🚀 go-pugleaf

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      In   the   name  of   ALLAH,   the    Beneficent,   the    Merciful




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             I N F O R M A T I O N    &   N E W S    N E T W O R K

                      A Subsidiary of Pakistan News Service

 Vol. 10  No. 5-SP-XMAS   13 Sha'baan  1417 Hijri      Tuesday December 24, 1996
________________________________________________________________________________
 Editors:                                                 Muslims@Psuvm.psu.edu
________________________________________________________________________________



        **************************************************************

        SPECIAL BULLETIN ON JESUS, CHRISTIANITY AND CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

        **************************************************************


        EDITORIAL

        We, the IINN staff, would like  to extend our hand in friendship
        to all Christians and wish  them  merry  Christmas. We also wish
        happy new year to all of  our  readers.  We  would  also like to
        invite everyone to spare a  few  moments  of their life and read
        what the Holy Quran says about Mary and Jesus (may peace be upon
        them). While we as Muslims believe that the entire Qur'an is the
        word of God and we would  like  every  one to accept it as such,
        God Himself has given the freedom  of religion which we respect.
        With that in mind, all we hope is that non-Muslims will at least
        enlighten themselves  by  knowing  what  Islam  is. We hope that
        Muslims, Christians and Jews will  find ways to work together to
        bring peace on earth  by  eradicating  immorality,  fear,  hate,
        disease,  poverty  and  injustice.  We  hope  that the following
        articles will be useful in understanding basics of Islam as they
        pertain to Jesus, son of Mary(peace be on them).

        There is also a message for  Muslims  living  as a minority in a
        non-Muslim country. We hope  these  holidays will help them find
        time to go back to  the  Qur'an  and  the  Sunnah of the Prophet
        (peace be on him) and  the  Sahabah  (may  Allah be pleased with
        them). As always  we  look  forward  to  your  contributions and
        thoughts.


                                   Contents


                                 --Articles--
 1. Christianity, Jesus- An Islamic ................................ from Staff
 2. Muslim's Survival Guide for Christmas .......................... from Staff
 3. Santa Claus, not of Christian Origin ........................... from Staff
 4. Lessons from Christmas Celebrations .......................... from K. Baig
                                --Announcements--
 5. Jesus: On-line Info ............................................ from Staff




 Articles .....................................................................

 1. Christianity, Jesus- An Islamic ................................ from Staff

                                      from
                                     Staff
                  Christianity, Jesus- An Islamic Perspective


    Christmas holidays come and go each  year with a lot of shopping, hustle
    and bustle, Santa Claus, Christmas  trees,  decorations  and lights. The
    Christians celebrate the  birth  of  Jesus.  In  this  article,  we will
    address the following questions  relying  mostly  on quotations from the
    Holy Quran:


    What are the origins of Christianity?
    Was Jesus born without a father?
    Is Jesus a son of God?
    Did Jesus speak as a baby?
    Was he crucified?



    THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY

    Historical facts reveal that Jesus did not use the word Christianity. He
    and his followers used to worship  in  the temple which other Israelites
    used. The message of Jesus was to  call  people  back to the religion of
    Abraham  and  Moses  from  which  they   had   gone  astray.  After  the
    disappearance of Jesus, Paul declared  that belief in Jesus sufficed for
    salvation. The Jewish scholars  of  that  time  called  the followers of
    prophet Jesus the misguided sect  of  Nazarene or Galilaens. In 43 C.E.,
    when Paul and Barnabas went to  Antioch  to  preach, they were ridiculed
    and were called Christians  by  the  masses.  The  ones  who were called
    Christians felt that if they  are  being  given  a  name in reference to
    Jesus, there is nothing wrong in accepting it. A present day analogy may
    be the case of Muslims being called  Mohammedans in the West and Muslims
    giving in to the name.


