Christmas and the “Muslim Jesus”
So it is Christmas again, and I wish all my readers the choicest greetings. I have previously posted some of my reflections on Christmas as a Scottish Muslim. Here in Egypt it will be celebrated by the Coptic community on 7th January, and it is also a national holiday. Idris Tawfiq, who was a Catholic priest before becoming a Muslim, has also presented his thoughts on the occasion at Reading Islam.
On a related note, I have noticed an increase in usage lately of the phrase “The Muslim Jesus”. Former Cambridge professor Tarif Khalidi wrote a fascinating compilation of Muslim traditions related to the Prophet Jesus (on whom be peace), and there was an ITV documentary broadcast in 2007 by the same title. Emel magazine has given this title to its latest issue, as did – more surprisingly – the New Statesman magazine of 14th December 2009. The latter featured an in-depth, very interesting article by Mehdi Hasan in which he outlined Islamic doctrine concerning this great prophet, and explored its significance in the field of inter-religious dialogue.
One particularly interesting excerpt that chimes with my experience:
But the real significance of Mary is that Islam considers her a virgin and endorses the Christian concept of the Virgin Birth. “She was the chosen woman, chosen to give birth to Jesus, without a husband,” says Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam in Leicester and assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). This is the orthodox Islamic position and, paradoxically, as Seyyed Hossein Nasr notes in ‘The Heart of Islam’, “respect for such teachings is so strong among Muslims that today, in interreligious dialogues with Christians . . . Muslims are often left defending traditional . . . Christian doctrines such as the miraculous birth of Christ before modernist interpreters would reduce them to metaphors.”
For what it’s worth, I question how effective the expression “Muslim Jesus” actually is, as it seems to miss the point that religious people today, like millions throughout history, have exerted their efforts to understand the implications of this unique man’s short life on earth and the message he brought. Indeed, this struggle was manifested in the earliest days in divisions between competing sects – which repeatedly turned towards violence and oppression. Did each group have its own Jesus, or was there a greater truth at stake?
To Muslims, Jesus (on whom be peace) is an example to be followed, a perfect worshipper of Almighty God. This is what we must contribute to the discourse first and foremost, as we understand Islam (wilful submission to God) to be the religion of Jesus and all prophets and their followers. Thus we expect all religious people to seek to be the best “small-m muslims” they can be, even if they do not agree with us that this consists in being a “big-M Muslim” who follows Muhammad, the successor to Jesus – peace be upon them.
1001 Inventions
I used to wonder about the title “1001 Inventions”, since the exhibition is not (yet) as vast as that. It turns out that it was a take on the exotic “1001 Nights” concept, showing that the history of Arab and Islamic civilisation should be seen in a new light.
Common Word: “now for action”
There is an article at IslamOnline about a recent conference in the USA developing the dialogue initiative now well known as A Common Word:
Religious scholars, politicians and experts agree that a Muslim dialogue initiative for the Christian world needs action to address all the challenges still standing between the followers of the two Abrahamic faiths.
“I think what we are addressing… is how to develop out of ‘A Common Word’ a common work together and common partnership,” John Esposito, professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, told IslamOnline.net.
Esposito was among a galaxy of international religious scholars and experts participating in a two-day conference sponsored by Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the office of Georgetown University President.
The conference, “A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change”, is a follow-up on an October 2007 letter from Muslim scholars to the world’s Christian clergy urging dialogue to declare the common ground between Islam and Christianity.
For more details of the project itself, see the official website: A Common Word Between Us and You
Esposito was among a galaxy of international religious scholars and experts participating in a two-day conference sponsored by Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the office of Georgetown University President.
The conference, “A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change”, is a follow-up on an October 2007 letter from Muslim scholars to the world’s Christian clergy urging dialogue to declare the common ground between Islam and Christianity.
And among His signs…
The following video is from the 2008 launch of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation, of which I was a director at the time. After the introduction by the chair is a recitation from the Qur’an delivered by yours truly, of a passage I selected due to the universal significance of its meanings.
Here is the A. Yusuf Ali translation of the verses recited:
{ So (give) glory to God, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning;
Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.
It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead).
Among His Signs in this, that He created you from dust; and then,- behold, ye are men scattered (far and wide)!
And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know.
And among His Signs is the sleep that ye take by night and by day, and the quest that ye (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty: verily in that are signs for those who hearken. }
[Ar-Rum 30:17-23]
Declining Christian worship? A sad thing
I gave a quote for a piece on former church buildings being used for Muslim worship, which appeared in UAE-based paper The National:
As Christian church attendances continue to fall, more church property may transfer to Muslim ownership. “There is sometimes opposition,” said Sohaib Saeed, a young volunteer imam and scholar at Cairo’s renowned Al Azhar University. “But others appreciate that the buildings are still put to religious use. I remember passing a church that had become a nightclub, seeing people outside with glasses of beer and feeling regretful, not because I thought it should be a mosque but because I wished it had still been a place of worship.”
Read the whole thing here: Empty churches, full mosques
A Muslim Christmas?
