How To Navigate Christmas as a Muslim

It’s that time of the year again, and almost every Muslim will be asking the unending question; how do I navigate Christmas as a Muslim? As Christmas is a huge deal in the UK, every Muslim has a different response to how they deal with the event. So we thought we’d take this occasion to dive deeper into exploring the answer.

Whilst scholars of the past have gone to lengths to discuss such matters, time evolves and people change. Dynamics become different, which means that something that may have been perceived as wrong has become a means of uniting in this day and age. 

For Christians, this is the most wonderful time of year, with many meeting long-lost family members and gifting endlessly. With Christianity and Islam being the most popular religions in the world, many Christians will be celebrating Christmas whilst their neighbouring Muslims witness the festivity. This poses an important question of how one should get through this time which is regarded as a special time for Christians.

With our younger Muslim generation growing up way too fast, it’s time we adopted a different attitude about how we deal with this question. It’s time we looked beyond what is simply haram and halal and instead focus on what is more conducive to a better and stronger community. It’s time we focus on what is mutual, as opposed to what divides us.

As Muslims in the West, we have a moral responsibility to ensure that we live harmoniously with our Christian neighbours, and Christmas is an ideal time to present the best that Islam has to offer.

Let The Quran Speak asks Dr Shabir Ally some pertinent questions regarding Christmas and how Muslims should navigate this season. 

Aside from the brilliant advice shared through his discussion with the host, Dr Ally also advises that we should use this occasion to remember the life of the Prophet Isa [AS] and take advantage of the break to unite as a family.