    PAUL ALTERED THE MESSAGE

    At the beginning, Paul  was  a  staunch  opponent  of  prophet Jesus and
    remained so for many years  after  his  ascension.  When he did join the
    followers of Jesus later  on,  he  initiated  many  alterations  in  the
    teachings of Jesus in hopes  of  winning  over  the Gentiles (non-Jewish
    people). He introduced the following concepts into Christianity:

    1. the concept of Jesus as son of God;

    2. Jesus died on the cross  to  wash  eternal  sins  of  Adam's children
    through his blood; and

    3. the Law of  Torah  was  renounced.   He  eliminated  all  regulations
    concerning food and abrogated the injunctions of circumcision.

    The real followers of Jesus opposed  these blatant misrepresentations of
    the message of Jesus. Their struggle to reject the notion of Divinity of
    Jesus continued for about  two  hundred  years.  Since these alterations
    were very appealing to the  Gentiles,  the true believers were unable to
    stop the misguidance.

    In 325 C.E., a council of Christian leaders met at Nicaea and officiated
    Paul's beliefs as their religion. Roman  Empire declared Paul's religion
    as the religion of the State  and  all  those  books  which denied these
    beliefs were banned. In 367 C.E.,  the  State  announced a list of books
    acceptable to it and  fifteen  years  later,  a  council  held under the
    presidency of Pope Damasius gave its approval to these books. At the end
    of the fifth century,  Pope  Galasius  published  a list of unauthorized
    books  (Apocryphal)  to  further   conform   with   Paul's  religion  of
    Christianity.


    JESUS BORN WITHOUT A FATHER

    The true story of Jesus' birth  from  Mary is told in the Holy Quran. We
    are told that he was born without  a  father by the command of God. Mary
    was single and a chaste woman.

    21:91 And (remember) her who guarded  her chastity: We breathed into her
    of Our Spirit, and We made her and her son a Sign for all peoples.

    19:16 Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her
    family to a place in the East.

    19:17 She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them: then We sent to
    her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.

    19:18 She said: "I seek refuge  from  thee to (God) Most Gracious: (come
    not near) if thou dost fear God."

    19:19 He said: "Nay, I am only a messenger  from thy Lord, (to announce)
    to thee the gift of a holy son."

    19:20 She said: "How shall I have a  son, seeing that no man has touched
    me, and I am not unchaste?"

    19:21 He said: "So (it will be):  thy  Lord saith, `That is easy for Me:
    and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us': it
    is a matter (so) decreed."

    19:22 So she conceived him, and she retired with him to a remote place.

    19:23 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree:
    she cried (in her anguish):  "Ah!  would  that  I  had died before this!
    Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!"

    19:24 But (a voice) cried to her  from  beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve
    not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee;

    19:25 "And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: it will let
    fall fresh ripe dates upon thee.

    19:26 "So eat and drink and cool (thine)  eyes. And if thou dost see any
    man, say, `I have vowed a fast to (God) Most Gracious, and this day will
    I enter into no talk with any human being.' "



    JESUS SPOKE AS A BABY

    19:27 At length she brought the  (babe)  to her people, carrying him (in
    her arms). They said: "O Mary! truly an amazing thing hast thou brought!

    19:28 "O sister of Aaron!  thy  father  was  not  a man of evil, nor thy
    mother a woman unchaste!"

    19:29 But she pointed to the babe.  They  said:  "How can we talk to one
    who is a child in the cradle?"

    19:30 He said:  "I  am  indeed  a  servant  of  God:  He  hath  given me
    revelation and made me a prophet;

    19:31 "And He hath made me Blessed  wheresoever  I be, and hath enjoined
    on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live;

    19:32 "(He) hath made me  kind  to  my  mother,  and  not overbearing or
    miserable;

    19:33 "So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the
    Day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!

    19:34 Such (was) Jesus the son of  Mary:  (it  is) a statement of truth,
    about which they (vainly) dispute.

    19:35 It is not befitting to (the majesty of) God that He should beget a
    son. Glory be to Him! When He  determines  a matter, He only says to it,
    "Be," and it is.

    19:36 Verily, God is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this
    is a Way that is straight.

    19:37 But the sects differ among themselves:  and woe to the Unbelievers
    because of the (coming) Judgment of a momentous Day!


    HE BEGETS NOT!

