Celebrating Christmas?
From Al-Haramain Homepage
Wait Before You Prepare
DEAR!
The festival season is almost at hand. You have to clean the
house and give it a new coat of paint. You have to buy new
clothes for the family and yourself. You have to bring a
Christmas tree and decorate it with red, green and silver paper
and colored bulbs.
You have to buy gifts for your loved ones, for it is the
tradition. You have to arrange your dining table with delicious
food. O! Yeah. Your dining table is incomplete without a chunk
of pork.
So, you have to find out whether you can arrange for that as
well….”
NOW WAIT FOR A MOMENT.
We know you are very busy in making all these last minute
arrangements.
But, did you at any time question yourself about the basis of
your belief and its related celebrations?
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Humanity!
It was a common saying by the Christians that when the month
ends with the word “ber” i.e. September then, accordingly
“Christmas is just around the corner “.
Christmas is one of the most celebrated festivals in the
Christian world today .So it is in this spirit that the
following three important points are being presented:
Firstly, the notion that Jesus was born on the
25th of December. If the Gregorian Calendar serves as a strong
support to prove that the date of the birth of Jesus Christ
(peace be upon him) is in fact 25th of December, then this is a
grave error simply because the calendar itself is based on the
Roman Julian Calendar which is pagan in essence.
Considering the monthly names of the Calendar, one will find
that most of these are named in honor of a pagan god, if not
Roman Ruler like the following:
- January is named after Roman god Janus.
- February comes from the Latin word Februa, meaning
purification, because the Roman feast of purification was
held on the 15th day of the second month.
- March of course owes its name to Mars, the god of war.
- May take its name from Maia, the goddess of growth or
increase.
- June, July and August honor pagan Roman personalities.
Likewise, the 25th of December is also a pagan
celebrated day, because they believe that this is the birthday
of Mithra, the Roman sun god.
Another demi-god of the pagans, Dionysius or
Bacchus of Greece was termed The Only Begotten Son of Jupiter -
he was born of a virgin mother named Demeter on December 25th.
His followers regarded him as their Redeemer and Savior.
The similarities are too remarkable to be merely
coincidental. The movement of the Sun starting its return
journey northwards about the 25th of December, depicting birth
could be used to create myths and legends which in due course
came to be adopted by the Christian Church.
Secondly, a grave error concerning the customs
practiced by all Christians is their belief about a jolly man
with a long beard dressed in red known as Santa Claus, going
around giving gifts. Here is a character who is said to have
come from the North Pole and in one night he is able to
personally distribute gifts all over the world.
Many parents tell their children that if they behave well,
if they be good, Santa Claus will reward them with a gift. In
fact it is a myth that all Christians know, yet believe in it.
None of them expect a real Santa.
Nowadays, trips are organized by some Tour Operators to
search for the real Santa in Lapland and it is a new way to
make money.
Lastly, Christmas is only a great month-long
business activity, as the business community at this time goes
to extremes inducing people to spend their year’s earnings
foolishly in a few days. Moreover, at such a time, crime rates
increase - this is the month in which more alcohol is consumed
with the excuse of celebrating and of course, the more people
drink, the greater is the propensity to commit anti-social
acts.
“A PIECE OF ADVICE” IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO
FOLLOW THE BELIEFS OF YOUR PARENTS AND THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE.
YOU SHOULD STAND FOR RIGHT AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT. YOU NEED NOT
BE AFRAID OF WHAT PEOPLE WILL SAY THEY WILL NOT BE QUESTIONED
FOR YOUR DEEDS, AFTER ALL, “THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE
RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE UPON HIMSELF, AND THE WICKEDNESS OF THE
WICKED SHALL BE UPON HIMSELF” (QUR’AN&BIBLE).
To a Muslim living in the West, the Christmas Holiday
period is one of the most stressful times because of the
differences in our attitudes towards holidays and celebrations
from the status quo there. Even here in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, there can be misunderstandings on these issues with our
Christian colleagues. The following essay is my personal
attempt to bridge this gap to promote understanding of the
Islamic perspective on this topic. In addition to the Yusuf Ali
translation of the Holy Qur’an, I have used two contemporary
electronic encyclopedias as sources of material: namely,
Compton’s Family Encyclopedia - 1991 edition (Britannica
Software) and Microsoft Bookshelf, 1991 Edition (Microsoft)
both available on CD ROM.
