The sacred month of Dhul Qi’dah is due and we would like to remind ourselves about the importance of the four sacred months in Islam. Dhul Qi’dah is the 11th month of the Islamic calendar. The sacred months are Rajab, Dhul Qid’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). We should also prepare for the Hajj season, and endeavour to perform our obligatory Hajj for the sake of Allah, as soon as we have the means/ability.
(We should be extra careful not to sin, all the time, but particularly in the sacred months, and avoid aggression)
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 guide and forgive us and enable us to witness and observe many Hajj and Umrah in His obedience, with sincerity and strength and excellence. May Allah unite us in jannat al firdaus. Allah bless His final messenger Muhammad ibn Abdillah in abundance. Amin
Let’s fulfil the 3rd pillar of Islam: ZAKAT, obligatory charity tax.
Zakat or Zakaah/Zakah, means purification or growth.
In Islam, it is paying 2.5% of all your wealth (if it reaches the nisaab/thresholdat which you become eligible to pay Zakat) to those who are entitled to receive Zakat, including the poor and needy, in obedience to Allah. Charity is an integral teaching in our faith.
DID YOU KNOW? Zakat is such an important pillar in our religion, Allah has mentioned it in the Qur’an multiple times, and the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him taught us about it.
There are multiple References in The Qur’an and in Sahih Hadith.
‘Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah . And Allah is Knowing and Wise.‘
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) sent Mu`adh to Yemen and said, “Invite the people to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I am Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers in every day and night (in twenty-four hours), and if they obey you to do so, then teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor.” Sahih al Bukhari
How to tell if you owe Zakat? Keep a regular check of your assets, then the moment your wealth reaches the Nisab level (minimum threshold at which you have to start paying Zakat), then you calculate your Zakat each year accordingly.
Example: On 21st Ramadan 1440 (May 2019), you acquired £500 through the full lunar year (Islamic Hijir calendar). The nisab level was approximately worth £250 (based on silver weight prices). Therefore, you must pay 2.5% of £500 in charity as Zakat to fulfil your obligation to Allah. So £500×0.025= £12.50 as Zakat
Now it is 21st Ramadan 1441, (year 2020) 1 year on, and you have £700. The nisab value is around £240, you own that and more. So you will pay Zakat on this day at 2.5% of £700. so £700x 0.025= £17.50 as Zakat
And you note in your calendar next year on the 21st Ramadan 1442ah (in year 2021) you will schedule calculation and payment of Zakat again. In sha Allah
Therefore, your annual Zakat date, or Zakat anniversary is 21ST RAMADAN each year, and it’s your personal deadline by which you must calculate and pay Zakat.
If you need help calculating, lots of Muslim charity organisations can help you out, lots of charities have Zakat calculators, Islamic relief calculator, or you can try National Zakat Foundation’s (NZF) calculator, it’s UK-based and they’ve set up a wonderfully organised step-by-step calculation system on their website, have a look here: NZF Zakat calculator
Assets are not limited to money, it includes gold, silver and more if you have businesses/shares, rental income/ property and what such. You also factor in your deductible assets, consider debts and bills (check the NZF calculator link above).
If you have gold or silver jewellery, you need to weigh it and calculate the price on the current market value of gold or silver on the day.
So if you have 50g of 24carat gold, the market value today right now is £45.61 per gram. Thats 45.61GBP x 50grams = £2280.50
You pay zakat on 2.5% of £2280.50, or simply 2280.50 x 0.025= £57.03 Zakat (rounded up).
Also, it doesn’t have to be Ramadan when you’re Zakat is due, you may be paying it in another month, depending on when your wealth reached the Nisab value. To read more about Zakat, check out the links at the end of this post. **
Keep it organised in sha Allah and you can fulfil your obligation to Allah, have blessings in your wealth, be stress free and aware of your assets. By the way, everything ultimately belongs to Allah, we are just being tested with what we’ve been entrusted with!
Purify what Allah gave us and spend in His path, in sha Allah , Allah will increase us in good.
Many times we may have been falling short, so be sure to do your best to make up for any short fall as soon as possible. And if you are tested with a shortage in wealth, you only have to pay less Zakat , and by trusting Allah, making tawbah, in sha Allah we will see better days again.
Never think zakat will decrease your wealth, believe Allah will purify it and increase it.
Of us are those with poor and needy relatives, let’s not forget them in sha Allah when paying Zakat and Sadaqah.
Give and Allah will increase you. Let’s take this opportunity to give Sadaqah too, we only have a few days left of this blessed month.