    We note that the Holy Quran refers to Jesus as 'Jesus ibn Maryam', i.e.,
    Jesus son of Mary. It  is  in  contrast  to  the  common  usage in which
    children are referred  to  by  their  father's  name  and  not  by their
    mother's name. He is not a son of  God.  The  following chapter from the
    Holy Quran explains the position of Islam in absolute terms:

    SAY: "God is Unique!!  God,  the  Source  [of  everything].  He  has not
    fathered anyone nor was He fathered,  and there is nothing comparable to
    Him!" (Chapter 112)


    JESUS WAS NOT CRUCIFIED

    The Holy Quran also  rejects  the  claim  that  Jesus  was killed on the
    cross.

    4:157 That they said (in  boast),  "We  killed  Christ  Jesus the son of
    Mary, the Apostle of God"; but  they  killed him not, nor crucified him,
    but so it was made to appear to  them,  and those who differ therein are
    full of doubts, with no  (certain)  knowledge,  but  only  conjecture to
    follow for of a surety they killed him not.

    4:158 Nay, God raised him up unto Himself;  and God is Exalted in Power,
    Wise.

    4:159 And there is none of the  People  of  the Book but must believe in
    him before his death; and on the  Day  of  Judgment He will be a witness
    against them.

    Based on the statements of Prophet  Muhammad  (S.A.W.),  Muslims believe
    that Prophet Jesus will return to  earth  at a time when Muslims will be
    in a dire need of a leader.  He  will  not  initiate  a new religion but
    rather obey the Holy Quran and  the  teachings  of  Prophet Muhammad and
    lead Muslims to victory over the disbelievers.

    We hope that this short  essay  will  help  our  readers  understand the
    origins of Christianity  and  Islam's  position  on  Jesus. We encourage
    everyone to read the Holy Quran  to  obtain  a  better  understanding of
    Jesus and Islam. The Holy  Quran  also  gives  a detailed account of the
    mission  and  lives  of  "Jewish"  prophets   like  Abraham  and  Moses.
    Altogether, twenty-five prophets are mentioned by name in the Quran.

    References:

    1. Manual of Dawah for  Islamic  Workers,  The  Islamic  Circle of North
    America, 166-26 89th Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11432. (718)657-4090

    2. The Message, monthly magazine by ICNA, December 1993 issue is devoted
    fully to the Christianity.



 2. Muslim's Survival Guide for Christmas .......................... from Staff


    Christmas season is upon us. It is  nice  to enjoy a long break from our
    work and schools and spend the time  with the family and friends. We may
    also find many good bargains  at  the  shopping  malls. It is the season
    when millions of christmas  wreaths  and  trees  add to the decor in and
    around the houses, businesses and streets  of every town in the country.
    Thousands of Santas also come into  life  all  around us. Children write
    letters to Santa Claus asking  for  toys  they  want for Christmas. Many
    civic and church organizations  donate  food and clothes to the homeless
    and the needy. Toys are  collected  for  children  who have no family or
    whose families can not afford  the  expenses.  The  Jewish Hanukkah also
    falls in the same season.

    While the rest of the country is busy and involved in these celebrations
    and activities, what does  a  small  minority  of  about  seven  million
    Muslims do? Because Muslims are scattered  throughout the United States,
    small Muslim communities sometimes  find  it difficult to practice their
    faith due to the lack of a community of believers with whom to interact.
    Muslims may react to non-Islamic feasts  in three different ways. A good
    number of  Muslims  feel  that  they   can  not  indulge  themselves  in
    activities which have pagan, Christian,  Jewish or any origin other than
    Islamic. Then there are those  who  participate  in  activities  such as
    Christmas tree decorations and  placing  toys  under the trees for their
    children to pick up in  the  morning  of  December  25th.  They  may not
    hesitate in narrating the story of Santa Claus to their kids or let them
    watch television programs  about  Christmas.  Yet  another  group may be
    those who are Muslims by name but  had  never really practiced Islam and
    can be assumed lost in the "mainstream" of America.

