Jesus (peace be on him) in Islam

Christmas is around the corner. It is a holiday, celebrated mostly by Christians. In our neighborhood many people have decorated their front yards or have lighted up their houses. It looks beautiful. People celebrate Christmas to celebrate the miraculous birth of Jesus (peace be on him). They party and share gifts. The vibes of Christmas are very positive. What attracts me as an Ahmadi Muslim woman is the love between families; their selflessness, and their generosity when it comes to giving gifts without anticipation of anything in return. When I see the incredible acts of love among people during Christmas it increases my respect for my fellow Americans who are Christians. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I don’t celebrate Christmas in the traditional way others do. However, I buy few gifts for homeless people, or cover the work shifts of 2-3 days before Christmas for my friends, who celebrate this Holiday.
What is the status of Jesus (peace be on him) in Islam? In the Qur’an, God makes it absolutely clear that we are not true Muslims until we believe in all prophets of God including Jesus (2:137). In fact, the Quran has a whole chapter (19) named Maryam (Mary, the mother of Jesus). She is the only woman in the Qur’an, who has an entire chapter named after her. It is an absolute proof of her righteousness and her complete devotion to God. We also believe in the figurative meaning of the divine miracles that were granted to Jesus (pboh). These are also mentioned in the Qur’an. For example, his ability to create birds means that his teachings transformed his followers spiritually, who soared like the birds above worldly desires. His healing power meant that he gave light to spiritually blind people, and we also believe that, he gave life to spiritually dead people (Qur’an 2:19).
Jesus’ mission was to revive the true teachings of Torah. People resisted him for his complete devotion to God. He faced cruel behavior of people toward him with great patience, and worked to spread love and peace. It becomes our duty to take charge of his teachings if we are his true followers, and spread love, peace and harmony among people at this special occasion. Everyone should keep in mind that we need to eliminate hatred from the world, not only for some groups or countries, but for everyone without discrimination of color, race and gender. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus states, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
We should also remember those who cannot celebrate Christmas due to various reasons. We can donate some gifts, clothes or money, and be the reason of someone’s smile. Share happiness with all. Merry Christmas to my Christian friends!