Apakah Hukumnya Mengucapkan Selamat Tahun Baru?

It has spread among some Muslims in recent times the greeting of the new year's greetings, so is this greeting a sunnah or a bid'ah? is there an origin or not?

This question was submitted by As-Suyuthi – Rohimahullaah –: passing around the questions that people are used to doing in the form of conveying happy holidays, new year, new moon, country and other things, is there a basis or not? So I put together this piece. 1

It means, this question is conveyed from various ages, and is always asked, and the answer is as follows:

A. Greetings Happy New Year is not sunnah. And none of the scientists argue about the recommendation of this matter. Because this is a matter that is well known that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam did not determine the beginning of the Hijri year, it was only done by his Companions, when they made the Hijri calendar for recording the dates of important matters and agreements, and this was an act of regulation, not worship. .

Shaykh Sholih Al-Fauzan – hafizhahullah- said: we do not know the origin of this, and the Hijri calendar is not the intention for this, making the beginning of the year an event or giving each other congratulations, and at that time there are special greetings, holidays and congratulations .

The hijri calendar is only used to distinguish contracts, as was done by Umar - Rodiyyallaahu 'anhu - when the area of Islamic leadership expanded during his time, so that notebooks came to him without being dated, it is necessary to make a calendar so that letters are known -the letter and the date of writing, then he consulted with his companions, and they suggested starting when the prophet emigrated, then the hijri calendar was started, and they turned away from the Christian calendar, even though the Christian calendar existed in their time.

B. If none of the scholars say happy holidays about the sunnah of the pronunciation, then what about congratulating on a day that is not a holiday, Syaikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyyah -Rohimahullaah- said when answering a question about the law of wishing happy holidays in the context: said Imam Ahmad: I didn't start saying that to anyone, if someone started conveying it to me, I answered, this is because answering the salutation is obligatory, as for starting to say congratulations, it's not a sunnah matter that's ordered, and it's not something that's prohibited, so for those who left it there were predecessors and for those who did there were also predecessors, wallaahu a'lam. 3

C. As-Suyuthi narrated from Abul Hasan Al-Maqdisiy that he was asked about congratulations at the beginning of the month or year, whether this is bid'ah or not? So he replied: that the scholars always differed on this matter, then he said: my opinion is that this may not be sunnah or bid'ah.

D. As-Suyuthi mentioned that Asy-Syarof Al-Ghoziy quoted the words earlier from Al-Maqdisiy in Al-Minhaj's Syarah without adding to these words. 5

E. Al-Qomuuliy conveyed in the book Al-Jawaahir: We have not seen from our friends (teachers) saying that it is permissible to wish happy holidays and new years and months as people do, and I see what is quoted from the faidah of Shaykh Zakiyyuddin Abdul 'Azim Al-Mundziriy that Al-Hafizh Abul Hasan Al-Maqdisiy was asked about the law of congratulating, then he replied; that it is permissible and not a matter of sunnah or heresy.

The above excerpt shows that the problem of pronouncing Happy New Year has existed since the time of Abul Hasan Al-Maqdisiy, who was earlier than Al-Mundziriy, who died in 656 H, who exemplified this opinion from him. And this is the argument for the duration of this problem, but it is certain that it existed after the third century, because it was not known from the salaf, and this strengthens the bid'ah of this matter. 6

F. Al-Lajnah Ad-Daaimah Lil Buhuts Al-'Ilmiyyah wal-Iftaa of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia gave a fatwa: that it is not permissible to give a happy Hijriah new year, because welcoming it is not lawful. 7

G. Al-'Allaah Ibn Baaz -Rohimahullaah- said: wishing you a happy new year, we did not know that this had its origins in the salafus sholih, and I did not know anything from the sunnah and the Koran that shows the syariat. 8

H. Al-'Allaamah Al-Muhaddits Al-Albaaniy -Rohimahullaah- said when asked: “What is the ruling on saying: Kullu 'Aamin wa antum bikhoir (every year and you are in goodness)? So he replied: there is no origin, and it is enough for you to say: Taqobbalallaahu Tho'aatakum (May Allaah accept your good deeds), as for the saying: kullu 'Aamin wa antum bikhoir, this is a greeting of respect for the disbelievers who make us negligent among we are muslims. 9

I. Al-'Allaamah Asy-Syaikh Ibnu Utsaymin -Rohimahullaah- said: "It is not from the sunnah that we hold a holiday because of the new Hijri year or we make it a habit to give congratulations because of the arrival of the new year."

And the excerpts from Asy-Shaykh Muhammad Ibnu Sholih Al-'Utsaymin -Rohimahullah- regarding the greetings of the Hijri New Year are very numerous, which are collected from his words and deeds, and as it is known that everyone's words are put forward from his actions, and sometimes a person is given a warning from a bad deed and he does something different from the warning, or is ordered to do a good deed and he does the good.

Therefore; what is the standard is the words of the expert in knowledge, not his actions, and Shaykh Al-'Allaamah Ibn 'Utsaymin -Rohimahullaah- is among the scholars who are at the conference, and several excerpts from him regarding this issue, including;

He said: verily the words; Kullu 'Aamin wa antum bikhoir may, if it is meant by these words, a prayer with goodness. (15. Almajmu atsamin 226/2) Here he states that it is permissible, and that permissibility does not result in rewards or sins, nor is it hated or recommended. and he also associated the permissibility of this with his words: if meant by these words as a prayer for good, not just congratulations.
He conveyed in one of his fatwas; if someone congratulates you then answer him, and don't start first, this is the most correct in this matter, if someone says to you for example: we wish you a happy new year, then say: may Allah give you goodness, and make the new year this is a year full of goodness and blessings, but don't start telling others, because I don't think it came from the salafs that they used to wish them a happy new year, just know that the salafs don't even make Muharram the start of the new year except on during the leadership of Umar Ibnul Khoththob -Rodiyyallaahu 'anhu-. 10

