Is it permissible to use the occasion of Arabic new year and offer new yeal discount?

Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi Barakatuh,

Thank you for your important question. In Islam, our commercial activities must be free from elements that contradict Shariah, including imitation of non-Islamic practices (tashabbuh) and innovation (bid'ah) in matters of faith. Below is a detailed response based on Hanafi jurisprudence.

1. Permissibility of Using the Arabic (Islamic) New Year for Discounts

Verdict: Not permissible.

Reasoning:

• The Islamic New Year (1st of Muharram) is not a religious festival or celebration in Islam. The early Muslims (Salaf) did not celebrate it, nor did they treat it as a day of special festivities.
• Using it as an occasion for sales and discounts implies treating it like a festival or celebration, which resembles the practice of non-Muslims who celebrate their new year with commercial activities. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them" (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4031; graded as Sahih by Ibn Hibban).
• According to Hanafi jurists, engaging in practices that are exclusive to non-Muslims and using their occasions for marketing is discouraged (makruh tahrimi) if not outright impermissible, as it leads to the adoption of their customs and weakens Islamic identity.

References:

• Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin): "It is prohibited to imitate the non-believers in their festivals and customs." (Vol. 6, p. 395)
• Fatawa Usmani (Mufti Taqi Usmani): "Promoting any business on the basis of non-Islamic festivals or occasions that are celebrated by non-Muslims is not permissible." (Vol. 2, p. 234)

Note: If you are referring to the Gregorian (Christian) New Year, the ruling is even stricter, as it involves imitating a festival with pagan and Christian origins.

2. Using the Occasion of Ashura for Business Discounts

Verdict: Not permissible.

Reasoning:

• Ashura (10th of Muharram) is a sacred day of ibaadah (worship), particularly fasting. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Fasting on the day of Ashura expiates the sins of the previous year" (Sahih Muslim, 1162).
• It is not a day of celebration, feasting, or commercial festivity. Using it as a marketing tool reduces its religious sanctity and trivializes its spiritual significance.
• Even though it is a blessed day, making it an occasion for discounts would be an innovation (bid’ah) in religion, as this was not done by the Prophet ﷺ or the Companions.

Reference:

• Imdad al-Fatawa (Ashraf Ali Thanwi): "One should not make the sacred months or days a means of worldly business or promotion. Such actions often lead to disrespect and innovation." (Vol. 4, p. 168)

Summary of the Principle

1. General Discounts: Giving discounts or having sales is permissible in principle as long as the goods are halal and the transaction is free from riba (interest), gharar (excessive uncertainty), and deception.
2. Occasion-Based Discounts: They become impermissible if:
   • The occasion is a non-Islamic festival or celebration (e.g., Christmas, Diwali, Gregorian New Year).
   • The occasion is an Islamic sacred day or month, but the discount implies it is a festival of celebration (e.g., "Eid Sale," "Ashura Sale," "Muharram Celebration Offer").
   • The marketing promotes or glorifies a practice that is against Shariah.

Alternative Advice for Business

You can offer general seasonal sales or clearance discounts without linking them to any religious or cultural occasion. For example:

• "End-of-Season Sale"
• "Monthly Discount Offer"
• "Limited-Time Clearance Sale"

Conclusion

• ❌ Using the Arabic New Year for discounts: Not permissible.
• ❌ Using the occasion of Ashura for discounts: Not permissible.

Instead, focus on transparent, ethical business practices that are free from association with non-Islamic customs or the trivialization of sacred Islamic days.

*And Allah knows best.