Finding Allah on Christmas Day
My mother is quite eclectic where religion is concerned. She is the only person in my family who can quote from the Old Testament and Quran simultaneously. Mama sees beauty in everything and everyone and always encouraged us to find God and discover Him in more than one way. I don’t see beauty in Islam - alone. I see beauty in every religion. God is beautiful so all religions that bring His message and preach us to love Him are beautiful. But I didn’t see this before.
The local Evangelical church in my area has this written on its gate “We worship - not in private. Everyone is welcome to join with us in the conversation with God” but, churches are still divided. Our mosques are divided too just like our minds. You can’t enter an Ismaili Jamat Khana if you are not Ismaili. Shias don’t pray in Sunni mosques and vice versa. We also clearly announce on some of our mosques that women are not allowed inside.
And it is not just Muslims. Non-Muslims quote from the Quran and blame Muslims for hating non-Muslims:
“O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey’s end.” (Quran 66:9).
These are the words of God. The same God who said:
“That whosoever would not seek God should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman” (Old Testament 15:13).
I don’t treat these words as catalysts in division, but see them as jointly pointing towards monotheism. I used to believe that only Islam was a defender for slaves and was astonished to read the following verses from Deuteronomy:
Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee: He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him. (23:15-16)
I believe that this is the message of God; the same God who taught the same thing through another prophet in the Quran.
Amongst those who will go to Hell are those who “disbelieve and deny Our revelations” (Quran 5:10). According to this definition all Jews, Christians, Muslims (Shias, Sunnis and their sub-sects) are not Hell-goers. They neither disbelieve in God nor do they deny the revelations. Allah is Kind and Merciful. He sent His message of love and peace through Jesus whose birth He turned into a living miracle.
I taught comparative theology for a year and realised there is great beauty and truth not in the direct word of Allah but also in His other books which quote Him indirectly. Quran brings Allah’s final message, but the earlier Books brought the same message which was revised and drafted to complete God’s religious discourse with His mortals in Islam.
As part of the comparative theology class I went to the Christmas Mass two years ago with six Muslim students. When the priest finished talking about Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus, I was overcome with emotion. I imagined a frightened young woman; a pregnant virgin saying
“How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?” (Quran, 19:20).
I imagined a woman to whom Allah devoted a chapter in Quran; a distinction not even given to the mother of His last and beloved Prophet. It was one of those moments that I will never forget. I could feel God’s love pouring into every pore of my body. My arms and legs quickly swelled with goosebumps and tears rolled down my cold cheeks. All of the day before I was divided on whether to go to the Mass or not. I was scared of Muslims judging me.
As I stood in the aisle I felt love for Allah in a church. And all of a sudden I didn’t care who was judging me. I looked right through the large and overbearing wooden cross. I felt sad that Jesus was humiliated and could feel a humanly connection with him but knew that he was a great human being and nothing more. He doesn’t have to be the son of God to be a saviour. He will return to earth like a human and will be the saviour for all humankind.
That day I learnt to love Maryam, the blessed mother of Jesus, just like I loved Fatima and Aisha (may peace be upon them all). I also discovered the love I have in my heart for Jesus. When I turned around to walk out of the church hall, I noticed the same ethereal connection in my students’ faces. I know that visit changed seven lives and it only made us better Muslims not worse.
Those who have never compared religions constructively will never understand that sharing Christmas lunch with non-Muslim friends or family is not about imitating them. Those who have never met Allah outside the mosque will never appreciate that He is everywhere. Those who deny through their obsessive practices the greatness of Allah’s other prophets cannot accept that Allah can speak through any human He wishes, to any human He wishes. Those who have never shared dinner with people who are drinking, can never value the strength of a Muslim’s willpower - they will never understand that dawah can be done not only through lengthy sermons but through polite refusal to a glass of wine ‘on grounds of one’s religious responsibilities.’ Those who praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue cannot feel the fearless love for Allah in my heart.
As Christmas day approaches following Eid al Adha, my heart fills with renewed overflowing love for Allah, His religions, His prophets, His books.
I see you Lord; I hear you God; I can read your message, Ya Rab! Please grant the blind the eyes to see you everywhere; please gift them the ears so they can hear you from every direction; please enter into their hearts so they love you continually. Please bless your servants, Allah.
Ameen or amen, what’s the difference?!
Originally posted on Achelois as ‘Where is God?’
Responses
i read this yesterday and proceeded to send this link out to as many people as i could.
i’m tired of people making Islam out to be brutal, dark and ugly and forgetting the peace, tolerance and beauty in it.
great job, suroori!
Salaam Dear Sister Achelois,
One would also not hesitate to recommend to fellow Believers in The ONE GOD to include the following in their devotional readings:
1 - Baghavad Gita for Guidance on waging the greater struggle.
2 - The Pslams/Zabur for Comfort and Affirmation of HIS “un-Failing Love”. Salaam be upon David, Beloved of ALLAH.
3 - The Muslim Psalms—AS-Sahifa Al-Kamilah Al-Sajjaddiya—of Imam Ali Ibn Husayn Zein Al Abedeen (RA) for Meditation and Instruction on your Relationship with Most Gracious ArRahman. (And Salaam and Blessings of ALLAH be upon the Household of The Beloved of ALLAH).
4 - & ‘The Song of Songs’ to give Wings to your Soul, dear Sister!
And I have Isaiah 40:28-31 posted on my refrigerator door; it is Spiritually both Powerful and empowering. (Sobhan-ALLAH! & don’t forget Isa 55!)
/& Salaam
Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/28 at 09:41 PM
Dear brother Joubin, Salaam alekum
Thank you for pointing towards such enlightening resources! I will ensure Inshallah that I check them out.
You may find this interesting as well - http://achelois.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/on-the-oneness-of-god-and-death-of-the-goddess/
It is something on unity of God and Sikhism.
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