Okay, so every year around this time I get Christmas overload! It's like I will turn on the television to see a little CNN or reality t.v. (I know, I know... no judging!) and every commercial break is filled with Jingle Bells, snowmen and "miracles". Anyhoo, I start to feel just like the Grinch when people say in passing Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. I get to the point to where I just wish I could hibernate until December 26th. Which is one of my FAVORITE days of the entire year. Partly due the fact that it is the end of Christmas but really because it is the best day to go shopping!
I am really annoyed this year because as I type, there is some silly holiday boat parade going on behind my house. I mean these people go all out and decorate their yachts and blast Christmas carols this entire weekend. Sure, I wish I owned one of these yachts but I promise you that the real reason why it is annoying is the fact that the music keeps waking up my sleeping daughter who, by the way, will never have go through me lying to her about some old man who is going to come down the chimney bearing gifts. Really, I will never understand the reason behind all the hoopla. I love ISLAM!! No lies, no forced gift-giving and pressure... just the truth.
So, what do you like or dislike about the holiday season? Do you feel like a Grinch around this time of year???
Najwa
Asalaamu alaikum
Assalaam waliekum.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is pretty pointless yet people use pointless things as an excuse to waste money, energy and time. It's the small things that get me like people singing carols out loud when a Muslim enters a store. Insha'allah, Im suppose to "feel" the holiday spirit and say: Oh wow, I messing out on so much."
In reality, I'm like: Dang, she's tone-deaf.
Plus as Muslims, this world is not our reward. For them, this world is everything.
Just see it as you, insha'allah, ignoring the Christmas crap for the greatest gift ever in the Hereafter.
I feel very grinchy here in the UK...more so this year as it is the first time my 6 year-old is giving me a hard time about why we don't celebrate Xmas (she's the only Muslim in her class..)Of course we can't escape the madness..it started weeks ago and I can't wait for it to be over..
ReplyDeleteBah humbug!!! I'm with you 100% on this one Naj. I am so tired of listening to christmas jingles at work. As much as a try to tune it out its constantly playing in the overhead speakes. As someone who used to celebrate this holiday as a non muslim I don't miss it. Pointless gift-giving based on misconceptions and false info.
ReplyDeleteAlhamdulilah there is nothing like the haqq!!!
As a revert, a very recent revert, it doesn't bother me. Yes, I feel like I have a sensory overload at times, but I do realize that there are a lot of people who celebrate this holiday. When people say, "Happy Holidays" it's generic. It can mean any holiday you want it to. For me, I just count it toward our most recent Eid & Islamic New Year :).
ReplyDeleteI'm like you all, in regards to wanting to climb into a hole until the madness has passed.....but I try and be a positive person and look for the good in anyhting.....even in (horror of all horrors - SHRIEK-CHRISTMAS...but on a serious note two positives are the HOLIDAY STORE HOURS!!! I love that the stores are open at ungodly hours of the night :-) and Yummy of all yummies gingerbread and pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks (sigh) I could use one right now...
ReplyDeleteI reverted to Islam last year alhamdulillah but I actually still really love the spirit of the Christmas season. Granted there are rude pushy people and lots of traffic which I don't like but I feel like most people are nicer to each other. If someone says Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to me and genuinely means it I say it back. It's a nice thought.
ReplyDeleteSalaam myname is Sis Aamira Ibrahim, personally I repsect People of the Book celebrationof Esa's Biorthday. I try to use this time to build upon our commonality and make others aware that Muslims also bleive in ESa and reverence him, in short it become Dahwah whichis incumbent upon allof us as Muslims. Beating up Christinas for celebrating thier hoildya only build more resent ment agianst Islam and Muslims, but when I have share "generic cars like keep the Peace Of God in Your Hearts today and always, May the Peace of God be Upon you this Season of many Holidays..it builds warmth and interests. Its easy to be negative and tire of our other brothers ignorance , but better is it that we behave as people who are the best of Humanity , with understanding and compassion (keeping our boundreis not to commit shirk inthe process) but building upon commonality!
