By becoming Muslim am I turning my back on Jesus (peace be upon him)???

The Christmas season is upon us.  Traditionally this is a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus (pbuh). On the website Atheism.about.com however they are discussing whether Christ is anywhere in the modern day Christmas.

Our modern Christmas is a large number of ancient pagan practices, a few pieces of Christian traditions, and a large number of modern creations which are almost entirely secular in nature, no matter where they got their inspiration from. I see little room and little need for any “Christ” in all of this - but more importantly, I see little place where a “Christ” could be put back into the mix.

I would have to agree that the modern-day Christmas is far from a day set aside to honour Jesus (pbuh).  I have always thought the very fact that some people have a Christmas ham is somewhat bizarre.  Jesus (pbuh) kept the laws of Almighty God which clearly forbids eating the flesh of swine.  Yet amongst this secular push to rid Christ from Christmas I find myself reflecting on the life of Jesus (pbuh). As someone who has chosen to embrace Islam and to live my life as a Muslim there is one phrase that hurts me the most, you have turned your back on Jesus.  He means nothing to you anymore.

My chosen name as a new Muslim shows that my love for Prophet Jesus (pbuh) continues.  Nasirah is the Arabic name for the town of Nazareth.  However my love for him does not in anyway mean that I worship him, absolutely not for Allah (swt) alone is worthy of worship.

Mark 12:29 Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord;

Almighty God has declared in the scriptures that people must have faith and also obedience.

Deut 6:5 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might.

1 Kings 8:61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments ..."

In Islam it is clear that we are to follow the example of our Prophet. As a Muslim we follow the Sunnah (traditions) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).We are told in Qur’an that to obey Rasul (the messenger) is to obey Allah (swt).

Whoso obeyeth the messenger hath obeyed Allah, and whoso turneth away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them. (Qur’an 4: 80)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wasn’t the only Prophet; he was the final Prophet in a long line of Prophets sent to mankind.  Indeed Jesus (pbuh) was also a Prophet.  To be a Christian means to follow the teachings of Jesus (pbuh). In truth many Christians do endeavour to follow his example especially in forbearance and charity and kindness.  But there was more to the life of Jesus (pbuh) than his character.  What was his way of life? 

Muslims call Jesus (pbuh) a Muslim, why?  That may appear rather unusual as many people think that Islam began in Arabia in the 6th century and Jesus (pbuh) was on earth centuries before that time.  Islam is submission to the will of Almighty God so it has always been taught to mankind.  Wasn’t Jesus (pbuh) a Jew?  Yes it is true that Jesus (pbuh) was a Jew and no Muslim would dispute that.  But what is a Jew?

A Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism.  It is important to note that being a Jew has nothing to do with what you believe or what you do. A person born to non-Jewish parents who has not undergone the formal process of conversion but who believes everything that Orthodox Jews believe and observes every law and custom of Judaism is still a non-Jew, even in the eyes of the most liberal movements of Judaism, and a person born to a Jewish mother who is an atheist and never practices the Jewish religion is still a Jew, even in the eyes of the ultra-Orthodox. In this sense, Judaism is more like a nationality than like other religions, and being Jewish is like a citizenship  (http://www.jewfaq.org/whoisjew.htm) However it is plain to see by his actions that Jesus (pbuh) was not only a Jew by name but also a Muslim (one who submits to the will of God) in action.

Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Jesus (pbuh) clearly followed the laws of Almighty God.  As an observant Jew he would have stopped to pray 3 times a day.  Prayer is an integral part of everyday life in Judaism just as it is in Islam.  Even in the early Christian church it is documented that they too continued with the Hebrew format of prayers.

Our prayers and our worship need to be genuine, with the right intention.  Our obedience has to according to the rules given by Almighty God.  We are not to pick and choose the laws we like or twist the laws to suit ourselves. 

Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says:

"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,
 but their hearts are far from me.  Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men
 
I may not be known as a Christian any longer however I honour Prophet Jesus (pbuh).  My love for him has not diminished, but in fact I feel closer to him now by following his lifestyle of prayer, fasting and upholding the laws of Almighty God (Allah) Muslims honour our Prophets (peace be upon them all) by following their example, not by celebrating their birthday.  Muslims do not celebrate Christmas.

He who obeyeth Allah and His messenger, and feareth Allah, and keepeth duty (unto Him): such indeed are the victorious. (Qur’an 24: 52)