What Christmas means to me as a Muslim

Why the world needs Jesus more than ever + Jesus in Persian Poetry.

Before getting into the thick of things, I’d like to wish a Merry Christmas to all those celebrating, and hope it is a time of joy for you and your loved ones.

So, why did I decide to write this piece? One reason only. There is something I read about Jesus Christ years ago, a vivid description of him that has glued itself to my brain ever since. I can’t forget it, and every Christmas its message amplifies in importance. I couldn’t let this opportunity pass without sharing it as widely as I can. It is an extract from a sermon by Imam Ali b. Abi Talib, recorded in the book Nahjul Balagha. The extract is in the image below:

Now I don’t want to begrudge anyone who is celebrating Christmas. It’s a time to sit with loved ones and enjoy each other’s company over a nice meal. Nor am I asking anyone to use a stone for a pillow (please stick to regular pillows). What I would like though, is for everyone to use Christmas as an opportunity to think consciously about the life that Jesus led, and how they can tune their lives to live more like Jesus Christ. Because this world needs a drastic reset. We live in a world where genocide is streamed live on our screens — in the birthplace of Christ no less. We live in a world drowning in materialism, corruption, and open evil. In a time like this we need Jesus, perhaps more than ever.

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It wouldn’t be a Numinous post without some Persian poetry. Here is my translation of a verse from the Divan of Hafez about the life-giving power of Jesus Christ, subsumed into the power of the Beloved. It is from ghazal 57:

To whom can I explain how this hard-hearted 
one caused my death?
How have they killed me when with them
is Jesus' life-giving breath?