Dua- Remember to say Ameen to our supplication! Alhamdulillah for everything.
May Allah, The Ever-Living, The One True God, The Rich, The Merciful, The Most Powerful, forgive all our errors and guide us to the straight path. May Allah grant us the sincerity and ability to obey Him and fulfil His commands and may He enable us to follow the perfect example of His final Messenger and Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Allah protect us from all evil and grant us all good and may Allah help us to remember Him always. May Allah not make Ramadan leave us, except that we are forgiven and guided and may Allah bless and increase us in good, Allah preserve our religion, our worldly life, our hereafter, our health, our family, our wealth, youth, ability, time, our safety, our ummah, our community, our neighbours our nation, our countries our world. Allah guide all of us to His love and mercy. May Allah unite us with the prophets peace be upon them, Allah make us pious and the inheritors of jannat al firdaus, paradise. Allah forgive us and our parents, our grandparents, our predecessors, our families , future generations our successors and all of us. Allah help us to worship Him alone, with perfect understanding of His Oneness, Tawhid, and Allah protect us from major and minor sins. Allah make us true followers of the sunnah of prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, like the companions of the prophet, may Allah be pleased with them. May Allah, The One without partners, forgive us and grant us cures and mercy and lift the calamities and bring peace to all of us. Wasallallahu alaa nabiyina Muhammad. Oh Allah accept, Amin.
Please keep us in your generous duas, today, tonight, during laylatul Qadr, on Friday, all the special times. wa jazakumullahu khairan
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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’ân) down in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree)[] (1) And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? (2) The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allâh in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months) (3) Therein descend the angels and the Rûh [Jibril (Gabriel)] by Allâh’s Permission with all Decrees, (4) (All that night), there is Peace (and Goodness from Allâh to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.[] (5)
And if you are a lady on your menses, you can ibadah other than prayer: see this
Some reminders from our respected lecturers in the Ramadan Revival, this night, increase in Qiyam (standing in prayer at night), reading Qur’an, making dua- lots of it, pour our hearts out to Allah! We can also give zakah if one lunar year passed on the wealth which reached the nisaab, and do other good deeds, like istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Allah –click to see amazing this dua) sadaqah, reminding each other of Allah, dhikr- remembering Allah, salat and salam on rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam!
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever stays up and prays on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” Agreed upon.
Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam taught ‘Aisha radi Allahu anhaa what to say on laylat-ul-qadr:
Let’s revive the sunnah and flee to Allah! please remember us in your duas, and like and share this in sha Allah!
NOTE: Congregational prayers are being held around Thurrock and Grays, don’t miss out!
Isha and taraweeh prayers:
Grays mosque has facilities for men and boys. (in Grays Park)
Taleem Foundation Centre has facilities for men, women and children. (next to job centre, Grays)
May Allah grant us sincerity, and success and jannat al firdaus, May Allah guide and have mercy on us, forgive all of us who believe and admit us to paradise, by His mercy. Allah abundantly bless rasoollullah. ameen
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.
Dear readers, it is with great joy that we announce that Friday night 1 April 2022 marks the first night of Ramadan 1443AH and the first day of Ramadan 1443AH will be Saturday 2 April 2022.
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of the (Hell) Fire are closed, and the devils are chained.”[Sahih Bukhari]
Top Tips: (including reminders from Sheikh Asim Khan, London and Dr Sajid Umar, KSA)
1- Purify our intention for Allah alone.
2- Make a plan- The sahabah Radi Allahu anhum prepared for Ramadan months in advance. DON’T LOSE HOPE, you can renew your intention now and start an action plan. Maybe set yourself to read 5 verses a day of Qur’an and gradually increase. Be positive and be proactive! If you want to complete Qur’an in Ramadan, read 20 pages a day. And try to read the translation of Qur’an in your language.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “(Allah said), ‘Every good deed of Adam’s son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.’ Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk.” [Sahih Bukhari]
2- Cut back on the greasy foods and unhealthy diet. Eat healthy, and balance your meals, with carbohydrates, fibre and protein. Add some healthy fats and dairy too. Moderation is key. Stick to the sunnah regarding food!
3-Practice self-restraint. Guard our tongues and limbs from wrongdoing.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet, and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not hurt (or insult) his neighbor; and whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should entertain his guest generously.”Bukhari
4-Be strong and grateful for Islam and the favour of witnessing Ramadan to get closer to Allah. We will have struggles, jobs, exams, tasks that we have to face with strength. Fasting will not hinder us, fasting sincerely for Allah will help us attain success in this life and the next.
