12/17/05: Let Christmas rekindle brotherhood
12/17/2005: Let Christmas rekindle brotherhood
Detroit News by Imam Elahi
It's time to congratulate our brothers and sisters in the Christian community on the coming celebration of the blessed birth of the baby born in . Muslims recognize the pure message of Jesus, which is to bring justice and peace to the world.
God chose Mary for her purity and devotion to bear Jesus and put her above the women of all nations. "And remember Mary who guarded her chastity; We breathed into her of Our Spirit and we made her and her son a Sign for all people!" (Quran 21:91).
When Mary was told that she was a disgrace to her family and was accused of sexual misconduct by her community, she silently pointed to her baby. Jesus shocked the people by speaking, defending his mother on the very first day of his birth:
"He said, 'I am indeed a servant of God: He has given me revelation and made me a prophet. He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. He has made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing and miserable. So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die and the day that I shall be raised up to life again.'" (Quran 19:30).
This was the first miracle of Jesus. Under God's authority, Jesus healed the blind and the leper, raised the dead and even told people what they had stored in their houses. The Quran calls Jesus a Sign of God, the Spirit of God and a Word of God. God sent us Jesus the Messiah out of His care and love.
Regrettably, some people didn't appreciate the gift, and out of their selfish desires stood against Jesus. They couldn't tolerate Jesus because he was a voice of honesty, justice and truth. They wouldn't have treated Jesus as a criminal if he had limited his mission to personal prayer.
But he questioned the corruption and irresponsibility of those people of power and wealth. Jesus refused to submit to anything other than Allah. They tried to kill him, but God took Jesus to heaven until his return.
Prophet Mohammad said, "If there will be only one day left of this world, God will prolong it until a man from my generation (a leader from among the Muslims, known as Imam Mahdi) and Jesus emerge to pray together and work together to fill this earth with justice."
Why so much talk about justice? Because justice is the foundation for everlasting love, peace, security, freedom and human rights! Therefore waiting for the second coming of Jesus means that humanity is not comfortable with the current world and is looking for a global change; a world where the media and the governments don't lie any more, where people can live free of fear, poverty, slavery, war and violence.
The majority of humanity is tired of all "isms," be it communism, fascism, liberalism, materialism, imperialism, Wahhabism etc. We are waiting for a heavenly savior to help. Yet there are some on this earth who don't see any need for leaders like Jesus. For them, talking of justice is nonsense.
Prophet Mohammad said, "To make God happy, make His people happy!" Let's make this Christmas a turning point toward human happiness, peace, brotherhood, unity and love.
Jesus came to teach people to live like humans and not like animals. Jesus suffered and sacrificed for the salvation of humanity. It's up to the faithful to prepare the world for the pure and original message of Jesus — not the one that has been changed just to serve the selfishness of the sinful.