The word Christmas comes from the Old English term Cristes
maesse, meaning “Christ’s mass.” This was the name for the
festival service of worship held on December 25 to commemorate
the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him). There is no certain
information on the date of his birth, not even on the year. One
reason for this uncertainty is that the stories of his birth,
recorded in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke, were
written several decades after the event. Those who wrote it
gave no specific dates for the events they mentioned.
For several centuries the Christian Church itself paid
little attention to the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It ranked
after Easter, Pentecost, and Epiphany in liturgical importance.
The major Christian festival was Easter, the day of Jesus’
purported resurrection. Only gradually, as the church developed
a calendar to commemorate the major events of the life of Jesus
(pbuh), did the celebration of his birth become significant.
Because there was no knowledge about the date of his birth,
a day had to be selected. The Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern
Rite Churches within the Roman Catholic Church chose January 6.
The day was named Epiphany, meaning “appearance,” i.e. the day
of Jesus’ manifestation. The Western Church, based in Rome,
chose December 25. It is known from a notice in an ancient
Roman almanac that Christmas was celebrated on December 25 in
Rome as early as AD 336.
In the latter half of the 4th century, the Eastern and
Western Churches adopted each other’s festival, thus
establishing the modern Christian 12-day celebration from
Christmas to Epiphany. In some places the 12th day is called
the festival of the three kings because it is believed that the
three wise men, or magi, visited the baby Jesus on that day,
bringing him gifts.
Today Christmas is more than a one-day celebration or a
12-day festival. It is a part of a lengthy holiday season
embracing at least the whole month of December. In the United
States, the holiday season begins on Thanksgiving Day and ends
on January 1, New Year’s Day, a period of about five weeks.
Actually, it is also an essential part of the business cycle,
definitely the month comprising important retail period of the
year.
Gift giving is one of the oldest customs associated with
Christmas: It is actually older than the holiday itself. When
the date of Christmas was set to fall in December, it was done
at least in part to compete with ancient pagan festivals that
occurred about the same time. The Romans, for example,
celebrated the Satumalia on December 17. It was a winter feast
of merry-making and gift exchanging. Two weeks later, on the
Roman New Year - January 1, houses were decorated with greenery
and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. As
the Germanic tribes of Europe accepted Christianity and began
to celebrate Christmas, they also gave gifts.
Ancient, pre-Christian winter festivals used greenery,
lights and fires to symbolize life and warmth in the midst of
cold and darkness. The use of evergreens and wreaths as symbols
of life was an ancient custom of the Egyptians, Chinese and
Hebrews, among other peoples. Tree worship was a common feature
of religion among the Tectonic and Scandinavian peoples of
northern Europe before their conversion to Christianity. They
decorated houses and barns with evergreens on New Year’s Day to
scare away demons, and they often set up trees for the birds in
winter. For these northern Europeans, this winter celebration
was the happiest time of the year because it signified that the
shortest day of the year - about December 21 had passed. They
knew the days would get longer and brighter. The month during
which this festival took place was named YOL, from which the
word Yule is derived. In fact, Yule has come to mean Christmas
in some countries.
Thus, many Christians do not realize that much of the
celebration of Christmas is actually of pagan origin. The
Romans celebrated the Feast of the Invincible Sun on December
25. The early church fathers elected to celebrate the birth of
Jesus (pbuh) on this date, although there was no particular
reason to choose this one. In fact, many Christian scholars
contend that Jesus (pbuh) was actually born on summer. This is
consistent with the Qur’anic account that follows because there
is a specific mention of ripe dates falling to Mary (may Allah
be pleased with Her) in the - Qur’an Chapter 19: Verse 25 as
we quote: “And shake the trunk of date-palm towards you, it
will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you.”
A common theme to many Christian holidays is their actual
pagan origin. It seems that the early church elders elected to
keep many of the celebrations already in practice and redefine
them in Christian terms, rationalizing them as a celebration of
some aspect of their dogma on the life of Jesus (pbuh).
Nowadays, few may remember the reasons for the various customs
that they practice.
