Texting About Christmas with My Good Friend Ali

Every now and then I have a noteworthy text conversation with one of my Muslims friends. Here's one that's especially appropriate for this season, entirely using mobil phone text messages...I'm not kidding.  It's with my college-age friend Ali, an American-born Pakistani whom I first met in a very strange way. My main intent was to invite him to the annual Oasis Christmas dinner later that day designed as an outreach to Muslims (Dec. 17). There were about 150 people there and Pastor Andy Gardner gave a rich Christmas message from Isaiah 53. Ali didn't come, but JoEllen and I had a very genuine conversation with another young man named Eyad. Please pray for the regeneration of both Ali and Eyad. Thank you.

Scott: "Hi Ali, do you want to come to our Christmas party today at 5:00 in Dearborn? =)"

Ali: "Thanks for the invitation, Scott. However, I cannot celebrate Christmas. I've also got a class to teach, as my teacher gave me his approval for me to teach Arabic."

Scott: "Why not? Lots of Muslims celebrate Christmas. It's all about the virgin birth, which all Muslims are very quick to espouse."

Ali: "I wouldn't say lots but there is a small minority that do. I don't celebrate it because it was not something the Prophet did (peace be upon him) nor was it something that his companions did. It's not part of our tradition, and mainstream scholarly opinion is not to celebrate it."

Scott: "Well, Ali, think about it as a reasonable individual. Forget about traditions and scholars for now. If you believe in the virgin birth as much as you say you do, why would you NOT celebrate that? It's the single most spectacular human birth EVER! All glory goes to GOD for this unparalleled miracle in human history."

Ali: "True, the virgin birth is one of the most amazing miracles. But think about it like this: With every innovation people tend to go into extremes, and what was once a religious celebration has turned into something else. For example, what do Santa, reindeer or elves have anything to do with Christmas? When people look forward to Christmas they are not thinking about the virgin birth, but rather what gifts they will get. My co-worker, who is a single mother of two was telling me that she was going to spend money she didn't have to buy her kids gifts so they would be happy this Christmas. She wasn't going to be able to pay her bills. Ok, we could say that's not a wise decision on her behalf. But let me also tell you about the story of Noah in the Qur'an. Noah's people were the first to erect statues and worship them. They first started out by saying 'these are pious people that should be remembered', then later prayed to them so they could get blessings from them. Sound familiar? It's just like how the Catholics worship Mary."

Scott: "There's some truth to what you say, Ali, but the same thing can be true of Ramadan too.  Do you  suppose that Muslims are not susceptible to over-eating during this month of fasting, or spending more than they should and over-extending themselves?  Also, is your point about praying to statues similar to the way Muslims [during the Hajj] worship in concentric circles around a building that was used for a long time as a house for Arabian idols [the Kaa'ba in Mecca, before and during the time of Muhammad] and kiss a rock that fell from heaven too?" [a black meteor that fell to the earth]

(cont'd): "Anyway, that is exactly why this party is better. It's with TRUE Christians who KNOW the real meaning of the virgin birth and don't get distracted by all the commercialism and Santa Claus junk the way other people do [I fear that I may have oversold this point, because even real Christians do]. This is the real deal, Ali, the way the virgin birth is supposed to be remembered, as a glorious testimony to the Amazing God who incarnated." [He probably did not understand that.]

Ali: "The Prophet [pbuh] said also to hold on to his traditions with your back molars, meaning with all your ability. I'm already a weak Muslim so I'm trying my best. ...But that same building and rock were originally not used for idol worship. Plus if you knew a rock came from heaven why wouldn't you kiss it? Lol."

Scott: "I don't kiss rocks that come from anywhere. Why would I?"

Ali: "Haha! Well, I guess kissing heavenly rocks is one of the many bonuses of being Muslim. ;) Enjoy your party."

Scott: "If you say so. ...Yes, I will enjoy the party. Btw, I went to a funeral last week for an Iraqi Muslim friend of mine at a nearby Shi'a mosque. [to show sympathy; It's still Ashoura.]

Ali: "I don't celebrate that either for the same principle...how was it though?"

Scott: "I knew that you didn't observe [Ashoura] because you're Sunni. It was interesting...lots of wall paintings about you-know-who." [Imam Hussein and Hassan and their father, Ali]

Ali: "Besides, celebrating Christmas would not be fair to Adam because he had no father or mother! He's probably looking down on us with sadness now! Lol. That was a little more spectacular in that he had no parents at all."

Scott: "But we can hardly call that a 'birth'. It would be truer to say that Adam was 'sculpted' by God, as it were. And sculptures, even living ones, have no parents [only Creators]. So it's apples and oranges."

Ali: "In a sense we are all the artwork of God, aren't we?"

Scott (Later): "Hi Ali. I'm at the party now, and I wish you were here. Not sure what you meant about 'art'. But did you know that the birth of Christ brought glory to Jesus too? First from the angels, then from the shepherds, and then from the maji-kings. So God glorified the Messiah through all of them."

Ali did not respond after that.  Every text conversation has a limited "life span".

End of Text Dialogue