Christmas

[habibati]

I am curious to know what Muslims think about Christmas and what they do and don’t do during this time of year when living in North America it is very commercialized and a huge deal to most families.

With the minimal knowledge I do know about Islam right now I am not sure what to think about Christmas anymore and what to do in the future when I become Muslim. Your advice is most appreciated.

 

[sky_012]

Assalam U Aleykum sister ,

fisrt of all , i'm so happy for you that you are entering in Islam, May Allah Guides you and protects you Ameen ; i feel really happy for you sister;

you know i'm not an aknowledged person so i talk most of the time with my own experience but i'm sure people here won't hesitate to reply to you and provide you correct information

what i know is that It is forbidden to celebrate others religions events and christmas enters in that category too so normally we shouldn't celebrate it all all , neither with the decoration at home or feeling like christians do during this period

but Eesa Aleyhi Salam was also a Prophet , so if i don't celebrate it i don't forget either that Allah SWt Sent him as a messenger one day

but i remeber when i was a kid , there was in the house next to our house a very old woman who used to live there and nobody used to take care of her and she couldn't even cook properly so we used to send her food but on christmas we also invited her at home , not with the intention that we are going to celebrate it but because she was feeling soo alone especially this day so we used to invite her as it is a normal dinner;

i think it's all about intention and what you think ,perhaps i'm wrong and please correct me if i am ; and concering the atmosphere during this period and all the shopping centers perhaps i'm not aware of it as i live in a little vilage, so basically it doesn't change anything for me
i respect others beleif but don't mix with them because even if people celebrate it i don't think they celebrate it in good way, now christmas is all about shopping, partiing, and you know all sorts of habbits even if i thought normally it should be a spiritual day for christians

 

[Basicofislam]

it is very important to note that Islam is a complete way of life and it suffices Muslims. At the same time, we should be interactive and proactive. We should not forget our role in the society. We should be a good example to others. Islam urges us to be kind with all people without any kind of discrimination due to differences in faith or race.

Muslims have their own identity. In order to keep this identity, Muslim scholars said that Muslims must not celebrate Christmas or holidays of non-Muslims. By participation in Christmas, it is possible that slowly one may lose his or her consciousness of this basic point of difference between Islam and Christianity. Muslims must be very careful in this matter. The greatest danger is for our next generation, who may slowly lose their Islamic faith in tawhid and may start believing in Jesus as "more than a prophet and servant of Allah".

We should tell our children that we are Muslims and this is not our holiday. This is the holiday of our Christian neighbors and friends. We may give greetings to our Christian friends and neighbors on their holiday, but we should not make it our own holiday.


The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Every people have their `Eid…" Some celebrations are of a religious nature, and some others are social and cultural. Some celebrations are based on beliefs and practices that are contrary to Islamic teachings, and some celebrations are not of that nature. Some people claim that Christmas is now a secular holiday and it is very much an American national holiday rather than a religious holiday. But it is wrong to assume that because this holiday is national, it has ceased to be Christian. It is true that this holiday is very popular and it is extremely commercialized; nevertheless it is basically a religious holiday. Its very name and all its symbolism is Christian through and through.

Christians celebrate at Christmas what they believe to be the "day of the birth of God's Son" or what they call "God Incarnate". Thus it is not only a celebration of another religion, it is also a celebration that is based on a belief that is totally against the teachings of Islam. From the Islamic point of view, the belief in the "Son of God" or "God in the flesh" is a blasphemy and kufr (denial of God's Oneness). By participation in Christmas, it is possible that slowly one may lose his or her consciousness of this basic point of difference. Muslims must be very careful in this matter. The greatest danger is for our next generation, who may slowly lose their Islamic faith in tawhid and may start believing in Jesus as "more than a prophet and servant of Allah".

The argument that “Christmas is, after all, Prophet Jesus' birthday and so there is no harm in celebrating Christmas” is neither logical nor Islamic. Why should Muslims celebrate Jesus' birthday? Why not the birthdays of the other 24 prophets and messengers who are mentioned in the Qur'an by name? For us Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the final Prophet and Messenger of Allah, not Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus was the last one and they say that "after God spoke through many prophets … in these last days he spoke to us through his son whom he made to inherit every thing" (New Testament, Hebrews 1:1). Thus they celebrate his coming, but for us Muslims, Prophet Muhammad was the last Prophet and Allah appointed him for all people and for all times to come.