The fundamental issue for Muslims everywhere is whether or
not to celebrate Christmas. Their Christian colleagues may
stress the secular aspects of the holiday and need to comply
with social customs in order to advance in society there. Many
times I have been told to forget Christmas as a religious
holiday and just consider it as a social occasion. Especially
in the United States, in many businesses it is customary to
have a big party for employees at this time. Failure to
participate makes oneself an object of ostracism. One needs to
climb the social ladder to optimize one’s chances for
promotion, etc. and it is difficult to resist the pressure to
conform.
Unfortunately, many Westerners feel that we Muslims should
celebrate Christmas. They cite the example of many other
non-Christians doing so, including many Jews, Hindus, etc. who
join the merrymaking. They find it frustrating that many of us
Muslims will not comply and yield to the social pressure. It is
regretful that they do not apply the same standard to
themselves. They don’t expect us to pressure them to celebrate
our holidays nor do we Muslims put such pressure on them. After
all, we Muslims must follow the Qur’anic verse 2:256 “Let there
be no compulsion in religion…” Yet, some feel that it is their
duty to try to force their celebrations on us. In fact I
recently heard from some of them who consider it an insult that
we are not celebrating it. However, I ask them. “Did Jesus (pbuh)
or any of the other prophets celebrate their birthdays?” On
what authority do they do it now?
Of course, there is also the problem of the children. They
are bombarded with numerous advertisements for the toys and are
essentially brainwashed so that they should expect something
“under the tree” on Christmas Day. One must admit that the
brightly lit, multicolored Christmas tree is an attractive
sight, one made even more tempting when underneath it there are
numerous wrapped presents (and ostensibly toys for the
children).
To us Muslims, each and every thing we do is a part of our
worship of the One, Supreme God - nothing is excluded. We do
not make any distinction between the secular and the religious.
Actually, the English term religion does not convey the
all-encompassing nature of the Arabic term Deen. We might be
branded as “Fundamentalists” but is there anything else more
basic (or “fundamental”) than applying our absolute moral code
too consistently to everything we do? Isn’t that the highest
standard?
The basis of our moral code is the Qur’an, the only intact
Revelation and the strict authenticated observation of those
who observed the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), known as the Hadeeth.
In other words, we Muslims follow the example of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) upon which we base our daily life practices.
Strictly speaking, for Muslims there are two holidays, the
two Eids. Namely Eid ul Fitr - the festival of fast-breaking
immediately after the end of Ramadhan - and Eid ul Adha - the
festival of sacrifice during the major pilgrimage time. I
emphasize that we do not celebrate birthdays (despite all the
Western conventions to the contrary) - not even the birth of
any of the prophets, including Muhammad (peace be upon them
all).
Muslims hold Jesus (pbuh) in great respect as one of the
mightiest prophets. However, they do not celebrate his birth or
the birth of any other of the prophets. Although it may seem
intolerant to Christians that Muslims do not celebrate or wish
them well on their Christmas holiday, it is out of respect to
Jesus (pbuh) that we refuse to participate in its practices. We
cannot condone practices that in our view misrepresent Jesus (pbuh)
and help make him the focus of worship as a god figure. In
addition, the above evidence has shown that many of these
practices have no relationship whatsoever to Jesus (pbuh) and
instead have pagan origins.
We ask! Do we need to celebrate the winter solstice? Are we
afraid that the sun will not come back to us in this cold, dark
wintry period? Are the pagan customs of gift giving or the
symbols of renewal (such as the evergreens) a necessary
reminder for us that spring will come again? Is the materialism
so evident in the West at this season something worthy of
emulation?
The Qur’an tells us Muslims what we should celebrate:
Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate
(constantly) the praises of thy Lord before the rising of the
sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of
the hours of the night, and at the sides of the day: that thou
mayest have (spiritual) joy. Chapter 20 : Verse 130.
Nor strain thine eyes in longing for the things We have
given for enjoyment to parties of them, the splendor of the
life of this world, through which We test them: but the
provision of thy Lord is better and more enduring. Chapter
20:Verse 131.
Celebrating Christmas?
To us Muslims, Jesus is one of a series of
Prophets (25 of whom are mentioned specifically in the Qur’an
with the final one or seal of them being Muhammad [pbuh]. These
prophets or messengers were sent to specific peoples with the
exemption of Muhammad whose message was the final one to all
mankind comprising moral guidance or revelation. Jesus was one
such messenger sent down to a particular people, the Jews.
