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Culture Wars: Muslims And Christmas
Clash Of The Titans
Like many, our family will celebrate Christmas this year in the company of other family members. And, like many, we will not have our whole family together. In what has become an age — mostly brought about by the boomer generation — that places less and less value on roots and togetherness, we have become families with shallow roots when it comes to location. I don’t know how typical our family is, but having grown up in my elementary and high school years in the Atlanta (Sandy Springs) area, my only real tie there now is my brother, who now lives in Gainesville, north of Atlanta. My wife and I retired to Colorado, after living overseas for fifteen years; our son also lives in Colorado; one daughter lives in California with her family and her husband’s family near-by; our other daughter lives in Oklahoma with her family and her husband’s family also near-by.
America has always prided itself as being a melting pot for the world. I thought this used to mean that as immigrants came to our country, they melted into our culture, making our country and us richer for the experience. While that has surely happened, as of late, even that seems to be changing. We are having a clash of cultures. Instead of mixing and blending, we are lashing out, becoming more confrontational, and on the verge of waging wars, if not already embroiled in them.
There is less acceptance of one another now. Instead of enjoying what used to be “a Texan plus a Mexican equaling a Texican,” we have reached a boiling point. This is not just true of immigrants coming to America . . . Latinos, Syrians, and others . . . but it’s democrats and republicans, pro-choice and pro-life, liberals and conservatives, Christians and non-Christians . . . it seems like we are on the verge of erupting, like a massive volcano. The lava has reached a point that it can hold back no more, and all that’s left is for it to explode.
So, where is this going, you are probably wondering? For me, today was a day of reflection. Our family is pretty diverse; our country is becoming more diverse by the second. Traditions and cultures are clashing.
Right now, our country is involved in what is likely to become one of the most contentious and divisive elections our country has faced in over 150 years. It’s all those things I listed above, and they are getting ready to collide. I could talk about our becoming more isolationist; our national debt has reached and surpassed unthinkable numbers; we can no longer go to the mall or take in a movie, without wondering whether we will face a mentally-troubled individual or a jihadist . . . both of whom may want to kill us.
Well, I looked at all of this and it made me wonder . . . do Muslims celebrate Christmas? Don’t ask how I got to this question after just laying out all of the above. If I could answer that, I could answer why I decided to study Islam; I could answer how I managed to work, live, and/or visit over 68 countries; I could come up with a good . . . believable . . . answer for my parents as to why I failed the ninth grade (now that, I could really use an answer for). Anyway, this was the question I was seeking an answer for, so I did what everybody does now-a-days: I reached for my iPad and Googled Al Gore’s Internet.
What follows in the next several sections, is what I was able to gather, starting on the afternoon, December 6th, 2019.
Do Muslims Celebrate Christmas?
There Will Be No Christmas – Or New Year Celebrations In Somalia
There will be no Christmas or New Year celebrations in Somalia for fear that activities could evoke Islamist attacks, according to the Muslim-majority country’s government.
Sheikh Mohamed Khayrow, director general of the religious affairs ministry, stated to reporters that Christmas and New Year celebrations “could damage the faith of the Muslim community,” according to an AFP report. Security units have been given the order to break up any festivities related to the holidays.
What About Muslims Living In Western Countries?
Every December, Muslim youth, parents and converts in the Western countries face a familiar dilemma: Why (or how) should they “celebrate” Christmas?On this issue, Muslim scholars are divided. Integrators like the British Cabinet Minister, Baroness Warsi, admonish immigrant Muslims to “celebrate Christmas in traditional style, with carols, Santa . . . and Nativity plays.” Instigators like the Indian televangelist Zakir Naik caution British youth against saying “Merry Christmas” as it would be haram (religiously forbidden) and be like “building your place in hell.” Innovators like the South African scholar Ahmad Deedat shrug off the controversy altogether. “Since we believe in Jesus and if we knew his date of birth” — the only sticking point for him — “why would we not commemorate the birth of Christ?”
Now, if your head is spinning, imagine the dizziness of a Muslim convert whose family might still be decorating a Christmas tree.
For Muslim Americans, craving for pragmatic solutions, such theological gridlock is frustrating. Does it provide for a juicy discussion? Absolutely. But nothing fruitful comes out of these discussions.
So let me share the practices of five devout Muslims (names changed to protect the innocent) and true blue Americans, who join the holiday spirit with their communities in positive ways.