    Can Muslims participate in  Christmas  celebrations or any other similar
    events such as Halloween and  Easter?  We need to look at the Holy Quran
    and the Sunnah  of  Prophet  Muhammad  (S.A.W.)  to  find  an  answer. A
    fundamental question  may  have  to  be  addressed  here  before  saying
    anything else. Under what  conditions  can a Muslim live in a non-Muslim
    society? This issue requires  a  careful  and  detailed answer, which we
    shall leave for future issues. One  thing  should  be clear to those who
    have studied the Quran carefully. It  is the primary responsibility of a
    Muslim living in  a  non-Muslim  society  to  preach  and  present Islam
    through their character and conduct.  Islam should be a dominating force
    within and around Muslims instead  of  being  a submissive entity. Islam
    should stand tall and distinct from un-Islamic ways for everyone to see,
    admire and appreciate. As  we  look  at  the  life  of  Prophet Muhammad
    (S.A.W.), we find that whenever  there  was a chance of confusing events
    between Muslims and non-Muslims, the Prophet made a clear separation. We
    see this in prayer times, fasting and Eid festivals. We do not pray very
    close to sunrise or sunset so it does not appear that we are worshipping
    the sun. It is undesirable (Makrooh) to fast only on Saturday or Sunday.
    The two biggest Islamic feasts are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha and nothing
    else should replace the significance of their festivity.

    Muslims in America need to get  involved  in caring for the homeless and
    needy. They should develop institutions to provide such a support. While
    giving charity and gifts is  encouraged  all the times, Christmas season
    included, special occasions  for  Muslims  to  give and launch campaigns
    should be Ramadan and Eidul Adha days.  The biggest gifts you would like
    to give to your children  or  relatives  and  friends  should not be the
    Christmas time, but the  times  of  Eids.  This  will  help us develop a
    distinct community, a caring community that will thus help present Islam
    properly to the public.

    Another point regarding the  Christmas  season  is the position of Jesus
    (PBUH) in Islam. If Christmas  represents  a feast of celebration of the
    birthday of Jesus, then we should  observe  it  according to the Islamic
    principles and honor Jesus as  a  prophet  of  God.  Christmas trees and
    fairy tales  of  Santa  Claus  should  have  nothing  to  do  with  such
    celebrations.

    These holidays are a perfect time  to  pick  up the Holy Quran and other
    Islamic books and start  reading.  As  the  month of December draws to a
    close, let us also pledge to be  better  Muslims,  insha' Allah. Our new
    year's eve should not be at a bar  or  a "party". It should rather be at
    the prayer rug. If  you  are  thinking  of  a  gathering  at your house,
    consider reading the Holy Quran  together  and an activity that involves
    remembrance of Allah as well.


    HADITH:

    "The best word is the  Book  of  Allah,  and  the  best  guidance is the
    guidance  shown  by  Muhammad   (S.A.W.).  The  worst  practice  is  the
    introduction of new elements in  the  Islamic faith and every innovation
    amounts to heresy." (Muslim, Hadith Number 170, Riyad Al-Saleheen)



 3. Santa Claus, not of Christian Origin ........................... from Staff


    Today in America, Santa Claus is a mythical  old man who brings gifts to
    children  at  Christmas  time.  Today's   version  of  Santa  originally
    developed from a real person, Saint  Nicholas, who lived 1700 years ago.
    He was bishop of  Myra,  an  ancient  town  of  Lycia,  now  in  Turkey.
    According to legend, he was only a  boy  when he became a bishop. He was
    extremely kind and often  went  out  at  night,  taking  presents to the
    needy. His generosity was not bound  by any particular time of the year.
    He was much loved by his community  for  his  kindness and selflessness.
    After his death on the 6th day of December,  school boys all over Europe
    celebrated a feast day  every  year  on  the  anniversary  of his death.
    Children were so fond of Saint Nicholas  and his habit of bringing gifts
    that the custom of celebrating his feast  day on the 6th day of December
    was maintained for hundreds of years.

    In England, Saint Nicholas Day  festivities  were banned when Henry VIII
    founded the church  of  England.  They  were  later  resumed  when Queen
    Victoria married German Prince Albert,  but Saint Nicholas in his return
    was changed to Father Christmas and  appeared on Christmas eve, the 24th
    day of December, not the  originally  celebrated date of December 6. The
    American tradition of santa  Claus  was  taken  from the altered English
    version.

