We are now in the sacred month of Rajab walhamdulillah and we would like to remind ourselves about the importance of the four sacred months in Islam. Rajab is the 7th month of the Islamic calendar. They are Rajab, Dhul Qad’ah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram, the 7th, 11th, 12th and 1st month of the Islamic Hijri calander respectively. (see Surah Tawbah, Qur’an chapter 9 verse 36).
Watch this video on what to do in Rajab and other sacred months, Sheikh Assim Al Hakim explains:
(We should be extra careful not to sin, all the time, but particularly in the sacred months, and avoid aggression…also a word on Isra’ wal Miraaj and religious innovations/bid’ah…and the importance of holding on to the Sunnah of Rasoolullah peace be upon him)
May Allah forgive us, be merciful to us and guide us, for He is the Most Gracious the Most Merciful, The Ever-Relenting. May Allah enable us to witness and observe many Ramadans in His obedience, with sincerity and strength. May Allah unite us in jannat al firdaus. Allah bless His final messenger Muhammad ibn Abdillah in abundance. Amin
In short, Easter is a Christian festival with remnants of Pagan traditions. Christians celebrate the alleged crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, this is the essence of Easter. The holiday has become rather commercial, with increase in sales of confectionary, chocolate and popular toys. (1)
Christians believe in the Trinity (father,son, holy spirit), which essentially means that they direct their worship to God, Jesus and the Holy spirit. So today, Christianity has polytheistic dimensions and is not a faith of complete monotheism.
Easter and Islam
Islam is absolutely Monotheistic. Muslims worship One God alone (Allah), without rivals. The Islamic narrative about prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) is simple. Jesus is not the son of God (as mentioned above, Christianity purports him to be). Muslims believe that God (Allah) is The Supreme Creator of all, The Self-Sufficient Master, He does not have children or a wife, and He does not need these things. It makes perfect sense, we are servants of The One Supreme Master- Allah. We go to Allah for all our needs, we don’t need any intermediaries! We need Allah, but Allah does not need us. That is the truth. And the truth makes sense.
We believe Jesus (‘Eesa) (peace be upon him) was a mighty prophet of God (Allah), born from the virgin Mary, who was pure and chaste. God does not need children. It’s the creation, humans and animals who need children. If God can create Adam without a father and mother, Eve without a mother, than surely it is easy for God to create Jesus without a father. Jesus’ story is mentioned in detail in Chapter 19 of the Qur’an, called ‘Maryam’.
If you remember the Christmas post a few months back and a few other blogs on Islam Explained, you’ll remember that as Muslims, we MUST believe in Jesus in order for our faith to be complete. Jesus never claimed divinity. Rather, Jesus peace be upon him was a messenger and prophet of Allah.
Jesus was not crucified, rather Allah (The One True God) took Jesus up to Him, while he was still alive, and another man was made to resemble Jesus and that man was killed. Jesus will return to earth, under Allah’s command, during the end times to fight the Anti-Christ (The Dajjal).(2)
Conclusion- Why Muslims don’t celebrate Easter
The Islamic narrative on monotheism and beliefs about Jesus are so markedly different to the Christian narrative. Thus, it’s no surprise Muslims do not commemorate a Crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, as these didn’t happen in the first place!
Incidentally, there are various members of society and other faiths who do not partake in such festivals either, each with their own reasoning.
Be wise and kind, there’s no need to offend or be offended. Let your peers know gently and respectfully, it’s not the diet that makes you turn down their chocolate treats, it’s your freedom of personal choice and more importantly, your religious belief which you must hold onto with integrity, because a Muslim must be truthful, first and foremost to Allah. Being truthful in word and deed is important in Islam.
Islamic monotheism is our focus, we worship Allah alone.
Just as we cannot force others to believe, we cannot be forced to disbelieve.
The truth is apparent, falsehood is apparent. May Allah guide us all to the truth. Amin.
‘So will you, won’t you, would you be my Valentine’ he asks…
“Erm,…” she says…
“Sorry” she utters, “but no… I hate to be a heartbreaker…but that’s just not how I roll.”
Feel sorry for the guy? Or the girl?
Perhaps you’ve been in the position of the one pursued…or the one rejected.
Either way, you have your opinions and experiences, but let’s try and understand things from each other’s perspectives.
If you’re wondering whether or not Muslims celebrate Valentine’s day, you’re in the right place. There’s not a great deal of positive press on Islam and Muslims, partly due to our own shortcomings, partly due to misrepresentations and misreporting in mainstream media. It’s high time to reveal the TRUTH. Please read this objectively and share it with your friends 🙂
WHAT IS VALENTINE’S DAY?
