How should we respond to the Christians or non-Muslims in general if they congratulate us on our festivals? If one of them says to us “Kull sanah wa anta tayyib [lit. ‘Every year may you be well’ – a traditional greeting on Eid]”, how should we respond to him? Is it permissible for us to respond to him in kind? Also, some of them congratulate us on other occasions, such as promotion, achieving some success, getting married, and the like, so they say to us, “Congratulations on your promotion/success/marriage” and so on. What should we say to them?
Praise be to Allah
The response to a greeting should be similar to it or better than it. Is it not the case that if the People of the Book greet us by saying “As-salaamu ‘alaykum (peace be upon you),” we should respond by saying “Wa ‘alaykum (and also upon you)”?
The response to a greeting should be similar to it or better than it. Is it not the case that if the People of the Book greet us by saying “As-salaamu ‘alaykum (peace be upon you),” we should respond by saying “Wa ‘alaykum (and also upon you)”?
This means that we are praying for wellbeing for
them, and what may be understood from that is that it is permissible to pray
for worldly benefit for a disbeliever, so long as he is not openly hostile
towards the Muslims.
This is in accordance with the verse in which
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet
[in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner].
Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant”
[an-Nisa’ 4:86].
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It should be understood that it is not permissible
to pray for forgiveness for him and the like, which is not appropriate in the
case of the disbeliever. But it is permissible to pray for his guidance, good
health, well-being and so on.
End quote from al-Adhkaar (p. 317).
He also said:
Abu Sa‘d al-Mutawalli (one of the senior Shaafi‘i
scholars, who died in 478 AH) said: If he wants to greet a dhimmi (non-Muslim
living under Muslim rule) he should do so without saying as-salaamu ‘alaykum,
such as saying “May Allah guide you” or “Good morning.”
I say: There is nothing wrong with what Abu Sa‘d
said if there is a need for that. So he may say “Good morning” or say something
to wish him happiness or wellbeing, or wish him a joyful morning.
And Allah knows best.
End quote from al-Adhkaar (p. 245)
See also the answer to question no. 43154.
Based on that, if a Jew or Christian says in his
greeting “Kull sanah wa anta tayyib (every year may you be well)”, it seems
that there is nothing wrong with responding in kind, such as saying, “Wa anta tayyib
(lit. ‘and may you also be well’ – the traditional response to the greeting)
and so on.
Moreover, in that regard the best thing is for the
one who responds to intend thereby to pray that he be guided and attain the
best state by giving up what he is following of false religion and by entering
the religion of Allah.
Abu Dawood (5038) and at-Tirmidhi (2739) narrated
that Abu Moosa said: The Jews used to (pretend to) sneeze in the presence of
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) hoping that he would say
to them, “Yarhamukum Allah (may Allah have mercy on you,” but he used to say:
“Yahdeekum Allahu wa yuslihu baalakum (may Allah guide you and set your affairs
straight.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel
(1277).
Ibn ‘Allaan (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
What appears to be the case is that they would
pretend to sneeze by making a sound similar to sneezing, or they would make
themselves sneeze by leaving their heads uncovered. They would do this in the
presence of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the hope
that he would say to them “May Allah have mercy on you”, so that the blessing
of his supplication would come to them, for in their hearts they knew that he
was a Prophet and Messenger, even though outwardly they denied it out of envy
and stubbornness.
“but he used to say” out of graciousness, and so as
not to deprive them of the blessing of his presence and of sitting before him,
“May Allah guide you” that is, may He cause you to follow the path of
guidance, for if it be His will to cause you to be guided, you will believe and
be guided.
“and set your affairs straight” i.e., with regard
to that which was of concern to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), namely religious matters, by guiding them to Islam, making it
fair-seeming to them, and enabling them to embrace it.
End quote from Daleel al-Faaliheen (6/361). See
also: Fath al-Baari by Ibn Hajar (10/604).
Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The
author of al-Muheet, who was a Hanafi, said: If he intends in his heart to pray
that Allah grant (the disbeliever) long life in the hope that he might become
Muslim, there is nothing wrong with that. And if he says to a dhimmi “May Allah
guide you”, that is good.
Ibraaheem al-Harbi said: Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked
whether a Muslim man may say to a Christian man, “May Allah honour you.” He
said: Yes, he may say “May Allah honour you”, meaning: with Islam.
Similar to that is what was mentioned above about
praying for him to have a long life, and that it is like praying for him to be
guided.
End quote from al-Aadaab ash-Shar‘iyyah wa’l-Minah
al-Mar‘iyyah (1/368).
Conclusion:
There is nothing wrong with responding when a
non-Muslim greets a Muslim at Eid or on any other occasion, by wishing him well
and praying for him in an appropriate manner that is equivalent to his
greeting. So one may say to him, “May Allah help you” or “May Allah honour you”
and the like, and if the intention is to pray that Allah bless him and guide
him to Islam, then that is more appropriate and better.
And Allah knows best.
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