CELEBRATING THE NEW YEAR

By Dr. Bilal Philips

Origins

January is nam ! a"# r Janus$ #h R%man g%! %" !%%rs an! ga# &ays. H &as '%mm%nly ! pi'# ! in s#a#u s$ 'ar(ings an! pain#ings as a #&% h a! ! man &i#h %n h a! "a'ing "%r&ar! an! #h %#h r h a! "a'ing )a'*&ar!s. In +,BC Julius Ca sar 'h%s January -s# as #h "irs# !ay %" #h N & Y ar as Janus sym)%li'ally r pr s n# ! #h !%%r #% #h N & Y ar. Wil! par#i s an! %rgi s & r h l! %n #h nigh# ) "%r #h N & Y ar.s Day as a r / na'#m n# %" #h 'ha%s &hi'h R%man my#h%l%gy ! pi'# ! as pr ' !ing #h '%sm%s %r #h %r! r ! &%rl! &h%s %rgani0a#i%n &as s # )y #h g%!s. 1ur#h rm%r $ )y #ha# #im $ Janus ha! ) '%m $ in pra'#i' $ #h high s# g%! r ' i(ing #h ri#ual sa'ri"i' s %" R%man &%rshipp rs ) "%r #h %#h r g%!s$ in'lu!ing #h 'hi " g%!$ Jupi# r.2-3

Thus$ in i#s ss n' #h ' l )ra#i%ns %" #h N & Y ar %n January -s#an! N & Y ar.s E( $ #h nigh# ) "%r $ ar a par# an! par' l %" pagan r ligi%us ri#uals )as ! %n i!%la#r%us ) li "s in "als g%!s. C%ns 4u n#ly$ i# is '%mpl # ly Haraam 5sin"ul an! "%r)i!! n6 "%r 7uslims #% par#i'ipa# in %r a!%p# any %" i#s r la# ! ri#uals$ 'us#%ms an! sym)%ls.

I" a n%n/7uslim gr #s a 7uslim$ 8Happy N & Y ar9$ #h 7uslim is n%# all%& ! #% r sp%n! in a similar mann r %r say$ 8:am #% y%u.9 Ins# a!$ in %r! r n%# #% %"" n! %r hur# #h " lings %" n%n/7uslim "ri n!s %r a'4uain#an' s$ %n may say ins# a!$ 8Happy h%li!ay.9

As "%r ' l )ra#ing #h N & Y ar a''%r!ing #% #h Islami' 'al n!ar &hi'h ) gins &i#h #h m%n#h %" 7uharram$ #his is als% n%# p rmissi)l "r%m a num) r %" p rsp '#i( s. 1irs# an! "%r m%s#$ i" %n !% s s% ) li (ing #ha# i# is pl asing #% Allah #% !% s%$ #h r )y #rans"%rming i# in#% an a'# %" &%rship$ i# ) '%m s a Bi!;ah %r 'urs ! inn%(a#i%n in #h r ligi%n a)%u# &hi'h #h Pr%ph # 5p)uh6 sai!$ 8E( ry inn%(a#i%n in r ligi%n is misgui!an' an! all misgui!an' l a!s #% #h H ll"ir .9 I" %n !% s s% m r ly as a 'us#%m$ i# is s#ill imp rmissi)l as i# "alls un! r #h pr%hi)i#i%n %" imi#a#i%n %" pagan 'us#%ms a)%u# &hi'h #h Pr%ph # 5p)uh6 sai!$ 8Wh% ( r imi#a# s a p %pl ) '%m s %n %" #h m.9

2-3 P%p Gr g%ry -<#h &h% s # #h m%! rn 'al n!ar$ #h Gr g%rian 'al n!ar$ als% %""i'ially "i= ! #h "irs# !ay %" #h y ar "%r Chris#ian Eur%p as January -s# in ->?@.