5- Muslims are diverse, Allah created us in different colours and backgrounds, with different languages, so we may know one another. The honourable harbour Taqwa (God-conciousness/ awareness of Allah). We are from Adam and Eve (upon them be peace) at the end of the day, so let’s try to get together in Ramadan and revive the idea of community in Islam, which does not discriminate by race or other factors. Let us try to reunite our families too, for the sake of Allah.
6-Increase your prayers, not just quantity, but quality, learn about the Salah and the meanings of what you recite.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying regarding Ramadan, “Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Sahih Bukhari]
7-Calculate your Zakaah (Zakat- obligatory poor-due charity, 2.5% of your wealth given each lunar year) and pay it in a timely manner, as best as you can. Zakaah is a primary pillar in Islam, which we must not neglect. For more on Zakaah, take a look https://www.nzf.org.uk/Knowledge . Check out our ZAKAT GUIDE PAGE ZAKAT 101
10- Ease in, burn into your routine, don’t burn out. So start small, maybe five pages a day to begin with of Qur’an and build up, if you haven’t read in a long time.
12-Be productive, set realistic goals for yourself, based on your habits. So if you want to start giving more charity, first make sure you have done the obligatory Zakat, and then try to make little and often payments of sadaqah, or whatever you like, but measure it so you know when you are slacking.
13-Make a strategy/schedule for yourself. Be pragmatic, as the lockdown due to covid19 means we face different challenges being at home all day, think constant distractions… Take note men, this is the life of many a housewife! Please be kind to each other, ladies help your husbands to make time with the family, men help your women around the home. If men are working, ladies advise the children to be considerate. If mum needs a break, husbands spend some time with the kids.
14-Set a time where the family sit and learn Islam, BALANCE is key.
15-Be optimistic, like our prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Yes covid19 will change the way we operate socially in Ramadan, but trust Allah and be strong, we will get through this together in sha Allah.
We remind ourselves before we remind you, our beloved, dearest readers. Jazakumallahu khairan.
May Allah, The Most Gracious Lord of all creation shower upon us His blessings, may He make us successful in this month and beyond, may He keep us sincere for Him alone, and may He help us adhere to the sunnah of His final prophet muhammad peace be upon him. And may Allah forgive all our sins, and grant us firmness on the guidance, may He reward us, and may He make us true believers, and those who truly worship and serve none but Him alone, The One, The Irresistable Creator, for He is The All-Powerful. May Allah grant us taqwa and nearness to Him and a high place in Jannat al firdaus with the prophets alayhimusalam. May Allah abundantly bless His final prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Ameen
Dear brothers and sisters, with Ramadan just round the corner, lets brush up our knowledge on the dos and donts of fasting, for the sake of Allah.
Here follows the fiqh of fasting regarding the nullifiers. May Allah help us to do that which He loves and is pleased with. May Allah help us to worship Him alone always and may He make us experience many Ramadans to come, in His obedience. ameen.
DISCLAIMER: This is for educational purposes and serves as an introduction to the issues pertaining to fasting. Parents/guardians are advised to supervise the following read as some issues which pertain to married adults have been mentioned. Please consult a knowledgeable Islamic scholar (and trustworthy physician if needed) for details, particularly for questions and advice related to individual circumstances. We are not scholars and thus cannot issue fatwa, however we endeavour to relate to you the words of the scholars who have studied the authentic teachings of Islam from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of prophet Muhammad upon him be peace. And ultimately, Allah knows best.
In the name of Allah
Fiqh of Fasting Part 3
by Sh. Yahya Adel Ibrahim(with external annotations)
What breaks the fast? Can I have a blood test? How about other medical procedures? Am I allowed to apply moisturizers that penetrate the skin? What about eye drops or nasal spray or asthma puffer?
Imam Ibn Qudamah says in al Umdah: (Arabic omitted)
Things that Invalidate Fasting
[The Invalidators of Fasting] Whoever:- eats or drinks (1) or takes anything into his stomach through his nostrils (2)- or through any other route (3)- or intentionally vomit (4)– or masturbates (5)– or kissed or touched [the opposite sex] and subsequently ejaculated semen or had madh-ey (pre ejaculation) (6)– or had hijamah (cupping with bloodletting) (7)-or did it to someone else intentionally and while remembering [that he is fasting] his fast is nullified.