I do agree that our little children are deeply affected with the festivities and glitter of this holiday. We should try to take them to some Islamic camps and conferences at this time and give them some other alternate programs and activities. But Muslim families should not have Christmas trees in their homes, nor should they put up lights inside or outside their homes at this time. We should tell our children that we are Muslims and this is not our holiday. This is the holiday of our Christian neighbors and friends. We may give greetings to our Christian friends and neighbors on their holiday, but we should not make it our own holiday.

Celebrate Ramadan and `Eids with lights and decoration of your home and exchange gifts with your children. This is very thoughtful, indeed. It is good to decorate our homes and masjids during Ramadan and for `Eids. It is mentioned in one of the Hadiths that even the heaven is especially decorated during the month of Ramadan. Allah Almighty closes the gates of Hell and opens the gates of Paradise during the month of Ramadan. We Muslims should give special attention to our own Islamic holidays. In this way our children will be attracted to our own celebrations rather than looking at others.

Unfortunately, there are some Muslims who do not pay any attention to Ramadan and `Eid. Some of them do not even come to `Eid prayers and even if they come, they do not take their day off from work. Thus their children have no idea about Islamic holidays or they think that Islam is a religion without any festivals and celebrations.


Explaining the reasons why Muslims don’t celebrate and believe in Christmas, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:


Christmas was a pagan custom which was adopted into Christianity; it has nothing to do with reverence and love of Jesus, the mighty Messenger of Allah that we Muslims hold in the highest regard and respect. If Jesus were to come today, whether or not he would identify himself with those who celebrate Christmas is a question one should ask seriously.

If we are celebrating the great teachings of Jesus or other prophets, we must do so everyday. To do so means to practice love, mercy, justice and compassion and to be actively engaged in doing the will of God.

 

[sky_012]

jazak Allah Khair for making it clear mentionning Sunnah and Hadith

it has nothing to do with reverence and love of Jesus, the mighty Messenger of Allah that we Muslims hold in the highest regard and respect.

 

[aliff]

Assalamu A'laikum,

A few things about Christmas...

The actual birth of Jesus(peace be upon him) is still a matter of debate among many people. There are still some christians ( as far as i know ) who celebrates the birth of Jesus(peace be upon him) on Jan 7th.

Long time ago, december 25th was celebrated as Saturnalia included the making and giving of small presents (Saturnalia et Sigillaricia). This holiday was observed over a series of days beginning on December 17, the birthday of Saturn - the god of agriculture, and ending on December 25, with the festival of Natalis Solis Invicti. Natalis Solis Inviciti was a combined festival, celebrating the birth of Sol Invictus (The Unconquered Sun) and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian "Sun of Righteousness" whose worship was popular with Roman soldiers.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ's birth would be celebrated on December 25. It was after 350AD that Christmas has and is being celebrated as birth of Jesus(peace be upon him) on December 25th.

So, as you can see Christmas on December 25th is actually not a part of Christianity but was taken from Paganism ( i dont mean to offend any christian brothers/sisters but these information are taken from historical sources )

To read more go here:

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?...play_order=1&sub_display_order=2&mini_id=1290

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

wassalam

 

[Abdul Hasib]

Assalamu A'laikum,

A few things about Christmas...

The actual birth of Jesus(peace be upon him) is still a matter of debate among many people. There are still some christians ( as far as i know ) who celebrates the birth of Jesus(peace be upon him) on Jan 7th.

Long time ago, december 25th was celebrated as Saturnalia included the making and giving of small presents (Saturnalia et Sigillaricia). This holiday was observed over a series of days beginning on December 17, the birthday of Saturn - the god of agriculture, and ending on December 25, with the festival of Natalis Solis Invicti. Natalis Solis Inviciti was a combined festival, celebrating the birth of Sol Invictus (The Unconquered Sun) and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian "Sun of Righteousness" whose worship was popular with Roman soldiers.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ's birth would be celebrated on December 25. It was after 350AD that Christmas has and is being celebrated as birth of Jesus(peace be upon him) on December 25th.