    Santa Claus (a German translation  of  St. Nicholas) was modeled after a
    man of kindness, generosity and compassion.  It was only in the last few
    hundred years that Santa Claus was associated with the Christian holiday
    of Christmas that celebrates the birthday of Prophet Jesus.



 4. Lessons from Christmas Celebrations .......................... from K. Baig


    "Say O People of the Book!  Exceed  not  in  your religion the bounds of
    (what is proper),  trespassing  beyond  the  truth.  Nor follow the vein
    desires of people who went wrong  in  times gone by, __ who misled many,
    and strayed (themselves) from the even Way." [Al-Maidah, 5:77]

    Both Muslims and serious Christians  can learn a lot from Christmas, the
    annual celebration of  the  victory  of  paganism  over  the religion of
    Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ), peace be  upon him. No one disputes that the
    event and all its symbols came  from  pagan religions; it has nothing to
    do with the birth or teachings of  Jesus  Christ.  For one thing, no one
    knows with certainty the date of birth  of Jesus Christ. "In fact, dates
    in almost every month in the year  were  suggested by reputable scholars
    at one time or another," notes The  American  Book of Days. For another,
    the celebration of birthdays is  itself  a pagan idea, never promoted by
    any Prophet or Book of God, including the Bible.

    Early Church leaders opposed it  strongly.  As  late as 245 C.E. African
    Church father and philosopher  Origen  wrote  that it was sinful even to
    contemplate  observing  Jesus's   birthday  `as  though  he  were a King
    Pharaoh."[The American  Book  of  Days].  But  the  pagan world did have
    prayers and celebrations during the  winter season. Those who worshipped
    the sun god because of  its  apparent  power,  used  to become concerned
    about the fate of their god, in  a  world  of  many gods, as days became
    shorter and air very cold. It looked  like the sun was being defeated by
    the god of snow that brought death and misery with it. "... in Rome, the
    sun in its winter solstice was at its  weakest on December 25 and had to
    be born anew with the help of bonfires, lights, processions and prayer."
    [Reader's Digest Book  of  Christmas].  The  Roman pagan celebration was
    called Saturnalia.  The  Persians  also  had  similar  celebrations  for
    Mithras, their sun god. The evergreens, holly, ivy, and mistletoe plants
    which remained  green  even  during  this  winter  time  were  similarly
    considered by the pagans  to  have  magical  powers.  The  Druids  whose
    Stonehenge temples can be  seen  in  England,  regarded  mistletoe  with
    reverence and used to  burn  it  in   sacrifice  during  the  solstitial
    festivities. They also used to  hang  it in their houses. When you don't
    know the One True God,  even  leaves  and  plants  can  become god. They
    thought it brought good luck, fertility, protection from witchcraft, and
    was an antidote to poison.  Mistletoe  is  used even today, although the
    U.N. might consider banning it if the fertility claim proves true!

    In 1822 a Dr. Clement Moore, professor  of divinity, wrote a poem titled
    "The visit of St. Nicholas." The poem became popular and Santa Claus was
    born. The reason for  popularity?  "...  the  time  was ripe. A myth was
    needed, and  the  recreation  of  `old   Christmas'  was  well  in  the
    wind."[William Sanson, A Book of Christmas].  Some decades later The New
    York Sun answered an 8 year old's question "Is there a Santa Claus?" The
    answer has become classic and is worth noting. "Nobody sees Santa Claus,
    but that is no sign that there is  no  Santa Claus. The most real things
    in the world are those that neither  children nor men can see." So Santa
    Claus is divine, and judging from the  Christmas celebrations, certainly
    more important than Jesus Christ himself. Early church leaders wanted to
    christianize  the  pagan  festivities,  but  their  operating  principle
    became: When you  can't  beat  them,  join  them.  For  as  Pope Gregory
    declared in 601 C.E., "... from  obdurate  minds it is impossible to cut
    off everything at once." It was a license for another pearl of "wisdom":
    When in Rome, do as the Romans  do.  And  so  they did. First slowly and
    then rapidly.

