Many Muslims feel that by celebrating, or even acknowledging the Christmas holiday, they are going against their monotheistic belief. Jesus, son of Mary (peace be upon him) known as Isa ibn, Maryam is a revered prophet in Islam. Like Christianity, Muslims also believe Jesus (peace be upon him) to be the Messiah.
** The Christmas story is told in the Quran with a sense of wonder at the miracle wrought by God. It goes as follows: “And remember Mary in the Book, when she withdrew from her family to an eastern place. And she veiled herself from them.
Most Muslims around the world don't put up Christmas trees. Some may even discourage it because it's a Christian tradition.
Most mainstream Muslims would generally agree they worship the same God that Christians — or Jews — worship. Zeki Saritoprak, a professor of Islamic studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, points out that in the Quran there's the Biblical story of Jacob asking his sons whom they'll worship after his death.
So, what Islamic holidays do Muslims even celebrate? Islam has two official holidays: Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. The former is celebrated at the end of the month of Ramadan, whereas Eid Al-Adha lands on the 10th day of the final month of the Islamic calendar.
“Everything that brings people together is good. There is nothing wrong with celebrating Valentine's Day as long as morals are respected,” Battikh said. “(Preachers) must urge people to love each other as love is part of Islamic values. To love God is to love all people,” he added.
On December 5, Muslims celebrate Ashura. Sunnis, the largest group of Muslims, remember that the Prophet Mohammad fasted in solidarity with Jews who were observing Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Shiites recall the death of Mohammad's grandson in battle, an event that led to their differences with the Sunnis.
In Islam, the most common name of God is Allah, similar to Eloah in the Old Testament. The vast majority of the world's Christians adhere to the doctrine of the Trinity, which in creedal formulations states that God is three hypostases (the Father, the Son and the Spirit) in one ousia (substance).
Indeed, Arabic-speaking Christians call God Allah. That may be jarring to modern day US Christians (who tend to think of Allah as “the god of Islam”), but the term existed in the Arabic world long before Islam arrived on the scene, and it is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew word Elohim.
Accordingly, Muslim scholars reject the Christian canonical Gospels, which they say are not the original teachings of Jesus and which they say have been corrupted over time.
There is a general consensus among Sunni and Shia fiqh experts that Surah Al-Baqarah 221 and Surat Al‑Mumtahanah 10 ban Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men. This consensus is still standing strong. On the other hand, the Quran allows Muslim men to marry non-Muslim women (“People of the Book”).
According to the Irish Times, "a majority of Muslims" follow the view taken by modern scholars such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi that music is forbidden "only if it leads the believer into activities that are clearly defined as prohibited, such as drinking alcohol and illicit sex".
Quoting from Muslim scholars, Munajjid argued that to build a snowman was to create an image of a human being, an action considered sinful under the kingdom's strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.
For many Muslims, Christmas is just like any normal day in the calendar year, but acts as more of a marker for a period of rest and winding down as the rest of the country comes to a halt.
But what is it that Muslims do at Christmas, if they have no religious link? The fact is that Muslims do the same as everyone else who is not a practising Christian at Christmas. They spend time with loved ones, enjoying the holiday period. There is no requirement that one be a Christian to enjoy the season after all.
Generally, there is nothing wrong with wishing someone good health and well-being every year and that God bless them all the time. However, some Muslims might view that others are exaggerating with their New Year festivities.
It is typical in the speech of Arab Christians, for instance, although they may occasionally substitute religious expressions that are specific to the Christian community. It is most typically used to express hope that a certain future event will come about, like the English-language expression God willing.
Isa (Arabic: عِيسَى, romanized: ʿĪsā or Eissa) is a classical Arabic name and a translation of Jesus. The name Isa is the name used for Jesus in the Quran. However, it is not the only translation; it is most commonly associated with Jesus as depicted in Islam, and thus, commonly used by Muslims.
As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. Hinduism has been called the world's oldest religion still practised, though some debate remains.
Christianity was born from within the Jewish tradition, and Islam developed from both Christianity and Judaism. While there have been differences among these religions, there was a rich cultural interchange between Jews, Christians, and Muslims that took place in Islamic Spain and other places over centuries.
Of course, Jesus was a Jew. He was born of a Jewish mother, in Galilee, a Jewish part of the world. All of his friends, associates, colleagues, disciples, all of them were Jews. He regularly worshipped in Jewish communal worship, what we call synagogues.
Aramaic is best known as the language Jesus spoke. It is a Semitic language originating in the middle Euphrates. In 800-600 BC it spread from there to Syria and Mesopotamia. The oldest preserved inscriptions are from this period and written in Old Aramaic.
Are you wondering, "What is Eid al-Adha?" For starters, Eid al-Adha is the largest Muslim holiday of the year, which is why it's sometimes called "The Greater Festival."
The Night of Power, one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, is the holiest night of the year. Conversely, the Day of Arafah, the day before Eid al-Adha, is the holiest day of the Islamic year.
Likewise, birthdays aren't directly prohibited but according to the Ijma, which means scholarly consensus based on the Quran and Sunnah, it's prohibited.