Unfortunately, with the exception of the Qur’an, none of these
previous messages were preserved intact. More specifically, we do
not have the gospel or Injeel according to Jesus: Rather, we have
a series of writings, most of which were fabricated after the
passing of Jesus and principally influenced by Paul. Many
Christian scholars themselves would concede that these writings
are historically of questionable accuracy and do not represent
the views of the early adherents of Jesus. In contrast, the Final
Revelation, the Qur’an, is precisely preserved and consists only
of the original Arabic text. Unlike the Christian Bibles (and I
emphasize the plurality of versions and differences between
them), there are no revisions nor are there versions in other
languages of the Qur’an. Simply put, all Muslims have the same
original Arabic text as the Qur’an.
When I was the Director of Da’wah (religious
propagation) activities at one of the Islamic centers in Chicago,
I had the opportunity of meeting with many visitors to our
center, including missionary students from the nearby Billy
Graham headquarters in Wheaton, Illinois. Once, one of their
students asked one of the Muslims who had come to Friday prayer,
“Do you accept the true teachings of Jesus?” His reply (as all
knowledgeable Muslims must answer) was “definitely.” The student
then asked. “Then you accepted that he died for your sins?” The
Muslim replied, “Of course not!!” He was not trying to ridicule
or goad the student on. Rather, he was showing respect to the
person of Jesus (pbuh) as we know him from the Qur’an itself.
This can be very frustrating to the Christian since he may not be
aware of the Islamic perspective on the life and role of Jesus.
I want to emphasize that Muslims deeply respect
Jesus (pbuh) and hold him in high esteem. The following are
excerpts from the Qur’anic verses or Ayaat regarding Mary, the
mother of Jesus (May Allah be pleased with her) and Jesus (pbuh),
from the Yusuf Ali translation.
From the chapter (Surah ) Al-Eimran (The Family
of Eimran):
* Behold! The angels said: “O Mary! God hath
chosen thee and purified thee; chosen thee above the women of all
nations. * O Mary! Worship thy Lord devoutly; prostrate thyself,
and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down. * This is part
of the tidings unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O Apostle!) by
inspiration; thou wast not with them when they cast lots with
arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of
Mary; nor was thou with them when they disputed (the point). *
Behold! The angels said “O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of
a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary,
held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the
company of ) those nearest to God. * He shall speak to the people
in childhood and in maturity, and he shall be (of the company) of
the righteous. * She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son
when no man hath touched me?” He said: “Even so: God createth
what He willeth; when He hath decreed a plan, he but saith to it
“Be”, and it is! * And God will teach him the Book and Wisdom,
the Law and the Gospel. * And (appoint him) an Apostle to the
Children of Israel, (with this message): I have come to you, with
a sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it
were, the figure of a bird, and breath into it, and it becomes a
bird by God’s leave; and I heal those born blind, and the lepers,
and I quicken dead, by God’s leave; and I declare to you what ye
eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a sign
for you if ye did believe. * (I have come to you), to attest the
Law which was before me, and to make lawful to your part of what
was (before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign
from your Lord. So fear God, and obey me. * It is God who is my
Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is the way that is
straight. ?52? When Jesus found unbelief on their part he said:
“Who will be my helpers to (the work of) God?” said the
Disciples. “We are God’s helpers, we believe in God, and do thou
bear witness that we are Muslim. * Our Lord! We believe in what
thou hast revealed, and we follow the Apostle; then write us down
among those who witness.” * And (then unbelievers) plotted and
planned, and God too planned, and the best of planners is God. *
Behold! God said: “O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to
Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme:
I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject
Faith, to the Day of Resurrection; then shall ye all return unto
Me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye
dispute. * As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with
terrible agony in this world, and in the Hereafter, nor will they
have anyone to help. * As to those who believe and work
righteousness, God will pay them (in full) their reward; but God
loveth not those who do wrong. * This is what We rehearse unto
thee of the Signs and the Message of the Wisdom. * The similitude
of Jesus before God is as that of Adam: That He created him from
dust, then said to him: “Be”, and he was. * The truth (comes)
from God alone; so be not of those who doubt. Chapter 3: Verse
42-60.