One: A hijab wearing Muslim woman said she gave $20 gift cards to her garbage collectors before Christmas, thinking about the prophets who used to embrace the “untouchables” in the communities.
Two: Three years ago, a young Muslim youth leader asked for support in adopting Christian families. He collaborated with Muslim communities and local churches and ended up adopting nearly 150 families over two Christmas seasons.
Three: The Imam of a mosque sent an e-mail to his congregation, seeking volunteers to “visit area Churches/Christian organizations before Christmas to deliver a gift basket and wish them Happy Holidays.”
Four: A student writes over a dozen greeting cards to her Christian friends, every year, wishing them season’s greetings and a new year of health and wellness. Her dad gives gift cards to his employees.|
Five: A Muslim convert who collects good quality coats and jackets every year and distributes them for free, before Christmas, to the folks at local shelters.|If these five people were “celebrating Christmas,” then yes, I support all American Muslims to celebrate Christmas in the same vein.
But it’s becoming fashionable for some American Muslims — generally upper class — to hold Western style Christmas parties “honoring Jesus.” I wonder if that’s a desperate attempt to assimilate — because you can’t honor a hallow figure with a shallow festivity.
Imagine if an alien were to visit such a Christmas party, knowing the party was in the honor of a famous personality, would he be able to guess the attributes of that personality? Looking at a largely upper class crowd dressed in designer clothing, would he reckon Jesus as the liberator of the poor? Listening to the small talk would he fathom Jesus to be a great ethical teacher? Looking at a dinner table with 20 food choices for ten people, would he believe Jesus urged his followers to feed the hungry?
Halfway into the discussion, such folks say: Can’t we just celebrate Christmas because it’s fun? You can, I say. Just don’t put the label of religion over it.
Even if Muslim Americans agree with the service approach of “how to celebrate,” the question, “why to celebrate” remains. Why go out of the cozy comfort zone? Why not stay home and unplug?
The answer is simple. Serving mankind is part of a Muslim’s faith. Like Jesus, Prophet Muhammad’s life is replete with acts of helping the poor, feeding the hungry, embracing the outcast and serving people — indiscriminately. The Prophet also urged his followers to exchange gifts in order to remove the bitterness between hearts.
I say, Muslim Americans: Go be a part of the joy of the season. But as you send your children to embrace the garbage collectors and adopt neglected families, remind them not to celebrate Christmas seeking worldly gain or social acceptance. “We feed you for Allah’s pleasure only. We desire no reward nor thanks” (Qur’an 76:10).
What About Christians Who Live In Islamic Countries?
Every family has unique Christmas traditions. For TEAM (a Christian mission organization) families working in Muslim-majority countries, Christmas in not just a time to gather with loved ones, but also to welcome friends who often don’t understand the true meaning of the holiday.
Since every country is different, their experiences might not reflect what happens in other regions of the Muslim world, or even on the other side of town. But their insights can help us see Christmas from a slightly different angle.
Sam and Barb (not their real names)
“We always try to make our house inviting and interesting for our Muslim neighbors and friends on Christmas. When we visit them on their Eids (holidays), we also make it clear that they are welcome to return the visit on our Eids, Christmas and Easter. We decorate with lights in windows and with a tree, so that there is something they know about and we can start talking about. Many neighbors come just to have a look at and have a picture with the tree. We think about what we will say concerning the tree and how we will bring the discussion to Jesus in every way possible.
“It’s important to notice how they make their Eids special and do at least some of that to communicate that this is a special occasion for us. So if you don’t bother to have new clothes on, the main impression you give may be, ‘Obviously, this isn’t very special or important.’lollipop.
“We have good books out on the coffee table with paintings and other things to be attractive. We talk with them about Jesus’ birth and our shared beliefs about that. Particularly, we like to emphasize the virgin birth and how unique that makes Jesus. This is something they can readily agree with. Then we try to move on to why that is important.”
Mark and Claire (not their real names)
“In keeping with local custom, we have distributed gifts of food (fruit,
cakes, sweet rice) to our neighbors on Christmas Day to show that we
are celebrating our holy day. On their holidays they will often do the
same — send plates of chicken and rice or homemade confections to
neighbors.
