nice to
>non-muslims, but
>not to the extended that we part take in their religious activities.
>There
>are only two days that we celebrate in Islam: the two Eids. Muslims
>have a
>new year, and when it comes we do not celebrate it we just make
>dua'.
>
>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."
>I lifted the above hadith from the article you responded to.
>
>Mr Ghanim you have not offended me at all. You are just responding
>to an
>article I forwarded. Maybe we can learn a thing or two from each
>other.
>
>Take care,
>MJohnson
>
>
>
>
>
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