AHC/WI: Muslim Christmas

Muslims believe in and revere Jesus just like Christians--so how could they celebrate Christmas with the latest POD possible?
 
Muslims are divided on if they should even be celebrating Mohammed's birthday, without fundamentally changing Islam, their's no way you're going to get them celebrating (the incorrect) birth of Jesus who, while seen as divinely blessed, was simplyu one of many Messengers of God.

That all said the Alawites do celebrate Christmas, but much as the Assad's have tried to say otherwise, the Alawi are not Muslims but a seperate Abrahamic religion.
 
OTL, where Christian were in important numbers in Islamic countries, Muslims took the use of celebrating with them (not between Muslim only) Christmas.

While it was heavily criticised and condamned by religious head or islamic scholars, it benefited from the coranic prescription "If your neighbour is celebrating something, celebrate with him".

Now, having a TL where Christmas become a Muslim holy day...
It's hard, but not totally impossible. You'll probably need to butterfly the most rigorist school of Islam or at least prevent them to reach the most "christianised" Islamic regions (Al-Andalus, Palestine, Syria, Anatolia...)

After some time, you might have some schools (the same allowing consumption of alchool) saying "oh, WTH, let's do it". Still, it would be REALLY hard to have it even in the better conditions except if you manage to get a religious unity based on a national feeling (and so, require an Islamic country with a christian majority (at least plural) to survive up to XVII century.
 
Muslims believe in and revere Jesus just like Christians--so how could they celebrate Christmas with the latest POD possible?

No they don't - they believe Jesus was just a man, not the son of God. And as has already been mentioned, if Mohammed's birthday is not a Holy Day, then Jesus' is unlikely to be. There's also the fact that the Muslim calendar is very different to the Christian (it's a lunar calendar not a solar one for a start) which will make it very difficult to have a shared festival.

That said, it might be possible to do something with a more syncretic Islam, though I think it would be easier to get them to celebrate Easter rather than Christmas - the dating for that is already partly lunar (reflecting Easter's origins as a Passover festival) - and perhaps modifying it as a general festival using Jesus as a symbol for remembering all those who have been martyred in the service of Allah.
 
No they don't - they believe Jesus was just a man, not the son of God.

Islam does not teach the Jesus was the son of god, but it does say pretty much everything else including the virgin birth, being divinely blessed and being a Messiah.
 
Islam does not teach the Jesus was the son of god, but it does say pretty much everything else including the virgin birth, being divinely blessed and being a Messiah.

But not the part about dying for our sins, if memory serves.
 
But not the part about dying for our sins, if memory serves.

Indeed, to expand though their are only three things Islam does not believe about Jesus;

1. The Holy Trinity/that he was god or the son of god.
2. That he died for Humanities sins.
3. That he died at all.*


*Islam teaches god 'lifted him unto heaven' before he died.
 
Indeed, to expand though their are only three things Islam does not believe about Jesus;

1. The Holy Trinity/that he was god or the son of god.
2. That he died for Humanities sins.
3. That he died at all.*


*Islam teaches god 'lifted him unto heaven' before he died.

So, presumably, it doesn't teach that he was resurrected either?
 
You do realise that Jul 24-26 december) has absolutely nothing to do with christianity, it was simply shanghaid into christianity so if they could do it why not the muhammedans?
 
You do realise that Jul 24-26 december) has absolutely nothing to do with christianity, it was simply shanghaid into christianity so if they could do it why not the muhammedans?
Because Islam has a totally different calendar. Because Christians used a solar calendar, they could coopt pagan holidays and have it work. Because the Jews used a hybrid solar lunar calendar (with intercalary months), Christians could keep Easter on (sort of) the Jewish calendar and things are just a bit complicated. Which is acceptable when it's the ONLY feast that moves like that, and it's the most important one in your entire religion.

The Muslim calendar is purely lunar, and so celebrations tied to a specific date in their calendar would very quickly get massively out of sync.
 

Titus_Pullo

Banned
Muslims believe in and revere Jesus just like Christians--so how could they celebrate Christmas with the latest POD possible?


I know some Muslims that do in the United States. They buy christmas trees decorate, even set up manger scenes but they do it to participate in the mainstream culture and view Christmas like they do any other American holiday like the 4th of July. That said some Jews also celebreate Christmas for the same reason, and not for the religious aspects.
 
And even if they did find some kludge, the question of Muslims celebrating Christmas remains regardless of what the 25th of December has to do with anything.
 
If Christmas can be celebrated in shintoist / buddhist Japan or in officially atheistic communist countries, why not in predominantly muslim ones. As far as I know Christmas is being celebrated in Palestine, at least in the West Bank part of it, by not just christians, but muslims as well.
 
No they don't - they believe Jesus was just a man, not the son of God.

Actually they believe he is a prophet and the messiah, hell they even believe in his virgin birth. The only thing they don't believe is that he is specifically gods son which is very much against their philosophy as to how god operates in relation to the world.
 
If Christmas can be celebrated in shintoist / buddhist Japan

Japan is only Shinto/Buddhist in name only, the majority of the population is irreligious and celebrate various different holidays and adopt traditions from multiple religions without actually caring about the religious aspect.

Another thing to is that Christmas in Japan is not the same as it is elsewhere as it in many ways is a hybrid holiday and the only real theme universally adopted is the Christmas Tree.


or in officially atheistic communist countries,

Their has'nt been a country practicing/espousing State Atheeism since the collapse of the Soviet Union; the remaining 'Communist Countries' either reformed their constitutions decades ago to allow for (highly regulated) freedom of religion or never banned it in the first place.
 
The Muslims view Jesus as just one among the several prophets including Abraham, Moses etc. and less important than Muhammad, the last prophet. There are certain very conservative Muslims who are against celebrating even the birthday of Muhammad, thinking that amounts to worshiping him. Islam prohibit the worship of anyone except Allah and hence the worship of prophets including Muhammad is prohibited.
 
Top