The same topic is also addressed by the
following verse in the Chapter (Surah) Maryam as rendered by
Yususf Ali:
* “Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when
she withdrew from her family to a place in the East * She placed
a screen (to screen herself from them: then We sent to her Our
angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. She
said: * I seek refuge from thee in (God) Most Gracious; (come not
near) if thou dost fear God. * He said: “Nay, I am only messenger
from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son. *
She said: “How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched
me, and I am not unchaste? * He said; so (it will be): thy Lord
saith, That is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a
Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us! It is a matter (so) decreed.”
* So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote
place. * And the pains of child birth drove her to the trunk of
a palm - tree: she cried (in her anguish): “Ah! Would that I had
died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out
of sight!” * But (a voice) cried to her from beneath (the
palm-tree): “Grieve not! For thy Lord hath provided a rivulet
beneath thee; * And shake towards thyself the trunk of the
palm-tree: it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. * So eat
and drink and cool (thine) eye. And if you dost see any man, Say,
‘I have vowed a fast to (God) Most Gracious, and this day I enter
not into talk with any human being. * At length she brought the
(babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: “O
Mary! Truly an amazing thing hast thou brought! * O sister of
Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman
unchaste! * But she pointed to the babe. * They said: “How can we
talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” * He said: “I am
indeed a servant of God: he hath given me revelation and made me
prophet: * And He hath made me Blessed wheresoever I be, and hath
enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. * (He) hath
made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable. * So
Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the
Day that I shall be raised up to life (again)”! * Such (was)
Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which
they (vainly) dispute. * It is not befitting to (the majesty of )
God that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He
determines a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is. Chapter
19: Verses 16 - 35.
Thus, you can see that we Muslims hold Jesus (pbuh)
and his mother Mary (May Allah be pleased with her) in highest
regard. There is nothing disparaging in this Revelation about
them. (It is indeed unfortunate that a similar degree of respect
is often not shown towards Muslims and the final Prophet Muhammad
[pbuh]). Since Muslims respect them so highly, they naturally do
not want to perform any acts, which misrepresent them or their
purpose or past life. The Christian beliefs have distorted their
role and persons. Thus, we as Muslims cannot condone nor should
we participate in those practices. I emphasize it is not out of
disrespect to our Christian colleagues that this is done; rather,
it is out of respect and love to Jesus and Mary and God Himself
that we must refuse!
In conclusion, I pray that we remember what we
are really supposed to celebrate, i.e. the praises of the supreme
God as stated in the Qur’an:
“Seest thou not that it is God whose praises
all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the
birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own
(mode of) prayer and praise. And God knows well all that they
do. Yea, to God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the
earth; and to God is the final goal (of all).” Chapter 24: verses
41-42.
Celebrating Christmas?
Some Q&A
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful Muslims believe that Allah (Alah in the older
version of the Christian Bibles and Eli/Eloi - as referred to in
all of the current Bibles), is the only True God and that Jesus
is His Messenger. Christians however take Jesus, may the peace
and blessing of Allah be upon him, as Son of God or God Himself
instead of Allah though you would find more categorical
references, in their Bibles, that agree with the Muslim concept
of Jesus (Peace be upon him) than those supporting their ideas of
Jesus. Examples of such references are:
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of
Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders
and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves
know". Acts 2:22.
"For the very work that Father (the Creator)
has given me to finish, and which I (Jesus) am doing, testifies
that the Father (the Creator) has sent me.…You have never heard
His Voice nor seen His Form". John 5:36-37.
"By myself I (Jesus) can do nothing: I judge
only as I hear and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please
myself but Him (Allah) who Sent me". John 5:30.
"After the people saw the miraculous sign
that Jesus did, they began to say, Surely this is Prophet who is
come into this world". John 6:14.
"He (Jesus) answered, I was sent ONLY to the
lost sheep of Israel (i.e. not to the non-Jewish nations; the
Gentiles)". Matthew 15:24
"I (Jesus) tell you the truth (no mystery
and no myth), whoever hears my word and believes Him Who Sent me,
has eternal life and will not be condemned (i.e. anyone who
believes in Allah, the Only True God and in Jesus only as His
Servant, His Prophet and His last Messenger from of the House of
Israel would have attained true Salvation), he has crossed over
from death to life". John 5:24.
