And how could I forget the Secret Santa in school? Exciting was not only what gift was in the bag. It was at least as exciting which classmate gave you the gift.
By the way, Christmas memories didn’t stop at our front door. At the request of my brother, who was a true Christmas fan, our parents even set up a Christmas tree at home, which we lovingly decorated.
Some Muslims will certainly shake their heads when reading these lines, and describe this action as un-Islamic. It is indeed the case, according to a reading of Islam, that rites of other religions must not be imitated. But statements of the Prophet and verses from the Koran must be placed in the context of time and place.
“Some Muslims” will “describe this action [putting up a Christmas tree] as un-Islamic”? The Qur’an (5:3) tells all Muslims in no uncertain terms not to imitate the Unbelievers.
As one Muslim website explains:
The Muslims have no need to imitate any of the other nations in matters of religious rituals and acts of worship, for Allaah has perfected His religion and completed His Favour, and chosen for us Islam as our religion, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Qur’an 5:3)
Islam forbids the Muslims to imitate the Kuffaar, especially the Jews and Christians, but this prohibition does not apply to all their affairs, rather it applies to matters of their religion and things that are unique to them, by which they are known.
In the Hadith Muhammad says the same thing:
“It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit, to the extent that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you will enter it too.” We said: “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said: “Who else?” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1397; Muslim, 4822.
This hadeeth indicates that it is haraam to imitate the Jews and the Christians, and that those who follow them and tread the same path as them are criticized. Islam has reinforced this prohibition, by describing those who imitate the kuffaar as being of them.
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3512.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“This at the very least indicates that it is haraam to imitate them, although the apparent meaning is that the one who imitates them is a kaafir.”
So all of that imitating of Christians at Christmas time by Rezek’s family — his taking part in the nativity play (and making his parents “proud”), the Christmas tree, the giving of presents, the delight taken at those Christmas markets — all this for Muslims is unambiguously haram, forbidden. Rezek might have written that “I am well aware that for almost all Muslims our family’s participation in the celebration of Christmas is unacceptable.” But he didn’t do so, because he wants Unbelievers to take his own family’s behavior not as exceptional, but as representative. I have no doubt that some Muslims do like to visit, as he claims, Christmas markets, but how many of these exceptions are there? And how many Muslims give Christmas presents and have Christmas trees? If there were more than a scarcely discernible handful, wouldn’t we have heard of them by now?
As a Muslim in Germany in the 21st century, life is of course different than in the early seventh century in Mecca or Medina, when the Koran was revealed. And to make children happy was, then as now, a matter of course.
Life in 21st century Germany is certainly different from life in 7th century Mecca and Medina. But the Qur’an and Hadith remain unchanged. The Qur’anic command (5:51) “not to take Jews and Christians as friends, for they are friends only with each other” — is still there. Unchanged, too, is the Qur’anic command (5:3) not to imitate the Unbelievers in any matters connected to religion, for otherwise a Muslim becomes an Unbeliever himself.
These days I’m a father myself and I like to mark the festive season of Christmas. My wife and I will give presents to our daughter and spend the Christmas holidays together.
This year my wife has decorated the flat a little with fir cones. What could be nicer than eating delicious Christmas biscuits or Stollen with your family? With this in mind, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.
The only thing missing in the Rezek Christmas, it seems, are Christmas cards. Muslims, of course, are forbidden to send them.
All the Muslim websites proclaim rules about Christmas which the Rezek family ignores almost in their entirety:
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by celebrating it
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by sending Christmas cards
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by buying Christmas presents
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by wishing others Merry Christmas
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by going to and holding Christmas parties
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by singing Christmas songs
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by telling your kids about a fictional figure like Santa Claus
It’s haraam to support the idea of Christmas by doing secret Santa
Said Rezek apparently observes only two of these prohibitions: he doesn’t wish others “Merry Christmas” and he doesn’t send Christmas cards. Otherwise, he and his family are as “haraam” as can be.
Please take it on faith, from Said Rezek himself, that Muslims all over the world are just as enlightened and tolerant as his family apparently is. Isn’t his anecdotal evidence enough? Forget your worries and your doubts. Forget what all the imams declare, and what all the Jihadis threaten. Forget the 109 verses in the Qur’an commanding violent Jihad against the Unbelievers. Forget the more than 33,400 terror attacks by Muslims since 9/11. Ignore Muhammad’s claim that “I have been made victorious through terror.” Pay no attention to the Qur’anic verse (98:6) that describes Unbelievers as “the most vile of creatures.” None of that matters. There’s a Muslim family, over in Germany, that puts up a Christmas tree, learns Christmas carols, and gives Christmas presents to family members.That’s what really counts.