1) Both these and sexual intercourse break one’s fast by consensus, for Allah the Almighty says: “…so now be in contact with them [your wives] and seek what Allah has ordained for you, and eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night…” (al-Baqarah 2:187)Eating (by mouth) non-food items invalidates fasting by consensus.
2) Due to the statement of the Prophet sala Allahu alihi wasSalaam “Sniff water far into your nostrils unless you are fasting.” abu Dawud Authentic
3) Medical Care and Fasting (Taken from Judgements of Senior Scholars at the Fiqh Assembly of the OIC Organisation of Islamic Conference):
-Injections (with the exception of nutritious ones), many contemporary scholars believe they do not invalidate the fast. That is the position of the Fiqh Assembly of the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference).
-Nutritious injections: controversial, but the vast majority considers them to invalidate the fast. That is the position of the Fiqh Assembly.
– Enemas, many contemporary scholars allow them while fasting, because even though they reach the hollow interior of the body (al-Jawf), they do so from a route that is not natural for food or drink; it is not even close to this natural route.- Vaginal suppositories do not break the fast according to (Malikis & Hanbalis) and modern medicine supports that position because there is no connection between the vagina and the stomach. The same applies to the male and female urethra. That is the position of the Fiqh Assembly of the OIC.- Sublingual tablets: many allow them because they are completely absorbed by the mucous membranes of the mouth and do not reach the hollow interior of the body (al-Jawf).
The Fiqh Assembly of the OIC maintains that as long as the patient avoids swallowing it, there should be no harm.- Inhalers and nasal sprays were regarded by the Permanent Fatwa Committee in Saudi Arabia as non-invalidators of the fast.- Nasal drops: controversial, and the scholars who say it invalidates the fast support their view with the previous hadeeth about istinshaq.
The scholars who argue that they do not break the fast maintain that even if a minute amount made it to the stomach, it would still be negligible. The Fiqh Assembly of the OIC maintains that as long as the patient avoids swallowing it, there should be no harm.- Eye drops and eardrops do not invalidate one’s fasting according to many scholars, particularly eardrops because there is no connection between the external ear and the interior of the body except in the case of perforation of the eardrum, and then what may reach the hollow interior of the body (al-Jawf) would be extremely negligible. That is the position of the Fiqh Assembly of the OIC.- Endoscopes, even if they enter from the mouth, they would not break the fast according to many (including the Fiqh Assembly of the OIC) because, they are not nutritious and according to (Hanafis), they do not remain in the abdomen.
The majority of the earlier scholars would consider them invalidators because they enter the hollow interior of the body (al-Jawf). But that seems to not be the correct position.- Skin preparations that are absorbed into the body do not invalidate the fast according to the Fiqh Assembly of the OIC and the vast majority of contemporary scholars and that was the opinion of Imam Ibn Taymiyah.
4) The Prophet sala Allahu alihi wasSalaam said: “He who is overwhelmed by vomiting does not have to make up, but he who intentionally vomits must make up.” (Tirmithi, and authenticated by Ibn Khuzaimah and Ibn Hibban and others)The one who intentionally vomits is the one who brings it on, not the one who vomits because he feels very nauseous.
5)That is the position of the four schools of Fiqh, for in the Divine hadeeth, Allah the Almighty in the hadith QUDSI says about the fasting person:“…he gives up his (sexual) desire, food and drink for Me…”(Agreed upon)And the one who masturbates does not give up his sexual desire. This sinful habit must be given up, here’s how to break the addiction and how to keep away from it.
6) Kissing one’s spouse while fasting with subsequent discharge
The position here above is the agreement of the four schools of Fiqh in the case of the ejaculation of semen, but it is controversial in the case of madhey (pre ejaculation). Many (Shafi’ee scholars and minority of hanbali) argue that it would not break the fast since the Prophet sala Allahu alihi wasSalaam allowed touching and kissing and that is not infrequently associated with madhey.
7) Bloodletting, Blood donation, and Blood tests
That is the correct position of the Hanbali school of thought. The majority (Shafiee,Malik, Abu Hanifa) does not consider hijamah to break one’s fast. The disagreement is because the Prophet sala Allahu alihi wasSalaam said: “Both the one doing bloodletting and the one having it done to him break their fast.” (abi Dawud; Authentic)Yet, many of the sahabah considered this to be abrogated and allowed bloodletting while fasting, and they include Anas Ibn Malik who indicated that it was initially forbidden out of fear that they may become weak.
(Bukhari reports that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said:”The Prophet had hijamah done to him while he was between Makkah and al-Madeenah while he was fasting and in the state of Ihram.”
