Leaders of the Islamic community assure that values socially attributed to Christmas, such as family union and love for neighbor, are present in Muslim belief, even if they do not celebrate the holiday
Muslims believe that Jesus was miraculously conceived, just like ChristiansShutterstock
We are in Christmas season. A festivity that commemorates the birth of Jesus and encourages family union, through the delivery of gifts. If Islam recognizes the miraculous birth of Jesus and considers him part of its prophets. Why don’t Muslims join this celebration?
“In Islam Jesus is a prophet and a messenger of God, who was granted the ability to perform many miracles to prove that he was a messenger of God,” says Ahmad Bhattay, imam and teacher of the Muslim community in Panama, to this medium.
“(In the Koran) numerous scenes and miracles of Jesus are mentioned, such as reviving the dead and healing lepers and the blind,” explains Bhattay, who points out that the birth of Jesus was a “great miracle” because he was conceived without father, from his mother Mary, a “pious woman, who will be one of the leaders in paradise”.
The reason why it is not celebrated, says the imam, is that Islam has the objective of “thanking Allah the Almighty through worship, so the festivities are done through worship, prostrating before God as thanks.” which rules out, to a large extent, the great social festivities.
Imam Marwan Sarwar Gill, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Argentina, noted in an article he published in infobaethat within Islam “births are not celebrated”.
“We don’t even celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam, although he is the most dear and important person for a Muslim,” he added.
Even so, Bhattay said that Islam has as its objective “the strengthening of spirituality, human values, social coexistence and actions”, therefore, “any beliefs that are dedicated to these objectives are respected, because each one has the freedom to choose the belief that convinces you”.
In this line, Sarwar Gill, affirmed that every Muslim “reveres and celebrates Jesus”, although not Christmas. “It is a mandatory part of the Islamic faith to recognize and accept Jesus (peace be upon him) as a messenger and prophet of God. We do not consider him a son of God or a partner in Divinity, but we do consider him a true prophet who was sent as Messiah to reform the 12 tribes of the Israel people,” he said.
The closest celebration that the Muslim people have to Christmas is the breaking of the fast in the month of Ramadan. “In the month of Ramadan, a great worship is performed with fasting and at the time of breaking the fast, Muslims gather to break it together as a family at one table, to thank God,” Bhattay explained.
“Excepting this, all the events they commemorate in the year are not celebrated, rather they are considered as a lesson and a reflection,” the imam added.
“Islam proposes to celebrate the prophets by remembering their achievements, valuing their sacrifices, practicing their teachings, adapting their noble examples and praying for their souls. The celebration of the prophets should not be limited to just one day, but every day.” days throughout the year,” Sarwar Gill said.
A call for respect
Father Miguel Keller told La Estrella de Panamá that it is important that Christians “respect” the beliefs of those who do not share the Christian faith and be a “witness” so that “those people see that for us Christmas is celebrating the faith and not fall into consumerism”.
For Bhattay, it is a “duty of all” to enjoy the religious diversity that Panama has. “It is our responsibility to recognize each other, because our creator and father unite.”