What Every Muslim Should Know About Christmas

What Every Muslim Should Know About Christmas
http://ireland.iol.ie/~afifi/BICNews/Sabeel/sabeel8.htm


Al-Hamdulillah, All praise be to Allah alone, for making us Muslims
and bestowing us the Deen of Islam to distinguish right and wrong.
The holiday season is upon us again, and the ugly head of Satan is
rising again to inspire people to indulge in innovation and shirk.

What proceeds is an analytical view of Christmas and appropriate
Muslim conduct during the Christmas season.

Any belief system or ritual (Christmas or otherwise) in any religion
should satisfy each of the following criteria to be labeled as
authentic:

1. It should have its evidence from the scriptures or from the
authentic sayings of the Messenger.
2. The Messenger himself and his companions should practice and
propagate it.
3. The Scripture or the Messenger's sayings in which this belief
system is present should be preserved from alterations or perishment.

Does Christmas have Biblical Evidence?
The word 'Christmas' is not even present in the entire Bible. The
Bible has closed lips on the entire feast of Christmas with one
exception, the decoration of tree. Fortunately, for the Christians,
the Bible does has a word or two to say on the decoration of the
Christmas tree, but unfortunately for them, their own Bible
criticizes the use of decorating tree:

"The customs of the people are worthless, they cut a tree out of the
forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel, they adore it with
silver and gold, they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not
totter" (Jeremiah 10:3,4).

Pre-Christian pagans superstitiously believed that the evergreen tree
has special power of protection. In fact, the use of Christmas tree
began in the 17th century, in Strasbourg, France and from there it
spread to Germany, Britain and then to the U.S. "Tree worship was a
common feature of religion among the Teutonic and Scandinavian
peoples of northern Europe before their conversion to Christianity…
German settlers brought the Christmas tree custom to the American
colonies in the 17th century. By the 19th century its use was quite
widespread". (Compton's Encyclopedia, 1998 Edition)

Was Jesus Born on Dec. 25th?
Neither the date 25th Dec. nor any other date on Jesus' birth is
mentioned in the Bible. Not until the year 530 C.E., that a monk,
Dionysus Exigus, fixed the date of the birth of Jesus on Dec.
25th. "He wrongly dated the birth of Christ according to the Roman
system (i.e., 754 years after the founding of Rome) as Dec. 25, 753".
(Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 ed.) This date was chosen perhaps in
keeping with the holidays already indoctrinated into pagans.

Roman pagans celebrated Dec. 25th as the birth of their 'god' of
light, Mithra. "In the 2nd century A..D., it (Mithraism) was more
general in the Roman Empire than Christianity, to which it bore many
similarities" (The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, 1995 ed.)

"The reason why Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25
remains uncertain, but most probably the reason is that early
Christians wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival
marking the "birthday of the unconquered sun" (natalis solis
invicti); this festival celebrated the winter solstice, when the days
again begin to lengthen and the sun begins to climb higher in the
sky". (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 Ed.)

Other pagan 'gods' born on Dec. 25th are: Hercules, the son of Zeus
(Greeks) Bacchus, god of wind, (Romans),Adenis god of Greeks Freyr
the Greek-Roman god.

What about Santa Claus?
Once again the word 'Santa Claus' appears no where in the bible.
However Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) was a real person, bishop, who
was born 300 years after Jesus (pbuh). According to legend he was
extremely kind and went out at night to distribute presents to the
needy. After his death on the 6th of Dec., school boys in Europe
celebrated a feast day every year on the anniversary of his death.
Queen Victoria later changed the celebration date from Dec. 6th to
Dec. 24th eve.

Thus Christmas is an innovation (bidah) in their religion,
associating it with Santa Claus, and changing the original date of
death anniversary of Saint Nicholas are further deviations.

