25/12/2022
Christmas to a Muslim: Of the Celebration & the Foods
وَلَوۡ شَاۤءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ أُمَّةࣰ وَ ٰحِدَةࣰۖ وَلَا یَزَالُونَ مُخۡتَلِفِینَ.
"If your Lord had wished, He would have made all people a single community (practicing the same religion), but they continue to have their differences."
[Surah Hud 118]
Christianity, even though was alien to Christ himself and the name nowhere contained in the Bible, remains a religion practiced by some people. The faith, I stand challenged, is characterized by artificiality and whimsicality - the reason its mode of worship largely and shockingly varies from church to church. It's, therefore, the will of the Creator, given the aforementioned verse, that not all His creatures would be on the right path. May our feet be firmly footed on the right path.
Among the various acts that make Christianity an artifitial religion is its birthday celebration of Christ every December 25th. This too, indisputably, has no entry in the Bible, just like their singing-dancing mode of worship or walking barefooted in transparent white garment. Christmas has even been associated with paganism. This, Pastor Kumuyi of Deeper Life, said loud and clear not minding whose ox was gored.
Anyway, I have no problem with people practicing their manufactured religion, so far I'm not deprived franchise to mine. But my worry is, fellow Muslims joining in the practice of an artificial faith.
Christmas is today celebrated by Muslims. Those who do this are the people who believe they can practice Islām as they so wish. They say they are liberal and moderate, and that whoever believes otherwise is fanatical or uncivilized. Hmm! In my opinion, the so-called liberal Muslims need to be educated.
Ask them what Islām is, they will shallowly tell you it is a religion of peace. Of course, Islām is peace, but is that its definition? That is just a characteristic or an integral part of the religion. Islām, rather, is total, complete and absolute submission to the will of Allāh as enshrined in the Qur'ān and in the Sunnah of the prophet. So, whoever submits himself to the Qur'ān and the Sunnah is referred to as a Muslim.
Muslims are enjoined to live peacefully with the Christians. We can eat with them; transact business with them; play with them etc. But when it comes to their religion, we are forbidden from doing that with them. We cannot worship with them, neither can we celebrate their festivals - such as Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, Palm Sunday, New Year - with them.
When the Prophet got to Madīnah, he met the people on different celebrations. Rather than join them, he informed them of the alternatives provided by his Lord - Eidul Adhā and Eidul Fitr. That was how an end was put to the initial festivals. This is moderate Islām, not the one preached by the whimsical liberalists. Theirs is laxity, not moderacy.
Remember when the prophet was approached by the unbelievers who persuaded him to allow them practice his religion and he practice theirs too on a yearly rotation? It wasn't the Prophet but Allāh who responded with a whole Qur'ānic chapter - Sūratul Kāfirūn - which was concluded with لكم دينكم وليدين (let your religion be yours and mine be mine). I hope the liberalists would not have Allāh labelled as extremist too?
Christianity says Christ is the only son of God, Islām says Allāh begets no child. In fact, majority of the Christians believe Christ is God, whereas Muslims believe otherwise - that Allāh is no human. In Christianity, Christ is believed to have been crucified, Islām on the other side believes he wasn't crucified as clearly stated in Qur'ān 4 verse 157. Christians believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Trinity), Muslims believe this is a blatant ridicule of the sovereignty of the One-and-only supreme Being.
By Christmas, the birth of Christ as the son of God (or even God) which is alien to Islām is being celebrated. How sensible then is it for the one who claims to be a true servant of Allāh joining in celebrating the birthday of the son of God (or God)? It makes no sense! Think about it.
So, it is no moderacy but laxity to see a Muslim design his house with Christmas red-and-green symbol. It is laxity to hear jingle bell sung in the house of a Muslim. It is laxity to see Muslims visit 🎅. It is laxity to see Muslims do anything that will have the festivity promoted. This is no extremity but moderacy. That's what the Qur'ān says and exaplified by the Prophet. May we not be misguided.
To this end, foods prepared in the name of Christmas are better avoided. The stance that declares it harām keeps the mind at rest. What would be a Muslim's joy in devouring plates of rice or rolls of semo used to celebrate the birthday of the son of God, or perhaps God Himself? Think about it, dear whimsical liberalists.
