A Muslim Convert Once More

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is celebrating New Year’s Day a sin, and haram , in Islam? ”   How would the commemoration of a new solar year negate the shahadah and our ‘aqidah ?   This is a cultural practice, not an act of worship.   If the argument, as some conservatives state, is about “imitating the disbelievers”, then they should cease benefit from all the accoutrements and inventions of “disbelievers” such as medicine, technology, and live in a cave somewhere.   It is this anti-intellectualism and pettiness in Muslim societies that is the reason why Muslim communities are comparatively backward and insular.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is it good to convert to Islam?   I assume Islamic society gives better personal life security. ”   You should convert to any faith tradition for theological and spiritual reasons.   This certainty of conviction would keep you in the faith through all the challenges of the conversion process and your journey of discovery.   You should not convert to Islam for anything material since there are no such guarantees.   The Muslim community is vast and diverse.   There are Muslims across the world, in many different countries, from a variety of cultural traditions, with their own interpretation of the Divine Intent.   They cannot guarantee anything for themselves.   They will guarantee you nothing.   Guarantees only come from God.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Is it true that Jesus Christ ( a.s. ) never existed? ”   Jesus ( a.s. ) is mentioned in early Christian sources; the gospels, the other writings of the New Testament, and the works of the early Church fathers.   He is the main subject of both canonical and apocryphal works.   Because these are Christian sources, their evidence is sometimes discounted by skeptics.   We then look for references in early non-Christian sources that mention Jesus ( a.s. ).   He is mentioned in the writings of a number of Roman writers who lived in the first century of Common Era. He is also mentioned in the writings of the Jewish historian, Titus Flavius Josephus.   Skeptics also raise objections for these sources as well.   They contend that they do not represent independent evidence for the existence of Jesus ( a.s. ) because the writers in question only know about Jesus ( a.s. ) from what they have learned f

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Why do Muslims not celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ ( a.s. )? ”   It is impossible to generalise what Muslims do and do not do, when there are over a billion people who claim adherence to some form of Islam.   Many Muslims do not celebrate Christmas because it is not part of their culture, nor is it explicitly mentioned as celebrated anywhere in the Qur’an or the example of the Prophet ( s.a.w. ).   However, personally, I do celebrate Christmas.   It is part of my cultural tradition as a convert from Catholicism.   It is part of my Portuguese heritage.   I see no incongruency with this.   Since Muslims celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w. ), the Mawlid , I see no reason why cannot celebrate the birth of another prophet.   Christmas is a time of giving, and festive joy.   Being a Muslim does not preclude me from that.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ As a Muslim, do you enjoy Christmas? ”   Yes.   We have a tree and decorations as well.   I converted to Islam.   My evolution of theological position does not equate with the absolute rejection of my prior Catholic heritage and culture.   It is an evolution of beliefs.   To me, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus ( a.s. ), prophet of Islam, and one of the major figures of our sirah .   I do not suffer from this spiritual inadequacy that precludes me from enjoying the festivities and the values of giving and charity, which is not exclusive to Islam.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is my answer to a Quora question: “ Can Muslim children celebrate Christmas? ”   I do.   Christmas is, to me, the celebration of the birth of a major prophet of Islam.   As a convert, it is very much part of my culture and upbringing, and I am not leaving that simply because I changed my religion.   I changed my theology; I am not interested in adhering to the cultural notions of Arabs, Malays or others.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Attributed to Imam al-Mugits Husayn ibn Manswur al-Hallaj ( q.s. ):   “Your Image is constantly before my eyes, Your remembrance always upon my lips; The thought of you forever in my heart. Where can You hide from me?”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali ( r.a. ) said, as recorded in al-Bidayat wa an-Nihayah , “You should not waste your time - doing at any moment whatever happens to present itself, when it presents itself.  Instead, you should take stock of yourself and structure your acts of devotion during each day or night, assigning to each period of time some specific function that is kept to and is not left for something else in that time.  In this way the barakah of your time will become evident.   But if you leave yourself to drift, aimlessly wandering as cattle do, not knowing what to occupy yourself with at each moment, you will squander most of your time.   Your time is your life; your life is your capital through which you transact and through which you reach endless bliss in the Proximity of God.   Every breath you take is a priceless jewel that cannot be replaced.   Once it passes, it can never be retrieved.”  

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ   Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) wrote, in his Tajalli at-Taqrir , “The Real Seeks, from you, your heart, and Gives to, you all that you are.   So, purify and cleanse it through presence, watchfulness and reverential fear.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh ‘Ala ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-Bukhari ( q.s. ) said, “The way of contemplation and meditation is higher and more perfect than the way of dzikr by laa ilaha illa Allah .   The seeker, through contemplation and meditation, can reach the internal knowledge and will be able to enter the Heavenly Kingdom.   He will be authorised to look at Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Creation and he will know what is passing in their hearts, even the slightest gossip or whispering.   He will be authorised to enlighten their hearts with the light from the essence of the essence of the state of Oneness.”