Do Muslims celebrate Christmas?

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🌸🌸 Do Muslims celebrate Christmas?

■It’s the holiday season and you may be wondering do Muslims celebrate Christmas? A time of year to take a break from all of our hard work and spend some much needed time with family and friends. It’s no coincidence that this holiday period happens around Christmas, as traditionally it was a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

■More recently Christmas has been adopted by most of us to be a cultural holiday of gift giving and close gatherings whilst spending time with loved ones. We accept the social etiquettes such as wishing Merry Christmas, attending Christmas gatherings and even to some extent, decorating our homes and workplaces with a Christmas tree.

■Though we do not believe in the religious undertones of Christmas, should we, as Muslims, participate in Christmas although it is a national holiday and celebrate this holiday? And what are the implications of our actions?

■Here are five reasons why we Muslims do not celebrate Christmas.

📌Christmas goes against the Islamic belief in God.

Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of the son of God. This goes against our fundamental belief of monotheism, in the Oneness of Allah, in lordship and worship. Allah says in the Qur’an:

▪︎Say (O Prophet), “He is Allah, One (and Indivisible); Allah, the Sustainer (needed by all). He has never had offspring, nor was He born. And there is none comparable to Him.”

[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]

📌Jesus is a great prophet of God but not divine.

As Muslims, we believe Jesus is a great prophet of God, but not God or the son of God with a miraculous birth. Allah mentions in the Qur’an that Jesus said:

▪︎Those who say, “Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,” have certainly fallen into disbelief. The Messiah (himself) said, “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever associates others with Allah (in worship) will surely be forbidden Paradise by Allah. Their home will be the Fire. And the wrongdoers will have no helpers.

[Al-Qur’an 5:72]

📌Christmas season traditions has its roots in pagan festivities.

Saturnalia was a festival celebrated by the Romans to commemorate Saturn, the god of harvest. This festival took place during the winter solstice and was celebrated with lots of immorality and indulgence. The church adopted Christmas within the same period of the year to ease the pagans into becoming Christians.

📌Association by imitation.

Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”

[Abu Dawood, graded Hasan Saheeh by Al-Albaani]

📌Reward for remaining steadfast.

And finally, by overcoming social pressures to partake in such celebrations, you will be rewarded. Here are some words of motivation:

Surely those who say, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them (saying), “Do not fear, nor grieve. Rather, rejoice in the good news of Paradise, which you have been promised.

[Al-Qur’an 41:30]

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