Here it becomes clear that the Shaykh does not think that it is absolutely permissible to say congratulations but he also does not deny it either, when he says:

a. If someone is congratulated, then he should not deny the person who gave the congratulations, he should even answer with a prayer, such as saying: May Allah make this year a year of glory and help for Muslims, and apart from good prayers. , wallaahu a ' lam ". 11

b. He also said: "I think that there is nothing wrong with starting to wish a happy new year, but this is not something that is prescribed, meaning: that we do not convey to other people: that it is sunnah for you to congratulate each other, but if they do so there is no problem, but he should also wish him a happy new year so that he prays to Allaah for the one being congratulated to have a good and blessed year, then he may respond to the congratulations. This is our opinion in this matter, and this is an ordinary matter, not a matter of worship." 12

c. He also said: "It is not sunnah for people to celebrate because the new Hijri year is coming or to make it a habit to give each other happy new year greetings. 13. And here we conclude that his position from the New Year greeting is as follows:

That it is not sunnah.
That doesn't start congratulating, but doesn't deny the person who started saying.

J. Al-'Allaamah Ash-Shaykh Dr. Sholih Al-Fauzan asked him: "if someone says: Kullu 'Aamin wa antum bikhoir, then are these words made lawful at this time?, he replied: no, it is not prescribed and it is not permissible 229-230. say it." 14

K. Asy-Syaikh Abdul Karim Al-Khudoir said when he was asked about the hijri new year greetings: "Prayer for a Muslim with an absolute prayer that someone does not consider it worship when saying it at certain times such as Eid then it doesn't matter, especially if the intention of the congratulations it creates a feeling of love and reveals happiness and good news in front of a Muslim, Imam Ahmad said; I don't start congratulating someone, if someone starts congratulating me then I will answer, because answering congratulations is obligatory, as for starting to congratulate, it is not a sunnah matter that is ordered, nor is it something that is prohibited. And here must pay attention to things that are limited by him.

Strong opinion (rojih):

The strong is to abandon initiating and replying congratulations because of the following:

Leaving a happy new year's wish is more powerful than doing it; because according to the Shari'a, I didn't even get a single word from the muktabar scholar that he started congratulating, so the strong thing is to leave it for several reasons:

A. That there are no excerpts from sholih salafus and scholars in the golden generation, and if those rights were good then those who would have preceded us would have done them.

B. That the words that allow starting congratulations will eventually make this a holiday that is considered good and habitual by humans. Even though we now criticize those who start congratulating, I am actually worried that there will come a time when those who don't start congratulating will be reproached.

C. Whereas the welcoming and celebration of the beginning of the year resembles that of the Christians in their celebrations when entering the new year AD, 15 and like the Jews who celebrate the Jewish New Year in October which they call Passover, and like the Magi who celebrate the celebration of Nowruz, the beginning of the year of the Magi, and like the Arab polytheists during the Jahiliyyah period, they used to congratulate the king -their king on the first day of the month of Muharram 16. and resemble non-Muslims from followers of the forbidden spiritual religion, even the truth is that non-Muslims follow Muslims who are above the truth.

The Prophet said:We (Muhammad's people) are the last people (to come into the world), but we are the first people (to be judged) on the Day of Judgment. Even though all the people have been given the book before us, while we (were given the book) after them. Then on this day, which is the day that God has set for us, God has given us instructions. And other peoples related to that day are followers, for Jews it is tomorrow, while for Christians it is the day after tomorrow.”. Then what happened so that we become their followers.17

D. That this congratulation is a proof for people who make Independence Day and help and other things as a momentum and celebration. And people who say it's permissible to wish them a happy new year will not be able to argue with them because of their similarity, because the arguments they use as a criterion are also used as evidence against them.
The strength of the opinion does not answer the person who started giving the congratulations, and is strengthened from several sides:

a. Whereas just as it is not permissible to start expressing congratulations so it is also not permissible to reply to the congratulation; and qiyaskannya with greetings then this is qiyas which is not correct, because greetings are sunnah to begin with there is a basis, and answering greetings is obligatory. If we give greetings, we will be obligated to answer! How do we accept Qiyas from one side and reject the other?!!

b. Arguing that it is permissible to answer happy New Year greetings with qiyas answering people who wish happy holidays is qiyas (damaged) facilities, due to several things including:
– That the feast days have been ordained by Allah for His servants.
– There is no history from the hadith of the Prophet Shallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam which shows that it is permissible to wish happy holidays, there are only various excerpts from some of the salaf which conclude: that they did not start congratulating on the holidays for other people. And qiyas must have a syar'iy origin that can be qiyas, and here there is no origin that can be qiyased to say congratulations.
As for the answer to congratulations on the holiday, there are scholars who allow it, because people who give congratulations on the holiday have a basis, and it is a holiday according to the Shari'a. As for the new year, if we make it a holiday ('Eid), then it is a holiday of bid'ah not according to the Shari'a. And if we don't consider it a holiday then why do we give congratulations?
That answering the person who wishes you a happy new year can be a determination of what that person does. Maybe he thinks this is good, he could even criticize people who don't congratulate him and stay away from people who don't answer his congratulations.

Therefore; then we should deny this action, but with gentle, kind, and good advice. Some of the salaf said: if someone congratulates someone then he pretends not to reply and is silent, as I remember some posts on the internet that Al-Imam Al-Muhaddits Muhammad Nashiruddin Al-Albaaniy – Rohimahullaah- when someone calls him , and the person said to him: Kullu 'Aamin wa antum bikhoir, so Shaykh Al-Albaaniy did not answer that person and was silent for a while then still did not answer the person's congratulations.