FatwaFederal TerritoriesSocial & Contemporary Issues
BAYAN LINNAS SIRI KE-48: ISLAM DAN TAHUN BARU CINA
What is the ruling on Muslims celebrating or giving greetings on Chinese New Year?
Short answer
Chinese New Year is treated as a customary celebration based on the Chinese lunar calendar, unrelated to matters of faith.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Bayan Linnas
- Topic
- Social & Contemporary Issues
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Chinese New Year is treated as a customary celebration based on the Chinese lunar calendar, unrelated to matters of faith. The National Fatwa Committee ruled that actions involving belief, such as recognising other religions or regarding all religions as equal, are forbidden. Actions done purely for social relations and unity are permitted. Sending greetings is permissible provided they do not recognise, praise or honour a non-Islamic religion and use no religious symbols.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Memberi ucapan tahniah dan selamat atau mengirimkan ucapan melalui kad atau alat-alat telekomunikasi seperti e-mail atau sistem pesanan ringkas (sms) dan sebagainya kepada orang bukan Islam sempena dengan perayaan agama mereka adalah harus
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “BAYAN LINNAS SIRI KE-48: ISLAM DAN TAHUN BARU CINA”, 11 February 2016. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/bayan-linnas/1829-bayan-linnas-siri-48-hukum-menyambut-tahun-baru-cina. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-muslims-celebrating-chinese-new-year/