Issue No:155
28th March 2013
17th Jamaadi al Ula 1434 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
The Easter break:
Bunnies, Rabbits, Eggs, & Chocolates! This is what Easter means to most children!The Easter holiday period has diverse significance to different people.
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.
But Easter means much more for the followers of the Christian faith.
Like Christmas, the Easter holiday too is essentially religious. A point to note that unlike Christmas season, Easter 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 Sunday Sabbath: - a day of rest and/or time of worship.
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 Noble 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, is 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 Muslims need to understand Easter?
Yes. We, as muslims, are living in a community of different faiths. It is by the understanding of values between different religious traditions that awareness will be promoted. This will result towards respect and encourage cooperative and positive interaction between people.
Reflect:
To be understood I have to understand. And how will the community I live in understand me as a Muslim, if I do not go into their history or do not understand them?
Fazle Abbas Datoo
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat