Some Words About Faith, Knowledge, Christmas, and Jesus and Mary
By: Ryan Hunter
Tags: Christmas, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Islam, Christianity

Some Words About Faith, Knowledge, Christmas, and Jesus and Mary

Friday 25 December 2020

Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm

Dearly beloved brothers and sisters,

Salāmu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!

Peace be upon you, and the Mercy of God and His Blessings!

Merry Christmas to all commemorating the birth of Jesus the Christ!

The virtues of being a good relative, neighbor, and friend are universal human values spanning every beautiful culture and country. These virtues are well-documented and many examples elaborated upon in the tradition and example (Sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him, his beloved family, and righteous companions).

Part of being a good relative, friend, and neighbor is showing our faith (iman) and character (akhlaq) as believers (mumineen) and as Muslims through our respect (adab), goodness (khayr), and beautiful deeds (amal hasanat) to our relatives, friends, and neighbors, whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. We can also show our faith by breaking down barriers of ignorance and hatred. Ignorance (jahiliyya) is a quality disliked by God, one of Whose Most Beautiful Names is al-Alīm, the Knower/Wise.

Knowledge ('ilm) is its own reward with God. God says in His Qur'an that He deliberately made mankind into different peoples and nations so that we may come to know each other. Acquiring knowledge ('ilm) and inner recognition (marifa) is therefore a sacred religious duty for all Muslims. The beloved Prophet (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said that Muslims should "seek knowledge even unto China." Since there were no Muslims in China in the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), the knowledge the Prophet was referring to was clearly not religious knowledge, but knowledge in general. So pious Muslims should always strive to learn throughout our lives, and, no matter their stature or erudition, never cease to learn!

In this country where most people are not Muslim, God gives us all many beautiful opportunities to learn about our non-Muslim friends, colleagues, and their beliefs. Each interaction with non-Muslim family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors is a precious opportunity to beautifully reflect and embody the best of Islamic values and virtue. When we cherish and respect our non-Muslim family, friends, and neighbors, they will cherish and respect us, and insh'Allah, we will then live in ever-deepening peace, harmony, and goodwill as God desires. Let our character (akhlaq) be a beautiful example to our non-Muslim family, friends, and neighbors, so that when they think of Islam, they think only of good instead of all the evil, ignorance, and violence that media portray.

We must not be afraid of learning about other religions. We will become better Muslims as we learn more about our faith, and as we talk with our friends and neighbors about their own faith. We will value our beliefs more and treasure our beautiful religion.

Today, our Christian friends and neighbors are celebrating Christmas, the holy day held to mark the birth of the Messiah/al-Masīh, Hz. 'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the Christ, Son of Mary), may God's peace and blessings be upon them both. This is the second holiest day of the year for Christians. I myself was a Christian for the first 28 years of my life before embracing Islam, and I have always felt and kept a deep connection to Jesus and Mary, may God's peace be upon both of them.

Today Christians remember the birth of Jesus the Christ (the English word 'Christ' comes from the Greek "Khristos", which means al-Masīh, Messiah, which means the Lord's Anointed/Chosen). While Muslims do not believe that Jesus is God or the Son of God, we love him and his blessed mother as the Holy Qur'an calls them Signs of God, literally "ayatUllah". God mentions or refers to Jesus the Christ (peace be upon him) more than 250 times in the Holy Qur'an. The Mother of Jesus, Hz. Maryam, is revered by all Muslims as one of the holiest and highest ladies of Paradise, and she has the honor of being the only woman mentioned directly by name in the Holy Qur'an. An entire surah (chapter) is named in her honor.

Like our Christian family, friends, and neighbors, Muslims believe that God caused Hz. Maryam to conceive Hz. Isa (peace be upon him) in a miracle without a human father. The Holy Qur'an mentions this in beautiful words, and compares the parthenogenesis (virginal conception and birth) of Jesus with God's creation of our universal first father, prophet, and forebearer, Hz. Adam.

The Holy Qur'an describes Prophet Jesus as one of the most beloved messengers of God, as a prophet who miraculously spoke as an infant, healed the sick, and gave life to the dead by God's Will. The Qur'an says that he was raised alive into heaven by God, and will return to earth at God's decree to defeat the False Messiah/Antichrist and establish a reign of peace and justice. These are all beliefs we share with Christians.

God alone knows exactly when Prophet Jesus was born, and the earliest Christians and early Muslims had a multitude of different beliefs about when in fact he was born. For lovers of God who honor and love all the Prophets, the exact date of a prophet's birth does not matter, while it is helpful as a marker, sign, and source of loving reflection. This is just like the annual celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad called Mawlid an-Nabi (Milad e-Nabi, Mevlid i-Nebi); every year, the date changes with the Islamic lunar calendar. What is most important for Muslims is that we love and honor all the prophets and messengers of God. Let us always keep them in our hearts and strive to follow their example!

We must not limit our love and honor for the prophets to mere lip service and platitudes. Islam has a vast, rich, and beautiful Christological tradition of hadith (sayings) of Jesus the Christ which bring him to life in our consciousness. The beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had the deepest love and respect for Prophet Jesus and his blessed Mother Mary.

As Muslims, we believe that the prophets and messengers are those closest to God. Let this be an active love, and let us realize that loving the Prophets and learning about them increases our love for and faith in God. The Prophets point us to our Lord, as they perfectly embodied His truths and conveyed His messages. Of course, Muslims also believe that Prophet Jesus and Prophet John the Baptist (Yahya), peace be upon them, testified in the Christian Scripture of the coming of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

So, my dear brothers and sisters, while we reject the idea of God having a son in the Christian doctrinal sense of God begetting and generating His own Son---let alone the idea of such begetting somehow occurring eternally and without union and without a woman---we can certainly speak, as our Jewish friends do, of the righteous and pious among mankind being adopted into spiritual sonship by God, with the blessed Prophets, holy Imams, and Awliyyah (Saints/Friends of God) being the most beloved spiritual children of God, Jesus the Christ prominent among them. May we all become the beloved spiritual sons and daughters of God!

In the final analysis, Christmas is for so many a blessed time of seeing beloved family and friends, refocusing on what and who really matters in life, and for devout Christians and Muslims alike a reminder of the incredible life, teachings, and miracles of Christ. It is vitally important for Muslims living in the West to discover the vast tradition of who Jesus is in Islam, and to develop a lived spiritual connection to all prophets and messengers of God.

Let all our Christian family and friends know how much we love Jesus (Hz. Isa), whom the Qur'an calls "Rūh'Ullah" and "KallimatUllah"--- the Spirit of God, and Word from God. Let us always remember the words of the Holy Qur'an that we make no distinction between the messengers of God. We love them all, and we honor Jesus the Christ as the last prophet before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon both of them. Let us honor all the prophets by our words, but especially by our actions of worship, service, and good will. May God bless all His Prophets and Messengers, and raise us with them in brightness and joy on the Day of Judgement. May God bless us and forgive us by the love He has for them.

As the global pandemic has caused Christmas this year to look and feel very different than in years past, let the true spirit of Christ’s nativity---which is entirely and utterly Christic and Marian in nature, and not at all materialistic or consumerist ---pervade the homes of all who love Christ and his blessed mother. Let us bring this Prophetic spirit of love, mercy, and truth into our lives beyond these days and strive to embody them throughout the year! Wherever you are, may God bless you, protect you, and give you good health in body and soul!