For Muslims in the West – whether born Muslims, or converts – the Christmas season is a time of mixed feelings. With sparkling lights and catchy music, the festive atmosphere is a contagious one… and presents a massive challenge to Muslims who are trying to avoid the haraamness of it all!
Whether you’re trying to talk to your kids about why Christmas isn’t something we celebrate, figuring things out with your non-Muslim family, or struggling to avoid falling for the “Christmas isn’t even religious anymore!” argument, MuslimMatters has plenty of resources for you!
“Twinkling lights, cheery music, traditional food, and exchanging presents with family and friends… the Christmas season comes with a great deal of nostalgia and emotional challenges from new(er) Muslims, who often struggle to navigate establishing boundaries as a Muslim while also maintaining positive relationships with their families.
Anse Hazel and Anse Eman share their own experiences as converts, discussing some of the most common and most difficult challenges that new Muslims face, as well as providing support to those experiencing backlash from family and friends. They offer advice, compassion, and a holistic understanding of maintaining Islamic values while strengthening family ties, too.”
“As Muslim parents, how do we approach the issue of talking about Christmas with our young children? It can be difficult to navigate the “feels” of the season, especially for younger children, while strongly upholding Islamic values surrounding the celebration of Christmas.”
“Let’s be honest here, for those of us growing up as Muslim minorities, whether it was Christmas or another holiday, the assertive “because it’s ḥarām (forbidden)” coupled with the parental death-stare was usually the end of the conversation. One generation later, though, this answer – or the subconscious resentment of it – now has parents like me reluctant to repeat it, and for many, even questioning it.”
“Christmas is around the corner, and the Christmas carols, decor, and workplace parties hype is at its peak! What does that mean for Muslims? Can’t we all sing Muslim carols, have a crescent shaped tree, and celebrate the Mawlid of Prophet ‘Eesa (as)? Or is Christmas really haraam?
Ustadha Alima Ashfaq shares how Muslims can navigate the Christmas season in a way true to our Deen and sensitive to individual situations, without compromising our Islamic principles.”
“In recent years, I have noticed an increase in the number of Western Muslims celebrating Christmas in different capacities. This may be more understandable for those new to the faith, or for those who have non-Muslim family members with whom participating in this holiday may be tricky to navigate.
Unfortunately, there is also an increasing number of Muslims who have jumped on the bandwagon of celebrating Christmas with really no compelling reason to do so – putting up decorations in their homes, Christmas trees, giving Christmas presents to their children, etc.”
“This is an extremely poignant khutbah by Sh. Mustafa Umar. This provides a much needed step in moving past the dialogue of things like ‘is it haram to get a greeting card’ or ‘is it haram to put up a Christmas tree’.”
“This article certainly does NOT condone the ever-increasing practice of imitating non-Muslims in the celebration of their holidays. However, I do believe that there are lessons that we can draw from the way that non-Muslims celebrate their holiday. These are lessons that we can apply to our own two historically Islamically legitimate holidays – the two ‘Īds.
So, what are these lessons?”
“At this time of year the stores are pushing their sales at us. Advertising is everywhere. There if a frenzy to buy, buy, buy. Let’s realize that as Muslims this is not our way of life. The consumerist madness is a deception. There’s no joy or peace attached to it. It’s a shallow illusion.
Look at what society has done to itself in the name of consumerism. A day of thanks (Thanksgiving) has become the prelude to “Black Friday”, the biggest shopping day of the year. It used to be that Black Friday did not begin until Friday morning, out of respect for Thanksgiving. Then the starting gun was moved to midnight, and now it has crept into Thursday evening. Nothing is sacred.”