I wish all my readers a joyful ‘Eid al-Fitr and pray that Allah accepts the efforts of all who fasted and prayed in the blessed month that just left us.
Do check out this informative and entertaining article by Mr Moo (Musab Bora), which originally appeared in the Guardian: Is Eid the Muslim Christmas?
Speaking of Muslims and Christmas, below I’ve reproduced an article by yours truly, published (in reduced form) last Christmas in the Edinburgh Evening News…
Fridays at the Synagogue
See this video about a “super-unusual” arrangement between the Jewish and Muslim communities in Northern Virginia.
I’m not certain of the juristic positions of the respective faiths on this matter, but I do recall a rabbi mentioning in an inter-faith discussion I attended that he would have no discomfort in performing his prayers in a mosque if welcomed, whereas he would not do the same in a church.
Heroes with super-values
There’s been a buzz around “The 99″ for some time, but the latest news is that these Islam-inspired superheroes will soon be making their debut on British TV.
They have proved a hit from Morocco to Indonesia and were recently named as one of the top 20 trends sweeping the world by Forbes magazine. Now they are being brought to British television by Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, with a mission to instill Islamic values in children across all faiths. [...]
They were created by Dr Naif al-Mutawa, a clinical psychologist from Kuwait, who felt Muslim children needed a new set of heroes to look up to, to counter jihadist role models. [...]
Dr al-Mutawa hopes the cartoons will have a universal appeal. He said: “It is based on attributes such as generosity and mercy. These are not things that Islam has a monopoly over.”
One rather strange point in the Independent’s report was the claim that “there will never be a full cast of 99 superheroes since it is forbidden to depict all Allah’s attributes.” I can’t see what this statement is based on, and there are two further problems with it: (1) God’s attributes cannot truly be portrayed in the first place, but these are characters just reflecting some aspect of the “99 Names”; (2) Although it’s not commonly known, God has more than 99 names, as evidenced in a supplication taught by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), in which we say:
“O Allah, I am your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand; Your command over me is forever executed; Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’an the springtime of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and release from my anxiety.”
Ramadan: A Taste of Hunger
Article by Sohaib Saeed, first published in Interfaith Matters, August 2009
[NB: this issue is still pending release]
Muslims around the world eagerly await the coming of every Ramadan, the annual season of reflection, repentance and renewal. The month of fasting begins with the sighting of the new moon, this year around 20th August, and ends with the arrival of ‘Eid al-Fitr: a day of celebration and thanksgiving for the blessings of the past 29 or 30 days.
Ramadan is the month of worship and remembrance, even though these are required all year round. It is a month of training, of putting in extra effort to gain the spiritual sustenance to keep us going for the remaining eleven months of the year. Most notable is the fasting from dawn to sunset, compulsory upon all men and women unless they have an excuse such as being pregnant or very young or old. Fasting is to abstain from all food, drink or sexual activity throughout the daylight hours, and the ‘nil by mouth’ rule extends similarly to smoking.
Fasting is by no means a practice born with the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), as the Qur’an instructs believers to fast “as fasting was prescribed for those before you.” In an age of faddish diets, fasting is a divinely recommended detox for body and soul. It breaks the chains of habit, especially of the destructive kind, and liberates the free will. It teaches us moderation in eating, and to value the food we are blessed with while many go without.
The value of any ritual is seen in its effect on one’s personality and behaviour. Thus the Prophet declared that “Whoever does not abstain from lying and evil deeds should know that God has no need for his abstaining from food and drink.” He was also more generous to the needy in this month than any other.
Because these are values common to people of all faiths, it is quite natural that many non-Muslims opt to fast for a day or more along with their Muslim friends, tasting that little bit of hunger in order to enjoy its abundant fruits.
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Plus something for football fans:
Fredi Kanoute: “I Can Keep Fasting In Ramadan Even When I Am Playing”
I Can Keep Fasting In Ramadan Even When I Am Playing – Fredi Kanoute
The Original Sin: Racism
Today I had the pleasure of joining a large gathering in Edinburgh to mark the official opening of this year’s Festival of Spirituality and Peace. There were speeches by Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill MSP and organisers of the festival, as well as a wide variety of performances and offerings for reflection.
My contribution was to recite a passage from the Qur’an, which I chose to do in a new way, alternating between each Arabic verse and its translation in English. Qur’anic recitation is a unique art form which I promote through an organisation I founded called Quranica, and which I practise as best I can. In terms of the science of accurate recitation, I am blessed to have learned from leading experts – mainly in Egypt – and received traditional ‘ijazah’ certification by reciting to them.
Since the theme of the 2009 Festival is “The Call of Home”, I explained before commencing that I chose these particular verses for three main reasons:
- They remind us that all humans beings share a common mother and father.
- They reveal that the true Original Sin – literally the very first sin to occur in the universe – was the arrogance of Satan in supposedly being made of a nobler substance: in other words, racism. It should be noted that Satan, also known as Iblis, was never an angel but was at one time in their company, hence his inclusion in the command directed to the angels.
- They remind us of our origin, and the home we must strive to return to by worshipping Almighty God and serving Him in these earthly lives of ours.