    For  several  centuries  Christmas  was  solely  a  church  anniversary,
    observed by religious services.  "At  Christmas, men and women were not,
    repeat not, to dress up or mime; there  were not to be auguries, such as
    superstitions about fire; houses  were  not to be decorated, no presents
    given, no well-laden tables,  and  a  strict  watch  was  to  be kept on
    drink." But false religion drives out  true religion. Consider Christmas
    gifts, a carryover from the Roman  practice  of  giving dolls as gift in
    lieu of their earlier barbaric custom of offering human sacrifices. "The
    early Church frowned on gift  giving  as  a pagan custom. But the people
    enjoyed it too much to abandon it,  and  so  finally the Church accepted
    the idea and sanctioned  it."  [Barbara  Rinkoff,  The  Family Christmas
    Book]. Evergreens? "The early  church  forbade the use of them, but here
    again the custom was too deeply rooted  and the ban was ignored. Finally
    the church accepted the use of  evergreens  for  decoration." And on and
    on. Now consider this portrait of  Saturnalia  and  contrast it with the
    original don'ts  mentioned  above:  "...  a  fortnight  of near riot, of
    drunkenness, noise and games,  naked  slaves singing, men dressing up as
    animals and behaving with  less  dignity,  sex,  often with perversion."
    [Reader's Digest Book of Christmas].

    Anyone can see which picture represents  today's Christmas more closely.
    With the advent of Capitalism, the old pagans got a new supporter in the
    form of the adman. George Bernard Shaw observed: "Christmas is forced on
    a reluctant ... nation by...shopkeepers and the press." This is how they
    can serve God, and make money  at  the  same  time.  This in itself is a
    pagan idea and it is alive and  well  today. This defeat of Christianity
    at the hands of paganism must be  contrasted  with  Islam's bold victory
    over it. Before Islam, Arabia was  a  pagan country__ big time. But none
    of the pagan customs survived after Islam. None whatsoever. There was no
    such thing as `the people wanted it very much so the church allowed it.'
    The secret of this great success lies  in what Stuart Brown (The Nearest
    in Affection), deplores as Muslim  "antipathy  to innovation." The first
    Khalifah, Abu Bakr (May Allah be  pleased  with him) had declared in his
    first address as the new ruler, that he was a follower not an innovator.
    Throughout Islamic history there  have  been  attempts to introduce bida
    (innovation) as innocent good practices,  but unlike Christianity, there
    have always been rightly  guided  ulema  who  fought  them strongly. The
    struggle continues today.  Muslims  who  may  be wondering what is wrong
    with Milad Nabi celebrations  may  learn  from  the Christmas experience
    which also started as Milad Nabi for Jesus Christ.


 Announcements ................................................................

 5. Jesus: On-line Info ............................................ from Staff


    There are several articles available on-line on the internet for further
    reader on Islamic perspective  on  Jesus.  Two  of them are listed below
    from Caltech MSA Islamic Information site.


        GOPHER ACCESS:

        % gopher gopher.caltech.edu

        Select:  -Computing Information
                 -CCO Anonymous ftp site
                 -pub
                 -calmsa

        In subdirectory: islam-faq      File: part.9
        In subdirectory: iiie           File: 08.jesus

        % ftp   ftp.caltech.edu

        Login: anonymous
        Password: Your email address

        ftp> cd pub
        ftp> cd calmsa

        ftp> cd islam-faa       OR      ftp> cd iiieq
        ftp> get part.9                 ftp> get 08.jesus


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     |    Islamic Information & News Network - Executive Committee     |
     |    --------------------------------------------------------     |
     |  Nauman Kassim Mysorewala   - Listserv Owner/Coordinator        |
     |  Asim Mughal                - Listserv Owner/P.R. /Spokesman    |
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     |  Mir Muhammad Assadullah    - Editor                            |
     |  Arif Irfanullah            - Editor                            |
     |  Imran Mehdi                - Editor                            |
     |  Muhammed Ishaq Zahid       - Editor                            |
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