“National Christians tend to celebrate Christmas following all of the
Western traditions associated with it, including those that do not have
any religious significance such as decorating a tree and putting
presents under it. Some of our colleagues have also put up Christmas trees and decorated their houses, but then have had to explain to guests that such things are simply a tradition and not part of Christian worship. We have avoided Western cultural traditions for worry that it will confuse the message we hope to share with our friends — that Christmas is about remembering the birth of Jesus. “We have had friends read the Christmas story out of the Bible when they visited us for dinner over the Christmas holidays. They also
consider the Injil (the Gospels) to be a Holy Book, so they are quite
happy to read out of it.”
Brent and Mary (not their real names)
“In Muslim cultures, it is important to visit friends on special occasions. We usually have different families drop in for a visit on Christmas Day. We try to get our family activities done early, since we know that people will begin arriving to wish us well. One Christmas morning we didn’t make it — an old man who we have known since ithe mid-’70s came shuffling up to our door to greet us and wish us well — at 6 a.m.
“Greeting one’s friends and family on holidays is an important cultural value. It is an honor and a sign of respect to drop in on a friend, and the same is true of Muslims and Christmas. So our Muslim friends often call or stop in to visit on Christmas Day to wish us a happy Christmas.
“Both in our home and in the hospital where we work, we usually decorate and display a nativity set during December, which serves as a stimulus for questions regarding our celebrations. Muslims believe that Jesus was born of a virgin birth and was a great prophet. In fact, they accept that he is the only prophet who is alive. But it is not their tradition to celebrate his birth. The decorations and festivities, in the hospital and our home, give ample opportunity to share why his birth means so much to us and is a cause for us to celebrate.”
Should Muslims Celebrate Christmas?
A celebration is an occasion that individuals or groups have as part of a festival or an event. Many celebrations are linked directly with religion, such as Christmas, Easter, Eid, Hanukkah, Nawroz and Diwali. Therefore, religious holidays are celebrated because they mark a significant importance in that actual religion. Other celebrations which are not modernly associated with religion, but have pagan roots include Halloween.
Muslims celebrate two main religious festivals every year called Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr. Eid Al-Adhaa is celebrated after the Hajj; the pilgrimage to Makkah in /?Saudi Arabia. It is celebrated worldwide in commemoration of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael, which was replaced by a sheep as a sacrifice instead. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated to mark the end of Ramadan; the 9th month of the Islamic calendar in which Muslims fast each day from sunrise to sunset.
These Two ‘Eids are the only religious festivals (‘Eids), and the word ‘Eid’ in Arabic means, “an occasion that recurs each year.” When the Prophet Muhammad came to Madina (the City of the Prophet in the West of Saudi Arabia) he saw that the people of the city were celebrating two festivals, and he said to them:“Indeed! Allah has given you in their stead better than them, the ‘Eid of Fitr and the ‘Eid of Al-Adhaa.” [Abu Dawud: 1134]
As with most faiths, Islam too encourages Muslims to hold strongly onto their religious identity, as seen in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad above
Besides the above two mentioned Eids, Muslims are forbidden from taking part in any Eids or recurring festivities, especially when they have a non-islamic religious background.
Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” [Abu Dawood: 4031]
This Hadith reminds the Muslims not to follow or copy the ways of the other religions. This is in order to safeguard his (or her) faith because the easiest way to deviate from the true message of any religion is when its followers start imitating the ways of other beliefs. Hence, for Muslims, anything that goes against their religious teachings is not allowed to be practiced. One could draw similarities to any individual who decides not to celebrate or do something because it goes against their religious, moral or ethical values.
With regards to Christmas, this is a celebration to commemorate the birth of Jesus whom Christians regard as the son of God or as part of a trinity (partner) with God. Muslims therefore do not celebrate this because, although they believe in Jesus, they do not accept or believe that he is God or the son of God.
However, although Muslims do not partake in other religious festivals and celebrations, it is important, especially while living in a secular country or countries that are governed by a different religion, to remember not to cause enmity or physically express hatred towards those who are involved in these celebrations. This can be seen clearly in the example of the Prophet Muhammad when he dealt with people of other religions, he would not partake in their celebrations and would not interfere in the matter.Although, a minority of Muslims celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, this is not based on any of the teachings of the Prophet himself, nor the actions of his disciples. Muslims are not supposed to base their choice of a celebration on their culture, emotions or preferences, but rather, base it on evidences in their religion. For a Muslim to not celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad or the birthday of Jesus does not mean in any way that Muslims lack the respect or love for them, but as mentioned earlier, they are doing as commanded by the Prophet himself.
Culture Wars: Muslims And Christmas
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Last Updated: 11/2021
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