Birth of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him)

At the time of year, when Christmas songs are in the air and shopping and gift wrapping are in full bloom, it seems a good idea to look beyond the festivities revolving around the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him).

The vast majority of Christians believe that Jesus (pbuh) was born on the 25th of December and it is on this date that Christians all over the world celebrate Christmas Day. Some Christian denominations believe that he was born at another time of the year. Bishop Barnes stated, “There is, moreover, no authority for the belief that December 25th was the actual birthday of Jesus … Our Christmas Day seems to have been accepted about 300 AD (Rise of Christianity).

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, "Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church, and before the 5th century, there was no general consensus of opinion as to when it should come into the calendar. The exact day and year of Christ's birth have never been satisfactorily settled."

The Bible mentions that shepherds were watching their sheep at the time of Jesus’ birth which would have been most unlikely in December when the climate in Judea is extremely cold.

According to the Holy Qur’an, the birth of Jesus took place at a time when fresh dates are found on palm-trees in Judea. After delivering Jesus under a palm-tree an angel spoke to Mary saying, “And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree; it will drop upon thee fresh ripe dates” (19:26).

Some might say how is it possible for Qur’an to have anything to do with someone followed by not Muslims but Christians? Amazingly, the Qur’an confirms the birth, existence and acceptance of Jesus (pbuh) as a prophet of God. Not only Jesus (pbuh) but also his mother, Mary holds a special status in Islam. So, it's not surprising to see a whole chapter in the Qur’an titled "Maryam", named after and dedicated to her making it a unique honor since no other chapter of the Qur’an is named after any other woman. This chapter captures all the details pertaining to the conception of Jesus, his birth and other aspects of her life and confirms both her virgin status and of her chastity at the time of Jesus' birth just as the Gospels have stated.

Even though Muslims might choose not to participate in the festivities of Christmas, nonetheless, they love and respect Jesus (pbuh). He was a noble person and it is his teachings of love, compassion, and kindness that attracted many and spiritually elevated them. In remembrance of this historic figure, may this celebration be a source of blessing and peace for everybody during this tough and difficult pandemic.