Christmas is known as the Christian celebration for the birth of Christ, it has many customs and traditions. However, these customs have origins based on non-Christian or rather pagan traditions that have no basis in Christianity and were not considered part of the religion until the fourth century. As Muslims we do not take part in any non-Islamic forms of celebration as this is completely forbidden. The following is proof that Christmas should not be celebrated by Christians themselves!
Where is the “Christ” in Christmas? Many would argue that Christmas is about the celebration of the birth of Jesus, however
celebrating birthdays was not a custom in Christianity for many years and not even considered part of the religion until it was introduced. The celebration of birthdays was originally considered a pagan custom celebrated by sinners as referenced by this quote
from the Catholic Encyclopedia: “Sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthdays.” Within the same encyclopedia you will also find these passages: “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church . . . the first evidence of the feast is from Egypt.” “Pagan customs centering around the January calends gravitated to Christmas.” Under the heading “Natal Day,” we find that the early Catholic father, Origen,
acknowledged this truth: “. . . In the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners [like Pharaoh and Herod] who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born into this world.” Christ was not born on the 25th of December.
Jesus was not even born in the winter season! When Christ was born “there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night,” (Luke 2:8). This could never have occurred in Judea in the month of December. The shepherds always brought their flocks from the mountainsides and fields and corralled them not later than October 15, to protect them from the cold, rainy season that followed that date. Notice that the Bible itself proves, in Song of Solomon 2:11 and Ezra 10:9, 13, that winter was a rainy season not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night.
“It was ancient custom among Jews of those days to send out their sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early spring), and bring them home at commencement of the first rain,” says the Adam Clarke Commentary (Vol. 5, page 370, New York ed.)
With all of this information it is clear that the concept of Christmas is a collection of pagan customs brought under the banner of Christianity and present day Christians are unaware that their predecessors never celebrated this “holiday” until the fourth century. This was a
clear innovation to their beliefs, and they did not question it nor research it properly to see if this was the true teachings of Christ.
As Muslims we honor, respect, and love all of Allah’s prophets it is the highest of insults to Allah, his noble prophet Isa Alayhis Salam and the Deen of Al Islam that we should engage in these pagan customs that are treated as harmless fun activities. Islam has not banned days of celebration at all our days of celebration are the days of Eid. Nabi Alayhis Salam did not ban the act of giving gifts, he encouraged it but he did not
restrict it to specific days and occasions.