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What is the ruling on giving a Christian person a gift on their birthday with the intention of showing friendliness and respect, not as a congratulation for the holiday?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Originally, it is permissible to give a gift to a disbeliever, especially if it is intended to soften their heart towards Islam. However, giving a gift specifically for Christmas is not permissible. If the timing of the gift happens to coincide with the recipient's birthday unintentionally, and it is not understood that it is due to their birthday, then there is no objection. Nonetheless, it is preferable to delay or advance it. It is obligatory to harbor hatred towards the disbeliever for their disbelief, for the sake of Allah, while still treating them with kindness and justice.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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