So, as you can see Christmas on December 25th is actually not a part of Christianity but was taken from Paganism ( i dont mean to offend any christian brothers/sisters but these information are taken from historical sources )

To read more go here:

http://www.history.com/minisite.do?...play_order=1&sub_display_order=2&mini_id=1290

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

wassalam

So, as you can see Christmas on December 25th is actually not a part of Christianity but was taken from Paganism ( i dont mean to offend any christian brothers/sisters but these information are taken from historical sources )

That's right! You should know, Paul was a Pagan and mixed Prophet Esa's teachings with the Romans.
Oh, yeah. Christains aren't our friends. The Christains that I's like are religous ones. I get oppressed at school because I preach Islam. The other muslim munafiqs (hypocrites) in the class laugh at how the Christains oppress me. One sec they act like my friends, the other sec they attack me.
I told the Christain kids that I only fight back at people who slander Islam. for the other muslims in the class, 1/6 are my friends. I get humilaited but I don't care. Inshallah Islam will stand victorious.

 

[NewMuslim]

:salam2:
To Abdul Hasib: Many know this. I, unfortunatly, first figured this out from a show called "The Boondocks"

Anyways, Christmas isn't a religious holiday anymore. At least not in America. It has nothing to do with "God's son" any longer, but rather just the giving away of presents, sharing, etc.

I say that it depends on how you celebrate Christmas. If you start singing songs to the Christmas Tree (as if your worshiping it like many do nowadays), then I would say no. If you're saying "Let's celebrate the birth of God's son!", then I would say no. However, if you're saying "Let's share presents, drink Eggnog, and watch some Christmas Specials about Rudolph and Santa", then I would say yes.

The main thing is, as long as you're celebrating Xmas instead of Christmas, then I would say it's ok.

 

[Tahar]

The brother or sister who asked the question is contemplating reverting to Islam. That is, he/she might have family that are Christians. This is their holiday and I don't see any harm in sharing the festivities with them. Actually, in Islam, it's your duty to maintain strong ties with your family members. Use it as simply an occasion to come together and share some quality family-time without all that religious blasphemy.

 

[mbw2h]

So, as you can see Christmas on December 25th is actually not a part of Christianity but was taken from Paganism ( i dont mean to offend any christian brothers/sisters but these information are taken from historical sources )

That's right! You should know, Paul was a Pagan and mixed Prophet Esa's teachings with the Romans.
Oh, yeah. Christains aren't our friends. The Christains that I's like are religous ones. I get oppressed at school because I preach Islam. The other muslim munafiqs (hypocrites) in the class laugh at how the Christains oppress me. One sec they act like my friends, the other sec they attack me.
I told the Christain kids that I only fight back at people who slander Islam. for the other muslims in the class, 1/6 are my friends. I get humilaited but I don't care. Inshallah Islam will stand victorious.

I am your friend bro. Anyone who teases you isn't a very good representation of christianity. However, it should be noted that kids make fun of those who are different from what they know. I got made fun of for long hair, other for their acne, others for their weight. It sucks you have a tuff time with your peers. I'm sorry about that bro.

 

[Delyan]

by the way when i was at the high school, my teacher of history told us that Jesus wasn't born on 25 th december but on 30th of april......???

anyway, the question should be asked to some scholars. I guess that as soon as u just share the event as a shared family moment then it would be ok..

Allah o a3lam

 

[samiha]

Assalam.

This is another Christian Holiday that has its beginnings in Pagan Rituals and is not acceptable for Muslims. The following is an excerpt from a lecture by Sheikh ABDULLAH HAKIM QUICK​

Part 1:-

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE SHOULDN'T CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

History of Winter Celebrations​

In ancient times, people living in cold areas of the world, such as Europe and Scandanavia, saw the darkness and cold of winter as a symbol of death, since many of them did not survive the winter. They looked to the power of the sun to return warmth and life.

Ancient Northern Europe & Scandanavia:
Dec. 25 - Jan. 6 Celebration of the 12 Nights, time of Winter Solstice
They believed that their celebrations and the objects they placed in their homes at this time affected whether or not their family would survive the winter. This was their way of hoping to ensure the return of the sun and of life.

Ancient England/Ireland/Scotland:
In these areas, Druids, or types of priests, performed ceremonies and encouraged symbols to help preserve life through winter and help the sun's power to return.

- Yule log: Was to be kept burning in every household (still a Christmas
tradition)

- Mistletoe & Holly: Symbols of fertility; if a couple needed a child, they were placed under these items to help them be fertile. (Modern tradition says a man & woman found under mistletoe at the same time must kiss).

