The Meaning of Christmas

Buddhists are a tolerant lot and they are happy to see others being happy too.

Muslims regard Jesus as a prophet. Muslims want to convey to their Christian friends that their book of God, Quran, mentions the name of Jesus twenty five times with a chapter devoted solely to the story of his miraculous birth and another chapter devoted to the mother of Jesus, Mary.

Many Muslims respect and revere Jesus as well although they do not regard Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Muslims believe that the only God is Jehovah in the Old Testament whom Christians refer to when they say their prayers as “Our Holy Father, the God and father of Jesus Christ”.

So therefore Muslims, while not celebrating Christmas as a time to be merry, are still very thoughtful of how Jesus had come to the world to show us how the way we should be living - living in a life that has compassion for our less fortunate friends aronud us.

African-American interfaith presenter has said:

“I don’t argue that decorating, parties, receiving and giving gifts and time with family is not fun. These things are, of course, not inherently in contradiction with Muslim beliefs. However, Islam has it’s own unique practices and holy days.

“Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The Quran venerates both Jesus and Virgin Mary by sharing their story of Jesus’ miraculous birth, his special gift of speaking from the cradle, and his ability to perform miracles with the help of God. Muslims believe that his mother Mary is one of the greatest women to ever live, and a chapter of the Quran is devoted to her. We believe Jesus was sent as a beloved Prophet of God to deliver the word to the people of his time. However, it is not the practice of Muslims to celebrate the birth of their Prophets.

“So, what does it mean to not celebrate Christmas? Christmas is all around us, and it is not something you can ignore. There are several rituals and activities associated with the holiday, from the Christmas tree to the holiday charity drives. Do all these things fall in the realm of celebration?

“As an African-American born to Muslim converts, most of my extended family members are Christian and celebrate Christmas. It was an ongoing question for my parents as we grew up on how to participate in Christmas traditions with their families, if at all. And, they also had to consider what and how they would teach their children about the celebration of Christmas as Muslims.

“Growing up, my grandparents would send us Christmas gifts and my parents would save them for us to open on our religious holiday. Many times, my extended family would come together for the holiday season. My parents made the decision for us to attend some of those gatherings, as this was a good opportunity for us to see and spend time with all our relatives. Keeping ties and good relations with kin is an important concept in Islam and to my parents.

“Like my parents, I know for many Muslims, determining what constitutes celebrating is often a topic of discussion. It typically comes down to individuals deciding for themselves how they define celebrating the holiday. That may look like different things for different people.

“For example, I do not buy a Christmas tree or decorate my home. However, during the holidays there are often charity drives through different organizations. Because I would ordinarily give charity any time of year, I donate to these charities with the intention of giving back.

“Often, when people hear I do not celebrate Christmas, they express their “condolences.” It may seem like many of us are missing out, but I don’t see it that way. Parties, giving gifts, and decorating are things that we do on other occasions, like during Eid as well as during the month of Ramadan. Our holidays are filled with spending time with loved ones, charity, worship and other festive activities. I use these opportunities to share my holiday with friends and co-workers of other faiths by giving gifts, bringing treats to work, and inviting others to have a dinner meal with me.”