“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the
God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus (i.e. by
choosing him from amongst the people to be Prophet and Messenger
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel)" Acts 3:13.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
“… and the Christians say the Messiah is the
son of Allah. Such are the baseless things they utter with their
tongues, following the footstep of the former unbelievers"…
Qur’an 9:30.
Since the fourth century Christians have been
adopting ideas found in pagan beliefs and practices. Maybe the
most important of these is the belief that there are three
Godheads; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (which they
call the Holy Trinity). This belief is comparable to beliefs
found in previous religions such as:
? Hindu Triad (Trinity): Brahma (the creator
god), Vishnu (the preserver god) and Shiva (the god of
destruction). Modern Hindus take Krishna the son of Divachi, the
virgin, as Vishnu incarnate. Krishna is the savior, who, as a
sacrifice for their sin, had to suffer. He was crucified, died
and then was raised from death.
? Egyptian gods: Ra (sun - god and chief diety),
Osiris (god of death), Isis (wife of Osisris, goddess of nature
and the mother of god) and Horus (the son of Osiris and god of
light).
? Babylon gods: Baal (the sun god), Samiramis
(the virgin mother) and the Nimrod (the divine-son).
? Buddhist gods: Guatama (the holy spirit),
Maya (the virgin mother) and Buddha, the son (who was conceived
when Maya was filled by the holy spirit) and who is the savior
who died and was raised from death.
? Greek/Roman gods: Zeus / Jupiter (king of
gods), Artes/Diana (the goddess of birth) and Mithra (the god of
light).
Some Christian scholars of theology believe
that the worship of Isis and Diana was transferred to Mary (Peace
be upon her). In the fourth century chapels and churches began to
be built over the tomb of martyrs and the church suggested that
they were in a special position to hear petitions and present
them to God! Each day of the year was dedicated to a saint or
martyr and prayers were made in his name on that day!
This teaching is in direct conflict with
Galatians 3:20, which reads: But a go-between is not needed when
only one is involved; and God is One.” And Exodus 20:5, which
reads: “Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am
your LORD and your GOD I tolerate no rivals.
And you know that his kind of belief is a
serious form of Shirk (associating partners with Allah) and
blasphemous (Kufr) of the highest degree.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
"Most certainly they committed blasphemy,
who said, ‘Allah is one of three.’ Whereas there is no deity
other than the One Deity” … “The Messiah son of Mary was no more
than a Messenger; many other Messengers had already passed away
before him. His mother was a righteous woman and they both ate
food. See how We make clear to them the signs (leading to
Reality) and see how they are perverted. Say to them ‘Do you
worship instead of Allah that which has no power to harm you nor
benefit you? In fact, Allah is He who hears everyone and knows
everything.’ Say ‘O people of the Book, do not trespass the
bounds of your religion, and do not follow the will of those who
themselves went astray from before and led astray many others and
stayed away from the Right Way". Qur’an 5:73, 75-77.
Celebrating Christmas?
Questions & Answers
Question 1: What is the hukm (ruling of Islam)
during greeting Christians for Christmas?
Answers: Greeting Christians during Christmas or
any other religious occasions is considered by Muslim scholars to
be haraam (unlawful and sinful) because it is a sign of approval
and acceptance of their belief and practices.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
"If you blaspheme (disbelieve/reject or deny Allah’s favor
upon you), Allah does not need you but He does not accept
(approve/like) blasphemy for his servants". Qur’an
39:7.
As a true Muslim you would not do what displeases Allah and
would not approve of shirk or kufr or give any sign of approval
for any of its practices. Therefore you must not congratulate
Christians for Christmas or any religious occasions. You must
refrain from facilitating or selling any goods or services
intended for such use.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
"Cooperate in what is good and pious and do not cooperate
in what is sinful and wicked fear Allah for Allah is severe in
retribution". Qur’an 5:2
Question 2: How do we reply to them when they
greet us with Christmas greetings?
