Issue No: 76
22nd April 2011
18th Jamadi al Ula 1432 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
The Easter break:
The Easter holiday period has diverse significance to different people.
Eggs, eggs & more eggs! This is what Easter means to most children!
Students in Colleges and Universities will be poring over their texts in preparing for their exams. Families will be cracking to get away for holidays especially when the hot weather forecast in UK is set to continue this weekend.
But Easter means much more for the followers of the Christian faith.
Unlike Christmas the Easter holiday, essentially religious, has not been buried under the flood of commercialism.
What is Easter?
Many of the Christian churches consider Easter as the most important and one of the oldest holidays of the Church year after the weekly Sabbath ( a day of rest and/or time of worship ) which is held on Sundays.
Why is Easter celebrated?
It is celebrated to commemorate the Christian belief in the death by crucifixion of Prophet Jesus on Good Friday and his resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday. A core belief of the Christians is that Jesus was killed on the cross.
Nabi Isa : Prophet of great significance:
The person of Jesus (Nabi Isa in Arabic) is of great significance in both Islam and Christianity. However, there are differences in terms of beliefs about the nature and life occurrences of this noble Prophet of Allah.
The circumstances of his birth, his way of preaching and his ascension are repeatedly narrated in the Holy Qur'an.
Departure from this world : Alive by Ascension :
Muslims believe that Nabi Isa was neither slain nor crucified, but it was made to appear so. Allah raised him into heaven by His will. Like his birth from a virgin mother, the departure of Nabi Isa from this world to the heaven, alive, was also a miracle. It was another man who actually suffered the agony of crucifixion.
“And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Maryam, the messenger of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but so it was made to appear to them (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; with no (certain) knowledge, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure.”
(Sura An Nisa 4:157)
Do we need to understand Easter?
Yes. Living in a community of different faiths the understanding of values between different religious traditions will promote awareness, respect and encourage cooperative and positive interaction between people.
Here I would like you to note a point:- To be understood I have to
understand. And how will the community understand me as a Muslim if I do not go into their history or do not understand them?
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah.
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat