Greetings Salaam (Peace)on the Birth of Jesus Christ the son of Mary
Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, the Messenger of God, said (as narrated in Quran):
عیسیٰ مسیح ابن مریم رسول اللہ نے فرمایا: وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُ (القرآن؛سورة مريم، آیت ٣٣)
سلام ہے مجھ پر جس دن میں پیدا ہوا (القرآن؛سورة مريم، آیت ٣٣)
Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was born (Quran Surah Mary;19:33)
Muslims don’t believe Jesus was the son of God, but they do revere him as a holy prophet.
Muslims love Jesus, too: 6 things you didn’t know about Jesus in Islam
Christmas, as everyone knows, commemorates the birth of Jesus and is a major religious celebration for Christians around the world. But what many people don’t know is that Jesus is an important figure in Islam, too, even though most Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. (But some, especially some American Muslims, do celebrate it for cultural reasons!)
In honor of the holiday, here are six things you may not know about the role of Jesus — and his mother, Mary — in Islam:
1.Jesus Christ (عليه السلام), Mary, and the angel Gabriel are all prominent characters in the Qur’an (as are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and a bunch of other Bible characters).
2. Muslims believe that Jesus (called “Isa” in Arabic) was a prophet of God and was born to a virgin (Mary). They also believe he will return to Earth before the Day of Judgment to restore justice and defeat al-Masih ad-Dajjal, or “the false messiah” — also known as the Antichrist. All of this may sound pretty familiar to many Christians. (The fact that Muslims know that “al-Masih ad-Dajjal” is the Arabic name for the Antichrist created some…
3. Mary (called “Maryam” in Arabic) has an entire chapter in the Qur’an named for her — the only chapter-19 in the Qur’an named for a female figure. In fact, Mary is the only woman to be mentioned by name in the entire Qur’an. As noted in the Study Quran, “other female figures are identified only by their relation to others, such as the wife of Adam and the mother of Moses, or by their title, such as the Queen of Sheba.” Mary is mentioned more times in the Qur’an than in the entire New Testament of the Bible.
3. Just as they do with all the other prophets, including Muhammedﷺ, Muslims recite “peace be upon him” (Arabic: عليه السلام) after every time they refer to Jesus by name.
4.Muslims believe that Jesus (عليه السلام) performed miracles: The Qur’an discusses several of Jesus’s miracles, including giving sight to the blind, healing lepers, raising the dead, and breathing life into clay birds.
5.The story of Jesus’s (عليه السلام) birth as told in the Qur’an is also the story of his first miracle, when he spoke as an infant in the cradle and declared himself to be a prophet of God. Here’s the story:
.And remember Mary in the Book, when she withdrew from her family to an eastern place. And she veiled herself from them. Then We [God] sent unto her Our Spirit [the angel Gabriel], and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man. She said, “I seek refuge from thee in the Compassionate [i.e., God], if you are reverent!” He said, “I am but a messenger of thy Lord, to bestow upon thee a pure boy.”
. She said, “How shall I have a boy when no man has touched me, nor have I been unchaste?” He said, “Thus shall it be. Thy Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me.’” And [it is thus] that We might make him a sign unto mankind, and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter decreed.
. So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a place far off. And the pangs of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date palm. She said, “Would that I had died before this and was a thing forgotten, utterly forgotten!” So he called out to her from below her, “Grieve not! Thy Lord has placed a rivulet beneath thee. And shake toward thyself the trunk of the date palm; fresh, ripe dates shall fall upon thee. So eat and drink and cool thine eye. And if thou seest any human being, say, ‘Verily I have vowed a fast unto the Compassionate, so I shall not speak this day to any man.’”
. Then she came with him [the infant Jesus] unto her people, carrying him. They said, “O Mary! Thou hast brought an amazing thing! O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not an evil man, nor was thy mother unchaste.” Then she pointed to him [Jesus]. They said, “How shall we speak to one who is yet a child in the cradle?”
He [Jesus] said, “Truly I am a servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. He has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I live, and [has made me] dutiful toward my mother. And He has not made me domineering, wretched. Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised alive!”
That is Jesus son of Mary— a statement of the truth, which they doubt.
So although Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the son of God — a critically important distinction between Muslim and Christian views of him —Muslims do revere Jesus as an important prophet (peace be upon him). The only non Christian faith to believe in Jesus Christ and revere him.
Read Quran Chapter-19 , Mary (Translation) … https://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sarwar/19:1
Courtesy: https://www.vox.com/2017/12/18/10660648/jesus-in-islam-muslims-believe-christmas-quran
Quran Honors Places of Worship of Jews, /Christians and Muslims
“Permission to take up arms is hereby granted to those who are attacked; they have suffered injustice. God has all the power to give victory (39) to those who were unjustly expelled from their homes only because they said, “God is our Lord.” Had it not been for God’s repelling some people through the might of the others, the monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which God is very often worshipped would have been utterly destroyed. God shall certainly help those who help Him. He is All-powerful and Majestic. (40) He will certainly help those who, if given power in the land, will worship God through prayer, pay the religious tax, enjoin others do good, and prevent them from committing evil. The consequence of all things is in the hands of God”. (Quran:22:41)
Muslims debate on Christmas
Is it really ‘shirk’ to wish someone a Merry Christmas?
If saying “Merry Christmas” implies belief in Jesus’s status as son of God, the same would apply to saying…
As Christmas is nearing, I am starting to see the occasional anti-Christmas messages on the internet that say that greeting on the occasion of Christmas is haram (forbidden) according to scholarly consensus. Some are claiming that saying “Merry Christmas” is tantamount to committing “shirk” or associating partners with Allah.
Of the many clerics that push this view, Dr Zakir Naik is a prominent one. He says,
“What people don’t realize is that when you are wishing Merry Christmas, you are agreeing that Jesus Christ was born on the December 25th and… he is the son of God… which is shirk.”
True, Islam is based on the fundamental principle of Oneness of God (Tauheed). Accordingly, associating any partners with God (Shirk) is the biggest sin in Islam. The Holy Quran preaches that God begets none and is not begotten. But is it really ‘shirk’ to wish someone a happy Christmas?
Islam is the only faith (other than Christianity) that makes it mandatory for its followers to believe in the truth and divine mission of Jesus. The Holy Quran teaches that Jesus Christ was a true prophet of God. In this role, he was similar to other prophets e.g. Prophet Adam, Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet David and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Jesus Christ was sent as the Messiah to the Children of Israel to reform and lead them in spirituality.
Though historians have debated the exact date, hundreds of millions of Christians world over mark December 25th as Christ’s birthday. It is a time of festivity and community for them. As such, saying “Merry Christmas” is merely a gesture of goodwill and love, and nothing else. How this implies an agreement with the notion that Jesus was the son of God, or a sworn testimony that he was definitely born that day, is beyond me. It is simply ridiculous.
If saying “Merry Christmas” implies belief in Jesus’s status as son of God, the same would apply to many other things e.g. saying ‘Goodbye’. Goodbye was coined from the longer phrase “God be with ye.” Though I believe we all have the same one God, those who immerse themselves into meaningless intricacies should know that this God (originally in Goodbye) is the God that most Christians believe begot a son.
So, is saying goodbye also haram and equal to committing shirk?
Similarly, when a Christian says “God bless you,” do we question what they mean by God and are we guilty of equating partners with Allah, just because they might hold a different notion of God?
We know that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) even allowed a delegation of Byzantine Christians from Najran to worship in his own mosque in Madina. When they asked for a place to worship, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) responded,
“Conduct your service here in the mosque. It is a place consecrated to God.”
Did the Prophet (PBUH) commit shirk (God forbid) by allowing Christians to worship in his mosque, knowing that they took Prophet Jesus as a son of God?
Some who preach against wishing Christmas also argue that it was originally a pagan celebration, adopted three centuries after Christ to appease the pagans. History aside, how does a mere birthday wish imply that we have become pagan or subscribed to a pagan ritual? Once upon a time, the pagans performed Tawaaf (circuits) around the Kaaba with 365 idols within its walls. Even though I agree that the Kaaba was originally a House of the one true God, saying that wishing Merry Christmas makes one guilty of pagan-hood is still ludicrous to propose.
And here is more. The names of the days of the week are based on Greek gods too – Sunday, for example, was Sun’s day and Monday was Moon’s day, etc.
Is it shirk to say these names too?
My point is that all that matters is your heart, and Allah rewards all actions according to one’s intentions. Is your intention when wishing someone “Merry Christmas” to admit Jesus’s status as God or His son? Or is it to share happiness and express love for them? Think of it this way – when a non-Muslim says “Eid Mubarak” to you, what comes to your mind first:
“What a decent guy, and what nice gesture of interfaith love,”
Or,
“Wow! He is finally convinced fasting in Ramazan is a tenet of faith! Alhamdolillah!”
This Christmas, reach out to your Christian friends and neighbours in Pakistan. Wish them well, partake in their joy and give them presents if you have the means to. Many Christians in Pakistan live in isolated colonies and many, unfortunately, live their lives in the lower socio-economic class. Many have seen discrimination and some have even been attacked in the past. Make sure to befriend your Christian citizens, engage them and always protect them.
To all Christians in Pakistan, and world over, a very happy Christmas!
https://tribune .com .pk /article/31033/ is-it-really-shirk-to-wish-someone-a-merry-christmas-zakir-naik
What is A.D / C.E or BCE Calendar? A Shirk / Polytheism
Standardized under the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the system spread throughout Europe and the Christian world during the centuries that followed. AD stands for “Anno Domini”, Latin for “in the year of the Lord”, while BC stands for “before Christ”.
CE stands for “common (or current) era”, while BCE stands for “before the common (or current) era”. These abbreviations have a shorter history than BC and AD, although they still date from at least the early 1700s. They have been in frequent use by Jewish academics for more than 100 years, but became more widespread in the later part of the 20th century, replacing BC/AD in a number of fields, notably science and academia.
Why Have Some People Adopted BCE/CE?
An important reason for adopting BCE/CE is religious neutrality. Since the Gregorian calendar has superseded other calendars to become the international standard, members of non-Christian groups may object to the explicitly Christian origins of BC and AD. Particularly problematic is AD (“in the year of the Lord”), and its unavoidable implication that the Lord in question is Jesus Christ.
Religious neutrality was the main rationale behind Jewish academics’ adoption of BCE/CE over a century ago, and continues to be its most widely cited justification. However, others object to the BC/AD system on the basis that it is objectively.
WHAT EVER YOU MAY CALL AN YEAR, A.D OR C.E , IT IS RELATED WITH ‘JESUS CHRIST’ WHO IS CONSIDERED / BELIEVED TO BE THE LORD/ SON OF GOD, ONE OF TRINITY BY CHRSITANS.
But by using this calendar with whatever prefix, it remains associated with “Jesus Christ” does not make one to be a Chrsitian , or Polytheist.
To become Chrsistian or Muslim or Jews , one has to profess their offical Creed.
So by saying ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy Christmas’ [Christ means Messiah, مسیح in Arabic / Quran] Mass means gathering.
A Muslim saying ‘Happy Christmas’ means that he is happy on birth of Jesus Christ, The son of Mary (Quranic language translation), The Messenger of Allah: [الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ (Quran:4:171)]
As once a Muslim says, Jesus Christ was born on 25 December 2021 , it does not means that on 25 December 2021 year ago Jesus Christ , the Lord of Christians was born. One person is considered Lord by Christians and the same person is considered Messenger of God by Muslims and Jews who consider him as an illegitimate child.
References:
- http://bible-christianity.blogspot.com/2011/07/jesus-jewish-perspective.html
- https://www.antidote.info/en/blog/reports/bc-and-ad-bce-and-ce-whats-difference
The names of the months & days of the week are based on Greek gods too – Sunday, for example, was Sun’s day and Monday was Moon’s day, etc.
Is it Shirk ?
Muslims offer Eid Prayers, and on Christmas Day (inclusive of its vigil, Christmas Eve), is a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, a holy day of obligation in the Roman Catholic Church, and a Principal Feast of the Anglican Communion.
As such, for Christians, attending a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service plays an important part in the recognition of the Christmas season. Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of highest annual church attendance. A 2010 survey by LifeWay Christian Resources found that six in ten Americans attend church services during this time. In the United Kingdom, the Church of England reported an estimated attendance of 2.5 million people at Christmas services in 2015.
As Christens / Non Muslims do not join Eid prayers, Muslims should not join their religious service. But just extending good wishes in appropriate words should not change one’s faith.
*کیتھولک مسیحت کا مسلمانوں کے متعلق عقیدہ و نظریہ*
جس طرح مسلمانوں میں فرقے ہیں اسی طرح مسیحت اور یہودیت میں فرقہ واریت کی طویل تاریخ ہے اسی لیے قرآن ںے اسے مشرکوں کا طریقہ کھا- ہر کرسچین اپنے مذھب پراتھا رٹی نہیں- کیتھولک مسیحیت پرانی ہے اور باقی فرقے زیادہ تر اسی سے نکلے- آیے دیکھتے ہیں کہ روم میں ویٹیکن ، پوپ کا ادارہ مسلمانوں کے متعلق کیا نظریہ رکھتے ہیں – (کئی سال قبل مسیحی اور یہودی سکالرز کے ساتھ ڈائیلاگ ہوا تھا اہم نقاط کو بلاگ میں محفوظ کر دیا ، درج ذیل ، یہ اہم بات عام مسیحیوں کو بھی شاید معلوم نہیں)
Catechism of the Catholic Church for Salvation para 841 includes Muslims
کیتھولک چرچ کی مسیحی مذہبی تعلیم، پیرا نمبر841 کے مطابق نجات کے منصوبہ میں مسلمان شامل ہیں
PART ONE , THE PROFESSION OF FAITH, SECTION TWO: “THE PROFESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH” CHAPTER THREE, PARAGRAPH 841:
841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”330 [330 LG 16; cf. NA 3.]
شاید بہت کم لوگوں کو علم ہے کہ مسیحیت کے سب سے اعلی اور قدیم کیتھولک چرچ، ویٹیکن روم کی ایمان کی تعلیمات کے مطابق مسلمان بھی نجات کے منصوبہ میں شامل ہیں. Catechism of the Catholic Church پیرا نمبر841 اور اس کا ترجمہ پیش ہے:
کیتھولک چرچ کی مسیحی مذہبی تعلیم:
مسلمانوں کے ساتھ چرچ کے تعلقات – نجات کے منصوبہ میں وہ سب لوگ بھی شامل ہیں جو خالق کو تسلیم کرتے ہیں، ان میں سب سے پہلے مسلمان آتے ہیں :جو ابرہام پرایمان کا اقرار کر تے ہیں، اور ہمارے طرح وہ بھی ایک مہربان خدا کی بَڑی عقيدَت کے ساتھ پَرَستِش کرتے ہیں جو آخرت کے دن بنی نوع انسان کا جج ہے.(کیتھولک چرچ کی مسیحی مذہبی تعلیم، پیرا،841 بحوالہ لومین گنٹیم 16 ، نومبر21، 1964)
رومن کیتھولک بائبل کے خدا کے طور پر اللہ کو تسلیم کرتا ہے. 1985 میں، پوپ جان پال II مسلم نوجوانوں کے ایک پرجوش ہجوم کو بتایا کہ:
“عیسائی اور مسلمان، ہم مومنوں کے طور پر عام میں بہت سی چیزیں ہیں اور انسان کے طور پر …. ہم ایک ہی خدا، ایک خدا، زندہ خدا میں یقین رکھتے ہیں
- ….” http://www.catholicity.com/catechism/the_church_is_catholic.html
- http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm
The Church’s relationship with Muslims. The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place among whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 841, quoting Lumen Gentium 16, November 21, 1964).
Pope John Paul II repeated this statement even more clearly when he said to Muslim youth: “We believe in the same God, the one and only God, the living God…”
Pope Declares that Allah and Jehovah are the names of same God.
Image result for god of Muslims and Christians
In his weekly general audience in late May of 1999, Pope John Paul II addressed Muslims in a series discussing “inter-religious dialog.” He quotes from the 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church n. 841 which states, “… together with us they (Muslims) adore the one, merciful, God.” The Pope and many other religious leaders today, who are being wooed into the ecumenical movement, are accepting the idea that the God of the Koran and the God of the Bible are one and the same. [Issue Date: January/February 2000]
“ELAH” is the name for God, used about 70 times in the Old Testament.
It is very similar to Arabic “Allah” or ‘Eelah’. إِلٰهَ Elahh [hla]‘ (Aramaic; el-aw’): corresponding to God. In Hebrew [hwla] ‘elowahh el-o’-ah; probably prolonged (emphat.) from [la]‘el ale; a deity or the Deity:–God, god. Again, when combined with other words, we see different attributes of God. Some examples: Elah Yerush’lem – God of Jerusalem: (Ezra;7:19), Elah Yisrael – God of Israel: (Ezra;5:1), Elah Sh’maya – God of Heaven:(Ezra 7:23). Elah Sh’maya V’Arah – God of Heaven and Earth: (Ezra;5:11).
NT quotes Jesus Christ using Aramaic ELI (God):-
Aramaic:
46ܘܠܐܦܝ ܬܫܥ ܫܥܝܢ ܩܥܐ ܝܫܘܥ ܒܩܠܐ ܪܡܐ ܘܐܡܪ ܐܝܠ ܐܝܠ ܠܡܢܐ ܫܒܩܬܢܝ ܀
“About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”[Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, Psalm 22:1]
Greek: περὶ δὲ τὴν ἐνάτην ὥραν ἀνεβόησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων· Ἠλὶ ἠλὶ λεμὰ σαβαχθάνι; τοῦτ’ ἔστιν· Θεέ μου θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες;
Arabic:
ونحو الساعة التاسعة صرخ يسوع بصوت عظيم قائلا ايلي ايلي لما شبقتني اي الهي الهي لماذا تركتني.
Hebrew Text Psalm 22:1
לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַל־אַיֶּ֥לֶת הַשַּׁ֗חַר מִזְמֹ֥ור לְדָוִֽד׃ אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָחֹ֥וק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃
’ê-lî אֵלִ֣י My God [http://biblehub.com/text/psalms/22-1.htm ]
The Islamic way to profess faith is to recite, declare; Kalimah Tayyibah kalimat aṭ-ṭaiyibah (Word of Purity), shahada.
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله
‘lā ilāha illā -llāh, muḥammadur rasūlu -llāh
There is no god (ilaha) but Allah, [and] Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
The Arab Christians also use ‘Allah’ as the name of God in the Arabic Bible.
———————–
Quran on Jews and Christians
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٦٢﴾
However, those who have become believers (the Muslims), and the Jews, the Christians and the Sabaeans who believe in God and the Day of Judgment and strive righteously will receive their reward from the Lord and will have nothing to fear nor will they be grieved. (Quran 2:62 & 5:69)
Tafseer : https://trueorators.com/quran-tafseer/2/62
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ ﴿١٧﴾
On the Day of Judgment, God will make truth and falsehood clearly distinct from each other to the believers, the Jews, the Sabeans, the Christian, the Zoroastrians, and the Pagans on the Day of Judgment. God is a Witness to all things. (Quran 22:17)
“Believe in My revelations (Quran) that confirms what I revealed to you (about Prophet Muhammad in your Scripture).(Quran 2:41)
See: *Muslim And Non-Muslim Relations Reflections On Some Qur’anic Text” By Dr.Jamal Badawi, Phd : https://salaamone.com/muslim-non-muslim-relationship/