Christmas and the 'Messiah'

 

No Christmas for true Christians!

In modern Christianity, facts and fabrications are inextricably intertwined. It is almost impossible for anyone to know and appreciate the true origins of the Faith with any certainty. And yet, scholars paying deep attention to specific details in the life of the historical Jesus- spiritual figure at the centre of all the debates-; studying the evolution of the fortunes of the early community of believers- they have unearthed and reconstructed vital points for the attention of truth-seekers. Consider the following: despite widespread popularity of 'Christmas' today, it is originally and essentially a pagan festival accrued to the Faith in the ebb and flow of time, and has had nothing to do with the historical Jesus! Moreover, even the theological doctrines are based on mythical Jesus and speculative wisdom. Rooted in questionable assumptions, the doubtful positions lead to unsatisfactory explanations only to be rejected by thinking minds- a fact empirically evident in the staggering denominational divisions in Christianity today.

It is to correct mistakes and to guide people in the straight path of true Faith that an Elect of God appears in any era. Since true Faith or certainty of belief comes only through Divine guidance, a Divine Messenger speaks with the help of Holy Spirit to bring the light of revelations for the guidance of humanity. Hence, by the Will and grace of God, at the beginning of the Third Millennium- the 21st Century of the Christian era; a holy personage has appeared in this era as the Reformer of all Faiths for our spiritual guidance, including to comfort the believers in the historical Jesus as a holy messenger of God: Hazrat Imam Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius, the Messiah of our times. It is also striking to note in this context that for those who were looking for a spiritual Sign in the birth and times of the new Messiah; the contemporary Messiah has arrived in the cusp of a new era for humanity, and was literally born on a day associated with ‘Christmas’ in the Julian Calendar !

 

Reproduced below is the Friday Sermon of 27 December 2024~ 26 Jamadi’ul Aakhir 1446 AH delivered by Hazrat Saheb (aba)- explaining to a considerable detail the true antecedents of modern Christianity, and the need to move away from speculative doctrines and theological fictions to true and pure beliefs in God:   

“And for their saying, “We have certainly killed the Messiah Isa, son of Maryam, the Messenger of Allah”, while in fact they did neither kill him, nor crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them; those that disagreed about him are full of doubt, with no knowledge to follow, only supposition: they certainly did not kill him.”(An-Nisa, 4: 158)

 

When we discuss year-end holidays, we refer to the Christian faith in the birth of Jesus, as well as His entire life, which is subsequently linked to His crucifixion and presumed resurrection. Firstly, the Christmas celebration was never associated with the birth of Jesus, the son of Mary, also known as Hazrat Isa (as) [in Islam]. This festival is a Roman pagan celebration concerning the birth of their god Saturn. They used to celebrate this by exchanging gifts among themselves and decorating trees. It is clearly mentioned in the Bible that the practice of cutting a tree and decorating it is not part of the practices of true believers in God the Creator.

 

Jeremiah 10:1-5 states: “Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the LORD: Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good.”

 

These excerpts clearly show that Christmas is an innovation by Roman Christians who were formerly pagans and they have distorted the teachings of the Creator to integrate their ignorant customs, which are detested by God the Almighty into Christianity.

 

It is also clear that at no time is '25 December' mentioned as the date or month of Jesus’ birth in the Bible. The Church integrated this custom approximately four centuries after Jesus’ death, a death that Christians do not believe in, but rather they say Jesus died for them, redeemed their sins, and ascended to heaven alive and will return at the end of times to fight the Anti-Christ.

 

When we look at the evidence that has emerged over the years regarding the alleged resurrection of Jesus after His death, and then His elevation to heaven with His physical body, according to what Christians and even part of the Ummah of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) believe, the Shroud of Turin has called conventional beliefs about the resurrection into question. It strongly suggests that Jesus’ body was alive when it was placed in the tomb and wrapped in the shroud. This supports the theory that Jesus fell unconscious on the cross and was then revived in His tomb [which is large and not small] by Nicodemus and the Essenes. This contradicts the Catholic belief that Jesus could not have been revived alone in the cold tomb.