Said Rezek wants to accentuate the positive. There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world. And just think — he’s shown us that at least seven of those 1.5 billion Muslims, that is, Said Rezek, his wife, his daughter, his parents, and his two siblings, cheerfully embrace the Christmas holiday. They have Christmas trees. They take part in nativity plays. As children, Said and his siblings were given Christmas presents, a tradition he continues with his own child. He and his wife love to visit, and buy things at, Christmas Markets. That’s all meant to be heartwarming.
But such anecdotal evidence is ludicrous. This reassurance based on a single Muslim family’s experience is wildly misleading. If Said Rezek could offer up examples of millions, or even thousands, of Muslims who feel the same way as he claims his family does about Christmas, we might be more impressed. No such evidence is offered.
Meanwhile, in the Islamic world, Christians are still being attacked, in their churches, returning from pilgrimages, in their shops, on the street. In 2003, there were 1.5 million Christians in Iraq; now there are 200,000. Two Scandinavian girls were decapitated in mid-December in Morocco, for the crime of being Unbelievers. Christians will forever be considered as guilty of the sin of polytheism, or shirk, for believing in the divinity of Jesus. Whatever Said Rezek may think, the Qur’an is crystal clear: “fight the Unbelievers wherever you find them,” “smite at their necks,” “strike terror in their hearts.”
Said Rezek offers a vivid example of those Muslims who want us to believe that in their embrace of the outward and visible aspects of Christmas, they are not the exception but the rule.
Tidings of comfort and joy? Not so fast. Not until we hear respected imams — at least by the hundreds — proclaim from their pulpits that Muslims can put up Christmas trees, sing Christmas carols, give Christmas presents, without being considered Kuffars. And so far, not a single one has done so.
mortimer says
This Muslim i is confused about what Sharia law teaches and requires of him.
He is not practicing Islam, but making up a WATERED-DOWN version.
If he doesn’t believe MOhammed or his companions behave morally, then he should in all honesty leave Islam.
Many Muslims disapprove of Mohammed’s actions but they remain in Islam out of habit.
Matt Edwards says
Notice how easily they purposefully conflate ‘Muslim’ as being the same as Nationality. Islam is full of ambiguity and revised interpretation. Truly a cancer spreading throughout the minds of people of this world.
somehistory says
First: we have only his word…the word of a moslim…that he did any of these things.
He says “merry Christmas” at the end of his article quoted here. If any moslims read what he wrote, he has wished them “merry Christmas.” Even if he didn’t do that in person.
Second, he says making children”happy” is a “matter of course.” A “matter of course” is something done naturally, all of the time, routine, etc.
Just how many children are made “happy” by the parents observing the tenets of islam…and forcing them on their children?
Babies and young girls wrapped tightly in head scarves and suffocating burkas….
And, worst of all…the two worst things: sanctioned rape, called by moslims “child marriage,”…and the infamous and cruel, FGM.
The rape of little boys happens daily as does the teaching of little boys to treat their mothers with disrespect.
Disrespect for the mothers reaches even to killing her for her supposed and claimed infractions. It kills the mother…but it also kills the son. A child has a natural love for his mom…this is destroyed by islam.
This moslim is a fool and a liar. He may wish he could freely celebrate Christmas, but he won’t leave the cult to have any sort of freedom. He’d rather feel superior to the rest of us non moslims.
these demonic practices are a “matter of course” for moslims….but they don’t make any child “happy.”
Steve D says
I still contend that the most dangerous type of Muslims are the so called moderates, for they spread a false image, and are ultimately carriers of a virulent ideology.
Tom says
here is something I would like to hear from a moderate Muslim: “This practice/command of Mohammed is not to be followed today.” This could apply to the haram list in this article or any other moderate modification of Islamic teaching. But I have never heard that. It seems to me acting contrary to Islamic teaching is done because they use common sense and were not aware that there is specific teaching about the issue at hand. When shown that Mohammed commanded or practiced otherwise they never conclude Mohammed was wrong, but adjust their view to match that of Mohammed.