ReplyDeleteI think it is funny because during "Christmas" you see how people really act at heart. SO many people dislike the present buying and so forth buying way beyond their means for something they know is false! I am a recent revert as well, but I didnt grow up celebrating Christmas either. i work in collections and feel so sorry for people who forego bills to buy things that are not really important. I just Thank Allah (swt) for showing me this deen, Insh'Allah we can share the benefits of serving Allah ONLY and not his creation!
ReplyDeleteI think what the world needs as a whole is more kindness and understanding. Everyone has the right to believe and express their beliefs through the spirit of celebration. I am christian, my wife is muslim. We celebrate the blessings of God/Allah during both Christmas and Eid. For us it is really more about recounting our blessings, while re-enforcing our belief in the need to help others. We do not at all, see it as a time to go out and buy expensive presents.
ReplyDeleteThe Creator is one of love, peace, and understanding. Now, I will admit that I have experienced being grumpy at various times during both types of celebratory seasons, but only when I'm really.....really tired, or feeling under the weather. Ramadan is a time that my wife really looks forward to, Fasting during this month is something that she has and always will participate in wholeheartedly. This to me, is a strong testament of her faith. So, why then would I not celebrate her sacrifice.
With that said, I could not imagine loosing either. They both are great times of joy, helping others, well wishing, and togetherness which reminds us of how we should be every day throughout the year.
Blessings and peace be unto you.
Alhamdulilah, this will be my first year not celebrating it. However I am feeling some kinda way about it. I am kinda lonely as I am the only Muslim in my family. I never liked the concept of what Christmas has become but liked the fact that it brought families together. I do not miss racking my brain on trying to figure out how to 'budget' for christmas and rack my brain trying to think of gifts for folks that seemed to have everything.
ReplyDeleteI like the simplicity of Islam and like being a Muslim but it is kinda lonely.
I am a new muslimah and this is my family's first year of not celebrating christmas. It just feels kind of weird to me. My young children keep talking about Christmas no matter how many times I try to explain to them that why we are not celebrating it. I just can't wait until it is over.
ReplyDeleteJust apremature opinion which I may retract or modify in the future, but I see nothing wrong as a Muslim in participating in the substantive aspect of the holiday season which is essentially sharing gifts among friends and family. I think this is compatible with the sunnah of the Prophet(whom peace and blessings be upon. In a hadith authenticated by Tirmidhi, our beloved Prophet instructed "Give presents to one another, for a present removes rancor from the breast; and let not a neighbor denigrate the gift of her neighbor, even if it is just a part of a sheep's shank." This is not to say you should go a buy a christmas tree which is your business, but you definitely wont find one in my house. But I strongly encourage giving gifts to friends and family to materialize the brotherhood that Islam obligates on us Muslims. The Quran instructs that we are the best in the community in all aspects of life, and sharing gifts with non muslims will convey a strong message that Islam is receptive to charitible brotherhood activities. We do it for our religion and brotherhood and most importantly- exclusively for Allah. Not for Christmas, not for Jesus, not for these blood sucking captitalist who use this holiday to exploit the masses pockets. AsSalam.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading this blog, and all of the comments. I'm a devout Christian. And when I say that, I know you're going to automatically make assumptions about who I am and what I believe. That's ok - most people do it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, you need to understand that MANY people (Christians as well as those of other faiths - or no faith at all) are more than comfortable explaining to their children the real reason for Christmas.
As Muslims, it is my understanding that you must follow Jesus' example (as you beleive him to be one of the prophets of G-d). Surely, you retell his story at this time of the year?
The purpose behind gift giving is to remind ourselves that G-d has given so many gifts to humanity, and that we should emulate this. Certainly, we should strive to do so on a daily basis - but in the same we we celebrate a person's birth yearly doesn't mean we forget them every OTHER day of the year, giving and receiving gifts during Christmas doesn't automatically mean we don't think about doing so during the rest of the year.
My Children (currently 5 and 3) have NEVER been taught that Santa Claus is real. They know he is a fictional character (much like the Tooth Fairy, Bunyip and a myriad others). They get increasingly frustrated when, at shops etc, assistants ask them if they're going to get nice presents from Santa Claus. Finally, yesterday, my 5yo couldn't handle it any more and very politely explained to the shop assistant that Santa Claus wasn't real.
"Excuse me," she said... "Santa Clause isn't real. I know he's not real. You know he's not real. So why try to lie to me about it?" (yes, she's only 5, but has the IQ of a 10yo).
Personally, I see this as another opportunity to demonstrate Grace to my children and those around me. To explain to my kids with my words, and then show them with my actions, that even though most people around us think a certain thing/way, and that we think differently, and that we think our mindset is the correct one, love/generosity/joy/peace/understanding/gentleness/goodness/temperance are more important than getting upset when people make comments or do things that annoy them.
Assalamualeikum warahmatulahi wa barakatuhu ukthi! :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely. Here in Denmark, they celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December, as in, that's when they open their presents and stuff unlike in America. They've even started celebrating the 23rd of December, calling it "Little Christmas Eve"... SubhanAllah. I agree with your completely though, the 26th, and the days after that, are the best days for shopping. :-) Here in Denmark, the sales start around 2. January. :-)
Anyways, I love reading through your blog posts, it's soooo great! So I've decided to award you the Stylish blogger Award. I'm not sure if you accept them or not, but if you're interested, click on the following link for more information:
http://thecreativemuslimah.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-very-first-award.html#more
Enjoy your award!
-The Creative Muslimah
Asalaamu Alaikum. Very quickly, the Prophet(saw) told us that we had our holidays or rather festivals.
ReplyDeleteIt is well known that the Muslims do not have any festival apart from Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the weekly “Eid” which is Friday (Yawm al-Jumu‘ah). Celebrating any other festival is not allowed and is either of two things: either it is an innovation (bid‘ah), if it is celebrated as a means of drawing close to Allah, such as celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday (Mawlid); or it is an imitation of the kuffaar, if it is celebrated as a tradition and not as an act of worship, because introducing innovated festivals is the action of the people of the Book who we are commanded to differ from.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Similarly it is forbidden for the Muslims to imitate the kuffaar by holding parties on these occasions, or exchanging gifts, or distributing sweets or other foods, or taking time off work and so on, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Mukhaalifat Ashaab al-Jaheem: Imitating them on some of their festivals implies that one is happy with the falsehood they are following, and that could make them (the non-Muslims) take this opportunity to mislead those who are weak in faith.
Taken from Islam q and a
And with Allah is the success
Wasalaam
I don't have problems with ppl celebrating their holidays. But I see Christmas is a very fake holiday. Do you think Jesus PBUH was born in Dec 25? Why should ppl keep telling lies about it and Santa Clause and everything? Also, if Christmas is about the birth of Jesus PBUH, then why do most Christmas traditions and decorations look more like European winter festival? Where was Jesus born? In the middle east, not in Europe.
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me most; in Indonesia, my home country, a predominantly muslim country, Christmas celebration is so big, if you refuse to join or at least not wishing a Merry Christmas to Christians, you'll be labeled extremist, intolerance, etc.
As-Salaamu Alaikum, Yes, sometimes I too get tired of hearing Christmas carols EVERYWHERE! But we need to realize that Alhumdulilah this is people's (maybe not Muslims) way of celebrating a festive holiday time. It's their time to spend and enjoy with their family, and we need to learn to first respect that and 2nd encourage it and 3rd, embrace it. Unless we embrace others' cultures, how do you expect the world to embrace Islam? Yes, I admit that some people do get overly pushy, and sometimes the commercialization can seem pointless and fake, BUT let's not forget that Christmas means a lot to some people in the same way that Eid means so much to us! Also, please next time do not post for all of public how the traditions of other cultures' may seem "silly".. No judging please! Let's realize that maybe a holiday parade is a way for a very busy Western society to come together and spend time with family and friends. Everyone has different ways of doing things. Walaikum As-salaam. :)
ReplyDeleteI feel you man. I mean I believe in Jesus and all but what that got to do with christmas? I was on the road on Christmas day thinking I was escaping all the madness, but its all over the radio and at every gas station my little girl is hearing merry christmas from random strangers, or better yet "Did you have a merry christmas?" NO, LEAVE ME ALONE!
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ReplyDeletehttp://muslimahsmusings.blogspot.com/2011/01/first-blog-award.html