Blood donation and tests therefore are acceptable, if they weaken you they are Makrooh but the fast is valid and not broken.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah, Al-Ghaffaar (The Perpetual Forgiver) forgive all our sins, and may He erase them completely, for He is Al-‘Afuww, Ar-Raheem, (The Oft-Pardoning, The Most Merciful). Ameen
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. The sacred months are 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 the name of Allah, The Most Gracious The Most Merciful.
Peace people!
Guess what, it’s nearly December again and we’re fast approaching the holiday period.
In Britain 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 are celebrating the birth of Christ, or Jesus. Historically, however, the date coincides with pagan Roman festivals which celebrated the winter solstice. It is believed that early Christians wanted to celebrate the 25th to coincide with the pagan festival. There is no clear statement in the New testament supporting the celebration of Jesus’ birth on the 25th. Nevertheless, it is still widely celebrated in that manner.
So basically in a nutshell, Christmas day has pagan origins!
And did you know, there are many groups and sections of society who do not celebrate Christmas, such as Jewish people, some atheists, and even some Christians (trust me, I googled it…)!
So do Muslims celebrate Christmas? Based on the above, it would be a contradiction in faith to observe it.
In Islam, the MOST IMPORTANT belief is that of Islamic monotheism. That is, we are commanded to submit to and believe in Allah (The One True God), and attribute complete Oneness to Allah as He deserves in His Lordship, Names and Attributes and right to be worshipped alone.
Consequently, as a Muslim, i.e. one who submits to Allah (The One True God), we believe that we must abandon and turn away from anything that contradicts the principles of Islamic monotheism. Polytheism, idolatry and ascribing partners to Allah are MAJOR SINS! The biggest sin which Allah will not forgive, is ascribing partners to Him !
‘Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin.’ [Qur’an, chapter 4, verse 48- English interpretation]
Allah is so self-sufficient, it does not befit His Majesty to take a son or wife, or to beget or be begotten. He does not resemble His creation, for He is the uncreated Creator, and there is no similitude to Him.
In fact, a remarkably concise description of Allah can be found in chapter 112 of The Noble Qur’an, which is the verbatim words of Allah, and Allah’s final revealed book to mankind.
Have a listen to this chapter here:
Regarding Jesus (peace be upon him), in Islam we believe he was a mighty messenger of Allah. Jesus, or Isa in Arabic, was born a miraculous birth, from the virgin Mary. We refer to Jesus as ‘Isa ibnu Maryam, which means Jesus son of Mary. Jesus did not have a father, and he is not the son of God/Allah, because as we mentioned earlier, it does not befit the majesty of Allah to beget. Allah decreed that Jesus would be born miraculously without a father from the pure chaste virgin Mary. We respect them very much and we know that Jesus never claimed divinity, rather Jesus called his people to worship Allah alone, the same message each prophet and messenger of Allah called to. Jesus’ (peace be upon him) story can be found in the Qur’an in numerous places. (for more information, please see the upcoming post on chapter 19 of the Qur’an entitled Maryam!)
Incidentally, Paganism supports polytheism. Polytheism means worshipping multiple deities. Therefore, the Christian Trinity is essentially polytheism. And as previously mentioned in this blog, Islam means submission to the One True God, Allah, and our purpose in life is to acknowledge Allah’s complete Oneness, to uphold Islamic monotheism, and to attribute absolute Oneness to Allah in His Lordship, names and attributes and right to be worshipped alone.
I hope you understand now, why we don’t celebrate Christmas, why we don’t exchange Christmas greetings and why we don’t give or take cards and gifts on this occasion. It’s nothing to do with you personally, so please don’t take it personally! Because the truth is, as Muslims, the most important One to us is Allah, and the only reason we are alive is for Allah, to serve Him, to worship Him, because we need to worship Him and He doesn’t need us to do that. Whether or not we worship Him, it does not detract or add to His majesty at all. Rather He is The Self-Sufficient, The Majestic, The Rich, Free of all needs. The Lord of all that exists, He is Allah.
Besides, our kind behaviour and gifts to you is not supposed to be limited to a certain day of the year, as Muslims we are required to deal with everyone in a just manner at all times, exhibiting the best character. If we have fallen short in fulfilling our rights towards you as our neighbours, please do forgive us. We make mistakes, after all we are human. Although, we endeavour to follow the best example of excellent moral conduct,as taught to us by Allah’s final prophet and messenger, Muhammad peace be upon him.
I’ll leave you with a verse from the Qur’an to get you thinking.
‘Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): “I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God – i.e. Allah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” ‘
[Qur’an, chapter 18: v110, english interpretation]
In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious The Most Merciful.
‘And We have sent you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).'[Qur’an 21: 107]
The final messenger of Allah, Muhammad ibn Abdillah, peace be upon him, the best man who ever lived and walked on the face of this earth. With no comparison, he is known as the most successful man in history and beyond, the best leader, the best warrior, the best businessman, the best husband, the best father, the best companion, the trustworthy, the dignified, the chaste, the modest, the courageous, the morally upright, the epitome of exemplary character…The prophet of Allah, Muhammad, upon him be peace.
Allah says in the Qur’an, (English interpretation) :
‘And Verily, you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) are on an exalted (standard of) character.’ (Qur’an, 68:4)
Muhammad, peace be upon him, had great concern for his nation- he was swift to help those in need, he was gentle and mild tempered, patient and forbearing.
He was ready… ready to listen to the unheard, ready to defend the weak and oppressed, ready to advise sincerely those seeking advice… ready to convey the truth.
He strove through periods of great difficulty to convey the lofty message- a message conveyed by all prophets and messengers, upon them be peace- a message which resonates with the natural disposition of mankind, the message ‘laa ilaha ilallah ‘ – There is no true god worthy of worship except Allah alone.
The final messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace be upon him, did not fail in his task in the least bit. He succeeded. Far and wide, the mesage is known, and the message is followed.
I bear witness that there is no true god worthy of worship except Allah who is alone without partners or associates, and I bear witness that Muhammad peace be upon him is the servant and messenger of Allah.
His teachings, actions, descriptions, sayings and instructions are revered and adhered to, cherished and conveyed. Muhammad peace be upon him taught us to have high moral character and good manners with The Creator (Allah) and the creation. He taught us how to conduct ourselves in the best and most decent manner. He, upon him be peace, said (English interpretation): I have only been sent (by Allah) to complete the good manners [Al-Hakim].
He was a mercy for mankind. He peace be upon him taught us (English interpretation): The merciful ones are granted mercy by the Most Merciful . Show mercy to those who are on earth, and the One above the heavens will show mercy to you. [Ahmad]
Muhammad peace be upon him conveyed the message which would lead to our peace and salvation in this world and for the life to come. Our purpose in life is clear, to worship exclusively The Supreme Self-Sufficient Creator, Allah, and this is the only way to attain peace and eternal bliss.
Only the fair-minded will emancipate themselves from bigotry and ignorance. Those who mock this mighty messenger, are full of hate today, but tomorrow, will be full of regret. This occurred at the time of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, he had enemies, mockers and haters. They intended by their vicious, slanderous profanity and abuse to dissuade the messenger from conveying the message, whilst they knew that all they attributed to him were but fabrications. In the end, these haters failed. They were surely humilated, and what’s to come in the hereafter of humiliation is an unimaginable and inevitable reality. Haters will be haters, but they’ll also be losers. Their true colours have shown, they are what they say, uncivlised, bigoted, hateful, anarchist, slanderous, wretched… deluded…and confused. Drawing from the wisdom exhibited by the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him throughout his lifetime, we learn that we must deal with all people justly. These people, i.e. the mockers, need help and guidance. Let’s keep unsolicited violence out of the equation. Pity is little we can offer them, but education is far more powerful. May Allah guide us all, ameen.
Isn’t it time we educated ourselves about this remarkable man whose call to Islamic monotheism has been received and accepted by discerning people from all walks of life? Isn’t it time we searched for the real, unadultered truth? Isn’t it about time we learnt who he was, what he stood for, and Whom he called to…
Oh Allah may Your peace and blessings be upon Your final prophet muhammad peace be upon him in great abundance, upon his family and companions and those who follow them in righteousness! Ameen! May Allah make us of Muhammad’s followers, peace be upon him, for indeed Allah commanded us to obey and follow the messenger, and this is the only way to true success.
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam]) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day, and remembers Allâh much.” {Al Ahzaab: 21}
Want resources? Start to read the book entitled ‘The Sealed Nectar’ (Ar-Raheequl-Makhtum), a biography of the Final messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, by Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri.
Of the best ways to love the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, is to follow his sunnah. May Allah grant us ability to follow the sunnah of the final messenger Muhammad peace be upon him.
Embark on this journey to discover #WhoIsMuhammad (peace be upon him), with the following series:
May Allah forgive us, for He is the Oft-Forgiving, The Most Merciful. And may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam. ameen
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