 

The evidence gathered from this shroud [the Shroud of Turin] suggests that the lance used to pierce Jesus did not pierce His heart, and the presence of blood and water from His wound was an indication of life. Compared with typical durations of crucifixion, Jesus spent relatively little time on the cross. Additionally, the other two men crucified with Him had their legs broken to ensure they died quickly, a measure not taken with Jesus because His death was presumed, meaning that when Jesus lost consciousness, they believed He was already dead, and thus did not need to break His legs and other parts of His body as they thought their work was done. Subsequently, His body was quickly handed over to His companions and disciples.

 

Traditional Christian belief presents a paradox that seems to defy conventional logic: Jesus died on the cross, but on the third day, He resurrected, ate fish, meat, and wine, and forty days later, ascended to heaven. In his book “The Essene Odyssey,” Hugh Schonfield discusses this. Although Schonfield acknowledges that the evidence from the Shroud of Turin suggests that Jesus was not dead when placed in the tomb, he (Schonfield) continues to believe in His ascension to heaven.

The ‘Revised Standard Version (1946)’ of the New Testament, published by Thomas Nelson and Sons, New York, completely omits mention of Jesus’ ascension to heaven with his physical body.

 

Furthermore, the book ‘The Crucifixion by an Eye Witness,’ published by the Chicago American Book Company, provides detailed accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection, though there is significant possibility that this book is a fabrication.

 

In Islamic circles, biblical references to the ascension are interpreted as Jesus seeking a safe place to take refuge. The ‘angels’ whom the Christians claim accompanied Jesus are often translated in modern Bible versions as ‘men in white robes’. Biblical support for Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane is found in Hebrews 5:7: “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”Jesus, disguised as a gardener, told Mary: “I have not yet ascended to my Father,” implying He was not yet dead.

 

He sent a message to His disciples to meet Him, and He left Jerusalem in haste because He knew the Jews would soon realize He had left His tomb and would start searching for Him. He [Jesus] took all precautions to avoid being re-arrested by the Jews. He met His disciples not openly, but secretly or in isolated places. Even then, He did not stay with them for long, nor did He make public appearances (Acts 10:4) and He suffered from thirst and hunger. All this shows He was not dead, and like all humans, He needed food and drink to survive.

 

It is probable that appearances in Galilee and Tiberias took place after the one in Jerusalem. These accounts call into question Jesus’ encounter with Paul on the road to Damascus, where Paul was leading a commission to re-arrest Jesus. Although it is possible for someone to encounter the spirit of Jesus spiritually, it is also conceivable that Jesus physically met Paul on the road to Damascus. But all this points to one fact, one truth, that Jesus was indeed alive and had emigrated to His lost sheep of the house of Israel, and Paul, a Roman pagan, later sought greatness and distorted Jesus’ teachings to institute his own version of Christianity.

 

According to us, the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, Jesus continued His journey from Damascus to Nisibis, where He later adopted the name Yus Asaf, and where He eventually settled in Srinagar, Kashmir. There, He married the daughter of a shepherd named Maryam, and lived to the age of 120.

 

Therefore, if we analyze all that Allah has taught in the Holy Quran, and we analyze the existing pieces of the Bible today, we find that although certain clear truths are mentioned in the Bible, Christians have ignored these teachings and adopted and created their own version of Christianity, and they celebrate Christmas, a pagan festival, and follow customs that go against the basic teachings of Jesus, and not just Jesus, but all prophets since the creation of man on earth.

 

In this present century, Allah has given them a sign, just for them: They say they are waiting for Jesus, and that He was born on the 25th of December (Julian Calendar), and today, God Almighty is testing them, and sending them someone who was indeed born on December 25th of the Julian Calendar [07 January] just as they say Jesus was born. So, when this Messiah proclaims Himself, what prevents them from accepting him now [i.e., this humble servant]?

 

So, I pray that Allah opens the hearts of those who are truly pure in heart and true seekers of truth so they accept the truth that comes from Allah and remain away from all human fabrications. Insha-Allah, Ameen.'