Christmas, as everyone knows, commemorates the birth of Jesus and is a major religious celebration for Christians around the world. Many people don't know that Jesus is a prophet in Islam, too, even though Muslims don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday.
The Holy book of Islam, the Qur’an, relates in detail the story of Jesus, including his birth, and his life. Muslims believe that this story is in harmony with the Gospels too. Indeed, a whole chapter titled “Maryam” (19) in the Qur’an is named after the mother of Jesus.
Islam is a religion which requires belief in not only the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) but all the prophets of God, including Jesus (Qur’an 2:137). In Islam, Mary is described as a pious and righteous woman who symbolizes righteous believers blessed with Divine inspiration.
Islam affirms the fatherless birth of Jesus and rejects outright the opposing claim that his birth was illegitimate. It recognizes the virgin birth of Jesus as a miraculous event, and does not consider it unnatural as the laws of nature are never broken. In Islam, the immaculate conception of Jesus is not interpreted to mean that he was in some way divine. He was still a human being (Qur’an 19:31).
I wish my Christian friends a Merry Christmas.