Christmas: Jesus Christ From A Muslim's Perspective

Christmas is a time that is celebrated by many people within the Christian faith, a celebration intended for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Such commemoration is celebrated on December 25th, a date in which Pope Julius I deemed a sufficient date to practice this holiday. There is a notable discrepancy between the actual date of the nativity scene and the assigned date to celebrate it. Chambers Encyclopedia states that “There is no authoritative tradition as to the day or month of Christ’s birth and some uncertainty exists as to the actual year. St. Clements of Alexandria refers to calculations which placed it in April or May.” When looked more in depth at the verses from the Qur’an, we can see it supporting the claims that Jesus’ birth could not possibly be in the winter time. “And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree; it will drop upon thee fresh ripe dates” (19:26). Dates cannot grow ripe in the harsh winters of December. It was far from being date season. In further support of this point, the Bible itself states that during the time of Jesus’ birth, there were shepherds watching over their sheep, which wouldn’t make sense in the context of winter, which in Judea, had conditions too harsh for animals to survive outside their enclosures.

One may think that since mainly Christians celebrate Christmas, Islam does not hold any importance to Jesus Christ. However, in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Jesus does hold great significance. Ahmadi Muslims around the globe regard him as a revered prophet of God.
To begin with, let us dive into the history of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ ( peace be upon him) in accordance to the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith. His mother, Mary, is described as a devout and virtuous woman who is an essential aspect of the history of Islam. In fact, there is an entire chapter of the Qur’an named after her, entitled Maryam. The miracle of Mary’s birth is something that is regarded as a natural occurrence rather than an unnatural miracle without the backing of science. Centuries after Jesus’ birth, scientists have been able to rationalize the rare occurrences of virgin births. It was also revealed by God to Mary that she would give birth to one of great holiness, hence the Qur’an states, “When the angels said, ‘O Mary, God gives thee glad tidings of a word from Him; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, honored in this world and in the next, and of those who are granted nearness to God” (3:46).

To tackle the case of how the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community views Jesus’ sanctity, I will cite a quote from the chapter of Maryam, emphasizing that Jesus was a prophet rather than a spirit of divinity. “Said Jesus: ‘Surely, God is my Lord, and your Lord. So, worship Him alone; this is the right path’ (19:37). This means that God alone is whom people are expected to worship, Jesus being a mortal akin to the rest of humankind. We as Ahmadi Muslims believe in all of the prophets of God, and believe that they have a designated mission that they are put on this world to fulfill, and all have an important impact on how society has formed. Jesus was one such respected prophet that is still held in high regard by the Ahmadi Muslim Community to this day.