- Fir Tree: In winter, this is the only tree that is visible alive, still having leaves. Ancient people placed these trees in their homes hoping that it's life would sustain theirs (the Modern Christmas Tree).

Ancient Germany:
Winter, particularly around the time of modern Christmas, was the time of the devil. Small children were told not to go out because the devil, which they called "Nicker", would take them away in his sack (similar to St. Nick and his bag of toys).

Ancient Greece:
Dec. 21 Bacchanalia celebration for their god of wine and sport, Bacchus

Also, Saturnalia, celebration for their main sun god Saturn, in which their arenas were decorated with lights and Christians were sacrificed to wild animals. As Christianity became more powerful in the area, the human sacrifice was replaced with dolls, and were given as gifts to each other at this time.


Ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome:

These ancient people had a god called Mithras. The similarity between the worship of Mithras and the modern Christian view of Jesus is surprising. He was the son of their main sun god.

- His birthday was Dec. 25

- He was said to have been sacrificed for the sins of the people
- The day of Mithras was Sunday
- He had a special sacrament of bread and wine
- He symbolized the victory of light over darkness
- He was said to have been sacrificed for the sins of the people, they had
a special sacrament of bread and wine

Santa Claus

People who celebrate Christmas say that the modern Santa Claus is based on
St. Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the 14th century in what is now Turkey. He did love children, but he was also said to be thin, serious and religious, and fasted most of the time. The modern chubby, jolly, laughing Santa looks more similar to pictures of the ancient gods Bacchus and Saturn, gods of wine, sport and adultery.


Christmas a Mixture of Christianity & Pagan Celebrations

When Christianity was under threat in Rome, they adapted their practices to make it easier for the Romans and Europeans to accept. One aspect of this was to allow the people to keep their traditional pagan ceremonies and festivals by giving them a Christian meaning and purpose.

Recognizing this pagan origin of Christmas, the Church of England banned
the celebration of Christmas until 1647.

Dec. 25 is not Jesus' Birthday

Qur'an 19:16-40 Describes the birth of Jesus, son of Mary, and indicates that dates were ripe at this time. This fact indicates that he was born in the summer, not winter.

Part 2:-

TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE SHOULDN'T CELEBRATE CERTAIN HOLIDAYS
​

Jesus' Teachings Opposite of Modern Christmas

Jesus (pbuh)was a humble prophet who sacrificed material things and taught his followers not to focus on the riches of this life, but to worship God and do good. Modern Christmas' main focus is on buying, spending, and getting gifts. People compete over how much is given and received, and go into deep debt to ensure everyone has enough gifts from them, often paying interest while repaying this debt. This is certainly not in accordance with the teachings
of Jesus (peace be unto him).

MY COMMENT:
So, It's not in accordance to what Isa (alayhis salaam) taught, AND it's from Pagan holidays, definetly a no-no.

Islamic view

- We should take no part in holidays with pagan origins, created to worship
false gods and call on them to return life or cause fertility, powers held
by Allah alone. (all of these have pagan origins)

MY COMMENT:
So truthfully if you look, all these holidays go AGAINST Islamic teachings and should be abandoned. Islam is purrrrrfect, there's nothing to add. Chritianity messed up by adapting all these pagan holidays, and now most don't know what they actually symbolize. Inshallah, we will all be lead to the Straight Path, and will have the ability to stay away from all forbidden things. Ameen.

Wassalam.

 

[AishaR]

:salam2:

I reverted in April so this will be the first year I wont be celebrating christmas. I wasnt sure how to tell me parents I wont be spending it with them, so booked a holiday to be away over christmas & new year. I know I will have to tell them but thought it would be easier for now.

 

[Delyan]

:salam2:

I reverted in April so this will be the first year I wont be celebrating christmas. I wasnt sure how to tell me parents I wont be spending it with them, so booked a holiday to be away over christmas & new year. I know I will have to tell them but thought it would be easier for now.

salam aaleykom,
Do u mean sister that ur parents still don't know u r reverted

sis delyan
wa salam

 

[AishaR]

:salam2:

They know I have reverted but still expect me to spend christmas with them. I just feel awkward doing that though, so thought it would be easier to book my honeymoon for that period.

 

[Abdul Hasib]

I am your friend bro. Anyone who teases you isn't a very good representation of christianity. However, it should be noted that kids make fun of those who are different from what they know. I got made fun of for long hair, other for their acne, others for their weight. It sucks you have a tuff time with your peers. I'm sorry about that bro.

