Can Faith Be Kind Without Being Compromised?
Why Muslims Choose Not to Celebrate Christmas or Say, "Merry Christmas".
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Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar (RA):
The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said: He who imitates a nation, he is one of them. (Sunan Abi Dawud 4031)
Have you ever wished joy for a festival that is primarily celebrated on the core belief that Allah (SWT) has a son?
If so, have you ever paused for a moment and asked yourself what that means for a heart that proclaims:
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
"He has never had offspring, nor was He born"? (Surah Al Ikhlas, Verse 3)
Do these words stir nothing within your heart as a believer? Or do they reminder of the purity of Tawhid (Oneness of Allah), the axis upon which your soul believes?
Do you know that when the Qur'an speaks of those who say "the Most Merciful has a son," it follows with the words:
They say, "The Most Compassionate has offspring."
You have certainly made an outrageous claim, by which the heavens are about to burst, the earth to split apart, and the mountains to crumble to pieces in protest of attributing children to the Most Compassionate.
It does not befit ˹the majesty of˺ the Most Compassionate to have children.
(Surah Al Maryam, Verse 88–91)
Can you for a moment imagine how serious this matter is in the eyes of Allah?
How just by uttering or slightly believing in this false statement even the silent creation of Allah from the seven heavens above to the gigantic mountains below, all seem to shake, as if longing to collapse upon the ones who claim it?
And yet, amid all these, there is Allah, The Eternal, The Unshakable, The One who needs no partner nor has any, whose Oneness is the source of all existence in the universe, whose mercy carries it and whose justice stands firm.
How even after the son of Adam proclaims these words, Allah SWT withholds the sky from ripping, the seas and oceans from bursting, the mountains from crumbling, the heavens to split open upon our heads. And keeps blessing His creation, Muslim or not, with ample wealth, good health, family and love.
How small we are, yet how profoundly our hearts claim to what is an accusation towards Allah's Perfection.
Pause. Reflect, and speak only what honors your Rabb.
Let your kindness not betray your faith, but show the beauty of your religion, Islam.
Let your presence in the world be a testament to conviction, the Oneness of Allah, not a compromise to your beliefs.
Smile, help, respect but do not open your lips to words that contradict the majesty of the One who created you and all around you.
Because true courage is not in blending in with the society; it is in standing firm, quietly, faithfully, in obedience of Him who commands the cosmos, who holds your breath, controls your heartbeat and in whose hands your life is.
Who is the very sole reason you exist on this earth when you were nothing!
So, the next time, your child begs you to set up a Christmas tree at home, or you attend a party for Christmas celebration, or you offer gifts to your non-Muslim friends acknowledging and approving them for their festival with the words 'Merry Christmas'
Think for a moment, am I truly honoring the words:
لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللهِ
There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
Here are some practical tips to follow:
- If someone greets you, respond gently: "I wish you good, but as a Muslim I believe in the Oneness of Allah."
- Explain your child: "We respect others' celebrations, but we follow Allah's guidance and do not imitate the actions of the disbeliever."
- Show love and respect through actions. Helping, smiling, or offering kindness, without participating in religious rituals.
- Share stories or examples of Prophet (SAWS)'s respect for others while remaining true to one's belief.
- Teach by example. Let children see how faith and kindness can walk together without compromising values.
May every step we take reflect the truth in our hearts and respect for everyone around us. Aameen
