Do Muslims celebrate Christmas?

Anis Ansari, Clinton
Letter to the Editor

December 22, 2006 09:20 pm

— Every year people ask me, do you celebrate Christmas? In the past, I have had difficulty answering this question. Now when I ask my Christian friends how they celebrate Christmas, their answer happens to be the same as mine.
I send holiday cards to my friends and peers, give Christmas gifts to my co-workers and employees, get together with family and friends from different parts of the country, contribute to charities and pray for world peace.
Muslims believe very strongly in Jesus Christ (peace be upon Him). He is one of 25 noble prophets mentioned by name in Holy Quran. He is respected and revered as any other prophet including Adam, Noah, Moses and prophet Mohammed (pbuh).
All Muslims believe in Jesus’ miraculous birth (only human being created without a father), miracles He performed, for example bringing dead to life, healing the leper, etc., his ascension to heaven and finally his return to earth one day.
Description of Jesus’ birth is explained in great detail in the Quran in chapter 19 named after Mary called “Maryam.” The God reveals that after giving birth, the pain of her childbirth drove her close to the palm tree. She was consoled by an angel saying that if she shook the trunk of the palm tree it will drop fresh, ripe dates upon her so she should eat and drink and refresh herself. This description points out that the birth of Jesus must have been in warm weather and not in winter as we celebrate now.
When Mary returned to town people started to inquire about the baby. She told them that she had vowed a fast for God, “so I will not speak to anyone today,” she just pointed to the baby who was in a cradle, only a few days old. It is the miracle of God that Jesus spoke to people saying that, “I am indeed a servant of Allah (God). He has given me the book (Bible) and made me a prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I may be. He has commanded me to establish prayer and give charity as long as I live. He has exhorted me to honor my mother and has not made me domineering, hard to deal with. Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I shall die and the day I shall be raised to life again.”
Muslims have throughout the history had respect and tolerance for Christianity. In fact, there is an example when at the time of prophet Mohammad (pbuh), a delegation of 60 Christians from Najran in Yemen visited our prophet. When the time of their prayer came they asked him permission to perform this in his mosque in Medina where they were staying. He answered, “conduct your service here in the mosque, it is a place consecrated to God.”
It is due to Islamic ideals of respect and tolerance that the key of the holiest Christian shrine in Jerusalem, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher remains entrusted with the Muslim family as it has been for more than 1,400 years.
It is these facts that the Muslims feel very strongly about celebrating Jesus’ birthday since his birth and his miracles are unparalleled in human history and which never happened to any other prophet.
It is more important to hold lecture and worship to commemorate his teachings and practices in these times of the year in order to make Christmas more meaningful. In this sense I am happy to say that Muslims do celebrate Christmas.