Tell me big bro. I can bet you anything that there'll be debates between Islam and Christainity in my class. Make dua for me to succeed if this fight ever happens. We had to do a greek project on those idols. Yes, <b>Greek!
The other muslims in the class asked me why I wouldn't do it and I said cause that's shirk. Besides, I read a book about them like Zues and Cronus
(for Romans, Jupiter and Saturn) and tossed it away and kicked it. Why do greeks even beleive in those idiots?? I mean, Cronus ate his suns, and Zues and his mom fled and later defeated Cronus. The pagan Gods are sick. They don't keep their promises, they suck out on they're work, they are conceited, (I coould go down a whole list) even humans can beat them or heck hostage them. (A thousand reasons can go down) They beleive, "humans weren't created by god(allah) or gods(the idols) it's just a nature. And the worst is that the gods <b>died...
So you see? And it's Christainity's fault for adapting paganism.

 

[samiha]

Tell me big bro. I can bet you anything that there'll be debates between Islam and Christainity in my class. Make dua for me to succeed if this fight ever happens. We had to do a greek project on those idols. Yes, <b>Greek!
The other muslims in the class asked me why I wouldn't do it and I said cause that's shirk. Besides, I read a book about them like Zues and Cronus
(for Romans, Jupiter and Saturn) and tossed it away and kicked it. Why do greeks even beleive in those idiots?? I mean, Cronus ate his suns, and Zues and his mom fled and later defeated Cronus. The pagan Gods are sick. They don't keep their promises, they suck out on they're work, they are conceited, (I coould go down a whole list) even humans can beat them or heck hostage them. (A thousand reasons can go down) They beleive, "humans weren't created by god(allah) or gods(the idols) it's just a nature. And the worst is that the gods <b>died...
So you see? And it's Christainity's fault for adapting paganism.

:salam2:

brother... my sympathies are with you. I also have to kind of read about those pagan gods, had to do it before... now in my L.A. book they give us parables out of the Bible... Things happen like this.

Although I truly feel unconfortable when reading this material i always keep my intension that i am trying to gain knowledge, so that if i am every faced with a circumstance about this topic, i will be able to know about it.

I also feel in some ways brother that you are not going about as you should. Yes, we are not pagan, we don't believe what they believe and we shall never stoop to that level, but perhaps if you began by excerting the moral values, kindness, and helpfulness Islam shows, perhaps that would help them more than a debate.

I don't know your situation, or what you are faced with... but just remember surah Kafiroon, you can NEVER compromise your religion, but if they inisist on believing something... try a push instead of a shove... and always 'there is no compulsion in religion'

Wassalam.

 

[NewMuslim]

:salam2:

Assalam.

This is another Christian Holiday that has its beginnings in Pagan Rituals and is not acceptable for Muslims. The following is an excerpt from a lecture by Sheikh ABDULLAH HAKIM QUICK​

Yep, I've heard many things about Christmas being a Pagan Holiday. I've heard that on that day, men used to have sex with one another and gave out gifts; and with (of course) the sex part being taken out, Christmas was born. That came from "The Boondocks"

I'm just going to talk about some of the points that Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick mentioned.

In ancient times, people living in cold areas of the world, such as Europe and Scandanavia, saw the darkness and cold of winter as a symbol of death, since many of them did not survive the winter. They looked to the power of the sun to return warmth and life.

What does that have to do with Christmas? That's like sun worship.

Ancient Northern Europe & Scandanavia:
Dec. 25 - Jan. 6 Celebration of the 12 Nights, time of Winter Solstice
They believed that their celebrations and the objects they placed in their homes at this time affected whether or not their family would survive the winter. This was their way of hoping to ensure the return of the sun and of life.

The objects people place in and around their home during Christmas time has nothing to do with asking anybody/thing about anything. It's just for decoration.

- Mistletoe & Holly: Symbols of fertility; if a couple needed a child, they were placed under these items to help them be fertile. (Modern tradition says a man & woman found under mistletoe at the same time must kiss).

May be a valid point, but Mistletoe seems stupid to me. I hope this is true

- Fir Tree: In winter, this is the only tree that is visible alive, still having leaves. Ancient people placed these trees in their homes hoping that it's life would sustain theirs (the Modern Christmas Tree).

This seems plausible. I've never knew where the tradition of the Tree came from.

