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A Holy Day?
As we come to the end of another year on the Gregorian calendar we ought to reflect upon the pagan practices and customs celebrated by the disbelievers. While one may look upon these celebrations as innocent holidays and something purely cultural, it is vital to know the roots of holidays like Christmas and New Years. Furthermore, it is vital for us as Muslims to understand the detrimental consequences of celebrating holidays that run counter to our deen and aqeedah. Join us in this month’s issue of Idraak, as we explore the history and dangers of pagan holidays, the ongoing efforts of our brothers and sisters in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime and the importance of having unity in the ummah.
Did you Know?
The names of the months of the Gregorian calendar are based on the names of pagan deities and emperors, such as July for Julius Caesar. While the global system works on this calander, it is important to know its origins and know that January 1st is not the first day of the islamic Hijri calendar and we do not celebrate New Years.
Egoism, Luxury & Disunity
Since the dissolution of the Ottoman empire in 1922, the state of the entire Ummah has been one of disunity and occupation by the secular liberal West. Whether its constant political upheaval, political overthrows and assassinations, or the forceful adoption and enforcement of secular liberal values, the Ummah has not been truly independent for over 100 years. We have learned to always be suspicious of our rulers as they might be agents of the West, complete or partial sellouts of Islam, or unwilling political players who have to accept Western political, economic, and military domination. All of this has turned the Ummah into one large ineffective body of people.
This is nothing but the fulfillment of the words of the Noble Prophet PBUH who is reported to have said in one hadith, “Soon, nations will descend upon you just as people invite one another to partake in a meal,” indicating that we will be in such a weakened state that other nations and peoples will attack and dominate us, facing little to no resistance. When asked why, he PBUH explained, “You will be many in number but you will be like the scum floating atop a river. Allah will remove fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will place in your hearts wahn (enervation).” When the Prophet PBUH was asked what wahn is, he said, “Love of this world and dislike of death.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 4297) What precise and accurate words! Not only are words of the Prophet PBUH describing our state as an Ummah, but they also perfectly encapsulate the psychology that secular liberalism teaches: individualism, egoism, consumerism, and fear of death (We will discuss these topics in the future insha’Allah).
There are many other ways we can break down and understand this comprehensive metaphor. Focusing on unity, how can we use this metaphor to understand our current state of disunity? Let us reflect on what the focus has been for many of us, especially Muslims living in the West: getting a good education, getting a good job with a good salary, getting a house, getting married and having kids, all while keeping our heads down so we don’t get in trouble with the system.
In other words, we have bought into the lie the West has sold us, the “American dream,” the middle-class life! In other words, an Islamicized American dream. Our focus on this pipe-dream causes us to lose focus of what actually matters and will make an infinitely lasting difference: worshiping Allah.
Rather than all of us being focused on one single goal, like we have been commanded to, most of us are instead focused on our individual well-being, causing us to fall into argumentation and in-fighting as each of us tries to maximize their material happiness, most of the time at the expense of another Muslim brother or sister. How many Muslims since the start of the Genocide have firmly decided to give up some of the comforts of their lives to help their dying brothers and sisters? The answer should make you realize how serious this crisis is.
The only way to resolve this crisis, throw off this toxic influence, and unite as an Ummah is to obey Allah and His Messenger PBUH. Let us heed the command of Allah when He said “He has ordained for you believers the same religion as He had enjoined upon Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you (O prophet,) and that which We had enjoined upon Ibrahim and Musa and Isa by saying, ‘Establish the religion, and be not divided therein’.” (Quran 42:13) We should never prefer ourselves and our comfort over Allah, the Messenger PBUH, or the cause of Islam, as Allah has commanded us “It is not [proper] for the people of Madinah and those surrounding them of the bedouins that they remain behind after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allah or that they prefer themselves over him.” (Quran 9:120) Our goal must be to become the loyal servants of Allah who unite upon Islam to establish the religion of Allah. May Allah help us all work towards that goal.
Role Of The Believer
For most of us living far away from the conflict and horror of the past two and a half decades, the death and destruction almost feels surreal. As we carry on with our mostly mundane lives, we tend to only follow events happening in Muslim lands only when calamity strikes, despite the constant pleas for help we see and hear online. The fact is, we have fallen short of our duty of supporting our struggling Muslim brothers and sisters, which is especially egregious knowing that Allah has commanded us to support our Muslim brothers and sisters whenever they need it from us (Quran 8:72).
At this point some might proclaim that there is nothing we can do to help, since most of us are so far away from the lands where help is needed, in particular lands such as Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan which are so isolated from the rest of the world, one might say “even when we donate or send aid, we don’t know if it will reach them, so what more could we do?” Alhamdulillah, we are not limited to sending money and aid! There is a lot we can actually do, all of us right now, to help our brothers and sisters.
First and foremost, realize our share of the blame. That’s right, we are partially to blame for the crisis facing our Ummah now. Though we are not the ones dropping bombs or blockading aid, we have knowingly or otherwise contributed to the current state of affairs. Allah made this very clear when He said in the Noble Quran, “Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have earned, so that Allah may cause them to taste (the consequences of) some of their deeds and perhaps they might return (to the Right Path)” (Quran 30:41) These calamities and others such as natural disasters are not random or human-controlled events, but rather are a result of the moral corruption and decay of people. We must ask ourselves: have we remained upon the right path or have we strayed and followed our desires? Allah in His perfect justice, did not allow these calamities to occur suddenly and all at once as punishment, but rather He gave us many decades to reflect and rectify our actions. Many have squandered this time by pursuing worldly gains and causing separation within the Ummah, but its not too late to reverse course.