Did Jesus or his companions celebrated Christmas?
Of course not. If Jesus meant his 'Ummah' to celebrate Christmas, he
would have practiced it himself and enjoined it on his followers.
Even the 'supposed pseudo-companions' of Jesus (and not the
companions of Jesus mentioned in the Quran who called themselves as
Muslims) mentioned in the bible made many innovations in their
religion, but celebrating Christmas was not their endeavor.

"In fact, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration
of the event until the 4th century" (Grolier's Encyclopedia).

Even if Christianity passed the above two test, they still have to
prove that their Bible have remained unaltered since its revelation.
A whole separate article could be written on this topic.

We'll mention three brief points, insha Allah. (1) Bible, unlike our
Quran, was not written down during Jesus' lifetime and no evidence of
it ever being memorized. (2) The oldest bible (Codex Siniticas) in
possession of Christendom is only from the 4th century C.E. (3)
verses are missing or added as to the Bible throughout the centuries.
Compare different Bible versions (eg. compare the King James Version
with Revised Standard Version. For verse: 1 John 5:7, this verse is
missing in Revised Standard Version published in 1952).

How unfortunate and pitiful: parts of the original Bible has been
lost. Part surviving has been corrupted and the corrupted parts has
been misinterpreted.

How should Muslims React to Christmas?
Being the custodians of Truth and the 'Best Ummah created for
mankind" and "witnesses unto Mankind", we Muslims just can't stay
still as the society around us is entrapped by Satan. Enjoining good
and forbidding evil should be our theme.

The foremost thing to realize is that Christmas is a big innovation
which is leading a big part of humanity to shirk (associating
partners with God). Christianity has transgressed the limits set by
Allah; therefore showing happiness and joy on Christmas, Halloween,
Easter, Good Friday is like shaking hands with Satan and telling him
to carry on the good work.

Remember Allah commandment to us in the Quran:

"Help you one another in virtue and righteousness, but do not help
one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah, verily Allah is
severe in punishment". (Quran, 5:2)

Therefore, a Muslim can't enjoin in any aspect of Christmas in the
disguise that Jesus is our Prophet too, we are just honoring him by
celebrating Christmas. We should recognize the bidah of Christmas and
the Prophet's warning that all bidah should be rejected. Therefore,
accepting Christmas invitations, attending Christmas parties, buying
small plastic Christmas trees to please the kids (some Muslims
actually do) should be avoided.

By greeting Christians with 'merry Christmas' we are legitimizing
Christmas, by driving out on Christmas eve to witness the decoration
of houses, we are appreciating bidah with our eyes, by placing our
kids on the laps of Santa in the malls we are handing them in the
hands of a fiend, by closing our Islamic Schools or shops during
Christmas we are giving it our silent approval, by selling Christmas
items in our shops, we are strengthening the pillars of Kufr.

By purchasing for children books with Christmas themes ('The Night
before Christmas'), by watching Christmas movies and by giving
holidays to our regular Islamic schools or weekend schools, we are
passing them a misguided message.

Indeed Islam came to tear down the pillars of kufr and replace them
with the pillars of Islam. Armed with facts on Christmas and eloquent
words of Islam, the door of Dawah to the Christians should be wisely
open.

When the Christians see us restraining from observing Christmas, they
will curiously ask us for the reason. This opportunity should be used
by each single Muslim to discuss Islam and invite non-Muslims to
Islam.

It is highly recommended for all Muslims to carry brochures on Islam
with them to pass on to non-Muslim classmates, co-workers, neighbors
etc. after discussing Islam. Free brochures on various topics on
Islam can be obtained by calling 1-718-658-1199 (for U.S. and
Canadian residents).

Writing articles in campus and local newspapers on 'Jesus (pbuh) in
Islam', conducting soup kitchens in impoverished neighborhoods,
clothing drives in schools and college campuses for the needy etc.
are some proper modes of conduct during the Christmas holiday season.

Thus the hearts and minds of non-Muslims should be exposed to the
beautiful message of Islam.

Truth comes, falsehood disappears; Islam came, now shirk must clear.

Sabeel Ahmed

October 1997.