Ancient Germany:
Winter, particularly around the time of modern Christmas, was the time of the devil. Small children were told not to go out because the devil, which they called "Nicker", would take them away in his sack (similar to St. Nick and his bag of toys).

This "Nicker" (Nicker is a verb which means to neigh softly or to laugh) sounds more like the Boogeyman than Santa.

Ancient Greece:
Dec. 21 Bacchanalia celebration for their god of wine and sport, Bacchus

Also, Saturnalia, celebration for their main sun god Saturn, in which their arenas were decorated with lights and Christians were sacrificed to wild animals. As Christianity became more powerful in the area, the human sacrifice was replaced with dolls, and were given as gifts to each other at this time.

Weren't arenas always "decorated with lights"? You need lights to see. And if they mean lightbulbs, those haven't existed yet. The only "light" that existed were torches and oil lamps; something probably used always at night time in these arenas.

Ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome:

These ancient people had a god called Mithras. The similarity between the worship of Mithras and the modern Christian view of Jesus is surprising. He was the son of their main sun god.

- His birthday was Dec. 25

- He was said to have been sacrificed for the sins of the people
- The day of Mithras was Sunday
- He had a special sacrament of bread and wine
- He symbolized the victory of light over darkness
- He was said to have been sacrificed for the sins of the people, they had
a special sacrament of bread and wine

I've heard about Christianity being related to ancient Roman gods, but this is easily refuted by Christians. Also, Christmas is more of a secular holiday nowadays. You probably see about 50,000 of the 300,000,000 Americans going to church and celebrating "God's birthday".

Santa Claus

People who celebrate Christmas say that the modern Santa Claus is based on
St. Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the 14th century in what is now Turkey. He did love children, but he was also said to be thin, serious and religious, and fasted most of the time. The modern chubby, jolly, laughing Santa looks more similar to pictures of the ancient gods Bacchus and Saturn, gods of wine, sport and adultery.

Santa Claus was based off St. Nick living in Turkey, and has nothing to do with ancient Greek gods. Santa Claus (St. Claus) was created to secularize Christmas, making it Xmas. Also, the picture point has two faults:

1) Looking at pictures on Google/wikipedia, Bacchus looks like...

...and Saturn looks like:

2) If I drew a man to look like Santa Claus, would that mean that Santa Claus was based off that man? All drawings of Saturn and Bacchus are just that: drawings. The ancient Greeks/Romans knew nothing about how their gods looked like, but just drew pictures of them. Also, most of the current pictures/statues of these gods were drawn by people living in the 2nd millenium. These people would know nothing about how the Greeks pictured their gods (for if they did, most is not all statues/drawings of the gods would look the same).

Christmas a Mixture of Christianity & Pagan Celebrations

Christianity has many Pagan celebrations. Just wanted to add that in...

When Christianity was under threat in Rome, they adapted their practices to make it easier for the Romans and Europeans to accept. One aspect of this was to allow the people to keep their traditional pagan ceremonies and festivals by giving them a Christian meaning and purpose.

So true. If only Christians nowadays would know this...

Recognizing this pagan origin of Christmas, the Church of England banned
the celebration of Christmas until 1647.

The Church of England is very controversal. I've heard (not sure where) that it was created/supported heavily by Henry VIII just so that he can have a male son as an heir and/or that he can kill/divorce one of his wives. I wouldn't use the Church of England as a good source for anything Christian.

Dec. 25 is not Jesus' Birthday

Qur'an 19:16-40 Describes the birth of Jesus, son of Mary, and indicates that dates were ripe at this time. This fact indicates that he was born in the summer, not winter.

The Bible says that the shepards were out with their flock. Obviously this wasn't during the winter. Christians know this, too.

Modern Christmas' main focus is on buying, spending, and getting gifts.

Like I said, Christmas has become Xmas, or a secular holiday. This sentence contradicts people when they say that "if you're celebrating Christmas, you're celebrating with Pagan/Christian traditions".

often paying interest while repaying this debt.

What if I payed interest when buying food? Does that make food unlawful? No. It just makes what the person is doing wrong.

MY COMMENT:
So, It's not in accordance to what Isa (alayhis salaam) taught, AND it's from Pagan holidays, definetly a no-no.

Do I worship the sun and the Christmas tree? No. Just because Pagans did something on the same day doesn't mean we are celebrating/worshiping/doing the same thing [what] they did.

