Fatwa #3716915 November 2020India
Is it permissible to accept cakes, sweet dishes on Diwali?
Question
Assalamu alaikum,
I want to know if being a Muslim, can I eat divali cakes that a Hindu friend of mine made herself and came to my house to give?
Jazak Allah Khairan
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Gifts offered by non-muslims during their festivals like Diwali, Christmas are regarded as social customs and are in consideration to the recipient. The offering of gifts of sweets and cakes are not expressions of reverence to the festive itself.
It is permissible for muslims to accept Diwali or Christmas gifts of sweets and cakes on condition there is no Deeni harm in accepting such gifts and the gifts are not haraam. [Imdadul Fatawa 3/481 Maktaba Darul-Uloom Karachi, [Fatawa Mahmoodiya 18/174 Idara Al-Farooq Karachi]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ridwaan Ibn Khalid Esmail {Kasak}
Student Darul Iftaa
Katete, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.