Christmas vs. Holiday from a Muslim Perspective

Please Check out the Dec. 25 (Christmas Day) post from Muslim Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa of Chicago. Hassaballa is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician currently practicing in the greater Chicago area and has been a Beliefnet columnist since 2001.

Here are some quotes. Please check out the entire post.

"there is something my Christmas-celebrating fellow Americans and I have in common. When I greeted my neighbors or Christian friends this holiday season, I said to them, "Merry Christmas." Some, in fact, said to me, "Hey, Dr. Hassaballa, Happy Holidays!" And I said back to them, "Merry Christmas.""

Have I sold myself out to the "infidels"? No, not really. As a Muslim in a majority Christian society, I have respect for the holidays and special occasions of my fellow Americans. Thus, with the respect demanded by Islam to non-Muslim compatriots, I say to other Christian Americans: "Merry Christmas." It's very similar to saying "Happy Birthday" to someone on their birthday, isn't it? I mean, "merry" means "happy." I think that, in some countries, they in fact do say "Happy Christmas" instead of "Merry Christmas." Whatever the case may be, I gladly say "Merry Christmas" to my Christian friends and neighbors.In fact, this whole thing about not saying "Merry Christmas" because it is not politically correct is pretty pathetic. If I know someone is Christian, I will tell them, "Merry Christmas," not "Happy Holidays."

Does this mean that I am celebrating the holiday? No. All I am saying is "I hope your 25th day of December is a happy day." In fact, the greeting "Merry Christmas" really is not enough: it should be "Blessed Christmas," like we Muslims say to each other on our Eid days.

I do the same thing to my Jewish friends and co-workers (yes, I do have them). When Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year, comes around, I tell them, Shana Tova, or "Happy New Year." Again, I am not "taking up the customs of the infidels." I am simply wishing a fellow human being goodness on his or her special religious day.

There was a time when I did not believe as I do now. I thought, back in my days of darkness, that it was wrong to say, "Merry Christmas" or even "Happy New Year" to any of the "infidels." Thank God I was cured of that religious world view.

Thanks Dr. Hassaballa for your Christmas Lesson on love.

An Apprentice of Christ
Royal