Islamic view

- We should take no part in holidays with pagan origins, created to worship
false gods and call on them to return life or cause fertility, powers held
by Allah alone. (all of these have pagan origins)

Isn't it a Pagan "tradition" to eat? Does that mean it's bad? People today don't celebrate Christmas according to the way the Pagans celebrated it.

]MY COMMENT:
So truthfully if you look, all these holidays go AGAINST Islamic teachings and should be abandoned.

None of these traditions go against Islamic teachings. That is, unless you worship the Christmas tree and the sun (which is something not too many people do).[/quote]

 

[Delyan]

Tell me big bro. I can bet you anything that there'll be debates between Islam and Christainity in my class. Make dua for me to succeed if this fight ever happens. We had to do a greek project on those idols. Yes, <b>Greek!
The other muslims in the class asked me why I wouldn't do it and I said cause that's shirk. Besides, I read a book about them like Zues and Cronus
(for Romans, Jupiter and Saturn) and tossed it away and kicked it. Why do greeks even beleive in those idiots?? I mean, Cronus ate his suns, and Zues and his mom fled and later defeated Cronus. The pagan Gods are sick. They don't keep their promises, they suck out on they're work, they are conceited, (I coould go down a whole list) even humans can beat them or heck hostage them. (A thousand reasons can go down) They beleive, "humans weren't created by god(allah) or gods(the idols) it's just a nature. And the worst is that the gods <b>died...
So you see? And it's Christainity's fault for adapting paganism.

??????????????????????? WHAT IS IT SAID THAT ITS A QUOTE FROM MY POST I NEVER SET THAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[samiha]

Assalam.

First of all, I would like to put that the writing was not of my own reasearch, but I felt it held some valid points.

Second, brother... if i may post my whole final comment...

MY COMMENT:
So truthfully if you look, all these holidays go AGAINST Islamic teachings and should be abandoned. Islam is purrrrrfect, there's nothing to add. Chritianity messed up by adapting all these pagan holidays, and now most don't know what they actually symbolize. Inshallah, we will all be lead to the Straight Path, and will have the ability to stay away from all forbidden things. Ameen

I only want this so that we may be lead to the straight path... if XMAS was good, then Islam would have had it!!!

I personally don't need to cross-examine the history of christmas, because i will never need to do so. I feel that the way things are...

I am A MUSLIM. I don't want to be selfish, I don't want too many material things. I want my heart to keep Islam inside and leave the materialistic things that naturally tie me to this dunya outside.

I am all up for friendly relations and sharing, but what does it feel like to go to a mall and see a fake dressed up man with kids on his lap, with the child reciting a long list of "I WANTS" What does it feel like to go back to my country and see a girl walk up to your car, with a poor sick baby in hand begging for money. What does it feel like when you watch a bent old man hobbling down a road, clothes tattered, eyes weary of watching the world? What does it feel like seeing poverty... and then seeing the AMERICAN XMAS!!!

I am not trying to be rude but I dislike Xmas very much so. People swarm to markets in the theme of giving, while many times in their mind plotting how to get their parents or siblings to get them what they want. I realize that yes... other charity organizations from christians go out at this time... but ohhhh it just makes my sooooo sad... after Xmas, the customer service lines are clogged. People come return gifts they don't like and exchange them, their houses are conjusted with past gifts, unused, thrown away, some children begin to lose appreciation for things, they set expectations and if they aren't met, they get angry.

I'd like to introduce them to their brothers, the brothers without a shirt to wear, the brothers who will love you if you give them so much as a smile or a hug, the sisters who don't need makeup to be beautiful, the sisters who work all day taking care of their siblings now orphaned, the babies who die without a taste of life... why indulge in such things?

We have better things to do. Glorify Allah, you never know when you die, you never know what will happen, today rich tomorrow poor.

Time is a blessing, take advantage of it.

No offence meant to anyone at all...

Wassalam.

 

[Tahar]

There are two kinds of totally different circumstances for the Muslim. On the one hand, there are those who have Christian family members, I think it is OK to join the family on Christmas-Dinner and renew family-bonds together. While always being respectful of one's own and others' beliefs is very important. It should be treated as simply a family gathering. And Islam requires from us to maintain excellent relationships with family especially parents.

On the other hand, those Muslims who don't have Christian family members (parents, spouses) Xmas should mean nothing to them. They should steer-away from any celebrations of it. And should not even be a question.