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'It is impossible to determine the exact
date of the birth of Christ, either from the evidence of
the gospels, or from any sound tradition. During the
first three centuries of the Chrirtian era there was
considerable opposition in the Church to the pagan custom
of celebrating birthdays, although there is some
indication that a purely re-ligious commemoration of the
birth of Christ was included in the feast of Epiphany.
Clement of Alexandria mentions the existence of the feaat
in Egypt about the year A.D. 200 and we have some
evidence that it wao observed on various dates in
scattered areas. After the triumph of Cone tan tine, the
Church at Rome assigned December 26 as the date for the
celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320 or 363.
By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian
world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the
exception of the Eastern Churches, where it was
celebrated on January 6. The choice of December 25 was
probably influenced by the fact that on this day the
Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sun-God, and
that the Saturnalia also came at this time." ( ColUer'a
Encyclopedia 1984 ed. v. 6, p. 4O3).
A similar description of the origin of
Christmas is found in the Encyclopedia Britannica with
some more details. Its following passage will throw more
light on the point:
"Christmas was not among the earliest
festivals of the Church, and before the 5th century there
was no general consensus of opinion as to when it should
come in the calendar, whether on Jan. 6, March 25 or Dec.
25. The earliest identtfication of Dec. 25 with the
birthday of Christ is in a passage, otherwise unknown and
probably spurious, of the philos of Antioch (c.180),
preserved in Latin by the Magdeburyg centuriators U, 3,
118), to the effect that the Gauls contended that since
they celebrated the birth of Lord on Dec. 25, so they
ought to celebrate the resurrection on March 25. A
passage, almost certainly interpolated, in 'Hippelates'
(c. 2O2) commentary on Daniel iv. 23, says that Jesus was
born at Bethlehem on Wednesday, Dec. 25, in the 42nd year
of Augut tus, but he mentions no feast, and such a feast,
indeed, would conflict with the then orthodox ideas. As
late as 245 Origin (horn, viii on Leviticus) repudiated
the idea of keeping the birthday of Christ "as if he were
a king Pharaoh". (Britannica, 1953 ed. v. 5,
p.642)
These two extracts are more than
sufficient to prove the following points:
The commemoration of birthdays was
originally a pagan custom, never recognized by a divine
scripture or a prophetic teaching.
The exact date of the Birth of Sayyidna 'Isa is unknown and
impossible to be ascertained.
The commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ was not a
recognized practice in the early centuries of the Christian
history.
It was in the 4th or 5th century that it was recognized as a
religious feast, and that, too, under the influence of the
pagans who worshipped Sun God.
There was a strong opposition against the commemorating the
birthday by the early Christian scholars like Origin, on the
ground that it is originally a custom of pagans and
idolaters.
In original Islamic resources also we cannot find any
instruction about the celebration of birthdays or death
anniversaries. Many Companions of the Holy Prophet (SAW) passed
away during his life-time. His beloved wife Sayyidah Khadijah
(RA) passed away in Makkah. His beloved uncle Sayyidna Hamzah
(RA) was brutally slaughtered during the battle of Uhud. But
the Holy Prophet (SAW) never observed their birthday or their
death anniversaries, nor did he ever advise his followers to
celebrate his own birthday in Rabi'ul-Awwal.
The reason for abstinence from such
celebrations is that they divert the attention of people
from the real teachings of Islam towards the observance
of some formal activities only. Initially, these
celebrations may begin with utmost piety and with a bona
fide intention to pay homage to a pious person. Yet the
experience shows that the celebration is ultimately mixed
up with an element of merrymaking and rejoicing and is
generally confused with secular festivals, and the
secular, and often sinful, activities creep into it
gradually.
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