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:   

I am the 'Mahdi' of this Era

  

On the 'Mahdi'

Today, we come on a most controversial subject, even among Muslims, and that is the advent of the Mahdi. Both the second advent of the Messiah, as well as the Mahdi of the Last Days represent each a prophecy in itself, such a prophecy which links the both of them: Messiah and Mahdi.

Bear in mind that “Mahdi” is derived from the word, “Haadi”, which means “to guide” and “Massih” means “the Anointed One”. Now, the term “anointed” refers to the ritual act of pouring or rubbing oil on a person as a sign of sanctification. In a broader sense, it signifies being chosen or set apart for a special purpose or role. We use “anointed” not just for prophets but for kings as well when they are chosen to rule over their kingdom.

 

When we study the information on Mahdi, we notice that he is not directly and clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran as well as the two most authentic Books of Hadiths in Islam, i.e. Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim. There are many narrations on Mahdi, the larger part of them being qualified as weak (Da’if) or not so authentic by the Muslim Ummah. But then, if Mahdi is not plainly mentioned in Quran and both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have avoided mentioning him in their respective Sahihs, how then to be sure that one Hadith which the Muslim Ummah regards as weak (Da’if) can actually be powerfully true and be fulfilled in this era?