Second, commit to Islam like never before. There is no doubt we are in dire need of the help of Allah, so how can we receive it? Allah tells us “O believers! If you aid the [cause of] Allah, He will aid you and make your feet firm” (Quran 47:7) We can contribute to the cause of Allah by increasing our submission to Allah, reducing or eliminating transgressions, and working to decrease kufr in all its forms. On an individual level, this means increasing the quality and quantity of our worship, and decreasing our sins and disliked actions. On a communal level, it means advising and encouraging each other to do the same.
Third, make Dua. The Prophet PBUH taught us that “Dua is the weapon of the believer” (Mustadrak 1836). Despite this teaching, some people still disregard this very important act of worship. Imam Shafi’i said in a couplet of poetry “Do you mock dua and make light of it / while you do not know what it has done / The arrows of the night do not miss, rather / they have an end and every end is fulfilled.” Why would we not use the most powerful weapon at our disposal?
Finally, we must cease bickering and arguing, and unite as an Ummah! Despite having a population of two billion, we Muslims are one of the weakest groups of people in the world. Not a surprise since we are our own worst enemy! Many among us frequently partake in arguing, infighting, and fruitless discussions, all about the smallest issues that are of no consequence or benefit, all against the advice of Allah who said “Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not dispute with one another, or you would be discouraged and weakened.” (Quran 8:46) How can we unite as one Ummah if we are busy deviating from obedience to Allah and His Messenger PBUH, and trying to prove each other wrong? We must make an effort to put aside all argumentation and focus on unity. Otherwise, forget ever freeing Palestine or saving other Muslims.
Did you Know?
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them” (Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4031). Taking this Sahih hadith into account, we ought to think twice before wishing others “Merry Christmas” or “Happy New Year.” To imitate the Kufar is to become one of them and it is best to avoid such actions, especially when wishing them well in celebrations related to shirk and paganism. Be kind to all but remember to do so within the bounds of Islam.
Holiday, Holy Day?
What significance does the birth of Isa AS hold for Muslims? While the circumstances and occurrences of his birth are important for us, the date of his birth should be of little concern for the believers. For Muslims living in the west, especially the youth, Christmas time may be a subject of confusion. A child may see that his non Muslim peers are having a wonderful time celebrating the holidays and receiving gifts, specifically under the connotation of the birth of a prophet who holds great significance in Islam, and may feel left out or confused. However it is vital to understand that the Isa AS of Islam and the Jesus of Christianity may on the surface be referring to the same individual, they are by matters of faith and creed, completely unrelated. We need to first and foremost explain to our children that Christmas in truth, has nothing to do with Isa AS and that the Christian view of Jesus is one embedded in falsehood and shirk.
To understand why we must avoid celebrating Christmas we ought to look at three subjects; the view of Isa in Islam versus Christianity, the pagan origins of Christmas, and the forbiddance of celebrating non Islamic holidays for Muslims. Isa AS in Islam is a prophet of great importance as he is the messiah who will return in the end times to aid Muslims in victory. However, in Christianity Jesus is considered a god. The blatant shirk of considering Isa both the son of God and a part of God goes against the very foundation of our faith: tawheed. In Surah Ikhlas it is plainly written “He neither begets, nor is he born” (Quran 112:3). How can we celebrate the birth of someone considered the son of God, Allah forbid!
Regarding Christmas we ought to also ask if this was even the day Isa AS was born. According to the Quran, Maryum AS the mother of Isa was told to shake a date tree during labour causing ripe fresh dates to fall (19:25). Given the presence of dates this would place the date of birth some time between June to October, with October being an assumption based on the ease with which the dates fell. To further clarify the suspicious nature of Christmas, it should be noted that there is no mention anywhere in the Christian bible about the birthdate of Jesus.
If we are to further look at the bible to understand the pagan roots of Christmas, the Book of Jeremiah specifically warns believers not to “cut down trees, fasten them to the ground and deck them with silver and gold” (Jeremiah 10: 3-5). Most historic researchers have noted that December 25th was widely celebrated by the Romans as the winter solstice and the birth of the Sun god, more shirk upon shirk. The festival of shirk at the end of December was known as Saturnalia and was celebrated on December 25th. Historians have estimated that by 380CE when the emperor Theodosius changed the Roman empire’s official religion to Christianity, the birth of the “Sun god” was slowly replaced by the birth of the “son of God!” May Allah protect us from shirk. Finally, it is clear cut that as Muslims we should not partake in anything that involves shirk or bidah.
Furthermore, Allah has given us two days of celebration which we are grateful for. It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said: “The people of the Jahiliyyah had two days each year when they would play. When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) came to Al-Madinah he said: You had two days when you would play, but Allah (SWT) has given Muslims something instead that is better than them: the day of Al-Fitr and the day of Al-Adha” (An-Nasa’i 1556). Ignoring all the reasons given above as to why we ought not to celebrate Christmas, (or any other holidays of the kuffar) this Sahih Hadith should be enough to remind us that as we Muslims we should be content celebrating the two days of Eid given to us by Allah SWT. May Allah protect us from shirk and kufr and keep us firm upon As-Sirat al Mustaqeem. Ameen.
Jazakum Allahu Khayr for reading! Stay tuned for our next issue of Idraak at the end of January 2025 insha’Allah.
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