1980-January-4

Bilalian News

The Meaning of Christmas

Imam Wallace Deen Muhammad

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem

It is important that we American Muslims keep separate in our mind's eye the meaning of Christmas for the Church and Christmastide for the sordid players. The two spirits are as far apart as Christ and Old Nick.

Most often, the Christian will be welcoming his holiday season as an opportunity for restoring his family's warmth and cheer. Many will meet the holiday as workers celebrating this chance to relax with relatives and friends for a few days.

With reference to a saying of the Holy Prophet, your Imam calls attention to the fact that Muslims are to contribute to the wholesomeness of Christian religious holiday festivals: an indication of the Muslim role in promoting respect for wholesome and sacred celebrations is found in the teaching of Prophet Muhammad, which prohibits arbitrary fasting during the holidays of people of the Book. The purpose serves to preserve and to promote solemn respect for God and for the sacred devotion of all people.

May we embrace the wholesome expressions and good cheer and warmhearted gifts in Christian society and not to celebrate non-Islamic holidays. A Muslim gives the signal of affirmation to whatever is good in society providing that Muslim's role in encouraging the good does not violate law, principle or spirit of Al-Islam.

The following words of caution are as much in the spirit of, and compatible with, established Christian virtues as with the Islamic faith itself: Bad deeds lead to ruin. Good deeds lead to salvation. Allah orders the doing of good by the close relatives, by the needy, and by the down-and-out stranger. Feeding the fires of lust gives the victim to sin and corruption. The spendthrifts are the brothers of the devils.

Holiness and cheerful seasons greetings to all our Christian friends and neighbors.