In a nutshell, Valentine’s Day was a Roman, Pagan tradition, which was Christianized and associated with Saint Valentine who was killed for a cause he believed in, namely marriage in lieu of celibacy, as one legend suggests. Today, it has come to be known as the festival of “love” (whatever that means!), and has become heavily commercialised. It’s a day where “romantic love” or “lust” is glorified and advocated, as are casual relationships, pre-marital relationships and extra-marital affairs. It can be argued that it is a day where people indulge in their desires.
Do Muslims celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Drawing from the above, Valentine’s Day is a festival unfound in the authentic Islamic texts. Particularly due to the nature of the festival, Valentine’s Day contradicts some of the main principles of Islam. Other world religions such as Christianity an Judaism denounce relationships outside of marriage, but many followers of these religions have adopted liberal and secular values instead.
On the contrary, followers of Islam understand that the primary purpose in life is to worship Allah (The One True God) alone, with sincerity and with an unrivalled love. Acts of worship in Islam are only acceptable if they are done solely for Allah, and in accordance to the ‘Sunnah’ or teachings of the final prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace).
In Islam, we have the concept of ‘Halal’ (permitted) and ‘Haram’ (forbidden), which are ultimately derived from the Islamic sources of legislation, namely The Qur’an and The Sunnah.These laws are still valid from the time they were revealed and thus, we don’t change certain principles as time goes on. Islam governs everything we do, from worship, to food laws, to dress code, to interactions with others and relationships.
Valentine’s day, as mentioned above, encourages fornication & adultery among other forbidden deviances regarding carnal desires. Fornication and adultery are among the major sins in Islam, since Islam teaches that people’s honour and lineages are to be protected. As Muslims we must maintain God-conciousness in our lives and avoid wronging or oppressing ourselves and others. We have to resist our long-term Enemy, the Satan, and fight his insinuations to worship our desires.
What relationships are allowed in Islam?
Islam recognises a man’s natural inclination to need a woman and vice versa, but there are legislated guidelines to adhere to in this respect. Essentially, the only permissible outlet to satisfy the natural desires in man, would be through the institution of marriage. Marriage is highly regarded in Islam, and many factors have to be considered before initialising this great contract. Islamic tradition advises people to choose their spouse for their children, that is, choose someone who would be a good father/mother for your future children (since children are a usual consequence of relationships).
Relationships in Islam, are ultimately formed to achieve the primary purpose, to worship Allah. Marriage entails rights and responsibilities, and as Muslims we don’t do the short term flings, it’s all about the long haul. We believe in accountability, that we will be questioned in the afterlife about what we have done, so we take these things seriously. A relationship is something you commit to for life, not for your own convenience until you find something ‘better’.
So please don’t be offended if a Muslim turns you down if you ever pop them the question, it’s likely the response is standard for everyone that comes their way seeking a casual relationship. Please try to understand and respect that, and you need not take it personally. Feel honoured that they had the courage to be genuine and honest.
What to do if someone asks you out, as a Muslim?
It’s simple, if someone asks you out on a date or whatever, as a Muslim, remember
T-R-U-T-H.
Taqwa of Allah, have God-conciousness and don’t be tempted.
Respectfully reject
foster Understanding
by Teaching them the basics of Islam with evidence,
and be Honest, just let them know what Islam’s stance is on the matter.
And Muslim men and women, ponder over these beautiful ayat in the Qur’an…
May Allah guide us all to the straight path, perfect our belief and worship of Him, allow us to follow the sunnah, and protect us from fornication, adultery, major sins and may Allah save us from the enemy Satan. Allah make us the true believers with the ten characteristics at the beginning of Surah Muminoon that cause us to inherit jannat al firdaus. Wasallallahu ala nabiyyina Muhammad, wa ‘alaa Aalihi wa saHbihi aj’maeen. Amin
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May Allah The All-Able grant us victory over the devil. Allah destroy the devils plots. Allah cure us all. May Allah accept our ibadah, and enter us into Jannat al-Firdaus. Wasallallahu alaa nabiyyinaa Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Amin
In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious The Most Merciful.
Peace people!
Guess what, it’s December again and we’re fast approaching the holiday period.
So we’re all dazzled by the funky lights, surrounded by lofty pine trees, bombarded with special offers and advertisements and perhaps even, confronted by some big old man in a red hat and suit… and ho, ho, how has this got anything to do with this post? Well, I’m getting to it : ]
Now since we are in Britain, and it has traditionally been known as a Christian country, Christmas day, i.e. 25 December is considered a national holiday. You can argue all you want that its been commercialised and it’s no longer a religious thing, but my friend, that’s not the point.
Let’s have a look at the history of Christmas:
According to Britannica Encyclopaedia, Christmas has become a Christian festival where Christians believe they…
“Sorry” she utters, “but no… I hate to be a heartbreaker…but that’s just not how I roll.”
Thurrock Muslim Community 