Answers: It is not clear why a Christian would
greet a Non-Christian for Christmas when in fact they know that
person does not believe in Christianity itself. On one hand it
may be an act of ignorance and on the other it may be an attempt
to undermine your feelings and to force their ideology on you.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: Many of the People of the Book
desire to turn you anyhow back to unbelief. They wish this out of
their hearts though the Truth has become quite clear to them.
Qur’an 2:109.
In either case you should make it clear to them that you do
not believe in Christmas. You may want to tell them that:
Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was not born in winter and
therefore celebrating the 25th of December as his birthday is
wrong to start with especially when the 25th of December is
considered the birthday of Nimrod, Krishna and Mithra who were
mentioned earlier. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary had this to say
about Luke 2:11:
The exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown: The legendary
(mythical) date of December 25 cannot be tracked back further
than the fourth century.
Addressing Mary close to the delivery time of Jesus, Allah
says in the Holy Qur’an:
"And, Shake the trunk of the palm tree, and fresh, ripe dates
will fall down upon you".
Qur’an 19:25.
And it is a well-known fact that dates do not ripen in winter
but in summer, that is at least in Palestine where Jesus was
born.
? The Christmas Tree, which is the most obvious sign of the
celebration, is copied from the pagan practice of the
pre-Christian era of Northern Europe. The people then believed
that the evil spirits were causing the trees to loose their
leaves during the fall season and they observed that the
evergreen tree did not loose its leaves like the other trees. So
they concluded that the tree had special power that kept the evil
spirits away. During winter when they were frightened from
thunder and lighting. They cut a branch from an evergreen tree
and put it their homes to keep the evil spirits away. It became
popular outside Germany only in the 1840’s.
Even the wreaths and lights which decorate their doors and
windows are copied from the sun worshippers. Wreaths are circular
shapes of decoration with a lamp in the center resembling the
sun. The Bible says:
" Do not follow the ways of the heathens (pagans)". Jeremiah
10:2
Some people may know the pagan origin of these practices and
festivals yet they insist on them just to have “fun” or an excuse
for a day off from work.
Allah tells us in the Holy Qur’an:
"Leave those who take their religion to be mere play and
amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world."
Qur’an 6:70.
Others do not really know the background, but because they
found their parents celebrating these occasions and their church
blessing them, they follow their steps without questioning their
authority. They may even feel it is hard to break away.
These people may not realize that they are risking their own
salvation.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
"O People, follow what has been sent to you from your Lord
and do not follow other patrons beside Him." Qur’an
7:3.
Question 3: Is attending this occasion’s feast
and celebration’s haraam (forbidden)?
Answer: If one attends such feasts after all that
has been said so far, that person has a problem. For if they do
it with acceptance they would be a kaafir (blasphemer). If they
attend just to “be nice” and establish or maintain good relations
with the Christians, they would be committing a serious sin which
would bring them close to kufr itself.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
"O Believers do not take the them as your friends and
allies: they are allies of each other. Whoever of you takes them
as friends and allies, surely he shall be counted amongst them;
indeed Allah won’t guide the wrongdoers. You see those whose
hearts are diseased (with hypocrisy) compete to win them. They
say: “We fear otherwise, to get involved in some disaster if we
don’t." Qur’an 5:51-52.
And Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
"You will never find any people, who believe in Allah and
the Day of Judgment, that love those who oppose Allah and His
Messenger" Qur’an 58:22.
Of course you should be honest, fair, kind and friendly with
everybody so far as your beliefs and principles are not
compromised. People respect those who stand for their principles,
especially when those principles are based on high standards of
ethics and morals values such as Islam. You should first and
foremost seek the pleasure of your Creator, Cherisher, and
Sustainer, your Lord and God, Allah, and you should distinguish
between friends and foes when dealing with people.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
"Allah does not forbid you to treat kindly and act
equitably towards those who have neither fought you in the matter
of religion nor driven of your homes. Indeed Allah loves the
Just. He only forbids you to take friends those who have fought
you in the matter of religion, and have driven you out of you
homes, and cooperated with others in your expulsion. Those who
take them for friends are indeed the wrongdoers" Qur’an
60:8-9.
And Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
"O Believers, be steadfast in righteousness and just in
giving witness for the sake of Allah; the enmity of any people
should not so provoke you away from justice. Do justice for it is
akin to piety. Fear Allah (in your affairs); indeed He is fully
aware of what you do" Qur’an 5: