three reasons

[sacoooo]

It is the disease of this era which exhausts the resources of countries; did Islam get any treatment for that disease? Let us read…


What is obesity?


Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in meters).


A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.


Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.


Facts about obesity


According to the figures of the world health organization (WHO) in 2005 approximately 1.6 billion adults (age 15+) were overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese.


WHO projects that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese and at least 20 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight globally in 2005.


Causes of obesity


The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed on one hand, and calories expended on the other hand. Global increases in overweight and obesity are attributable to a number of factors including a global shift in diet towards increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars but low in vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients; and a trend towards decreased physical activity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization.





Treatment from the Qur'an and Sunnah


as usual Allah almighty in His holy book preceded all scientists and researchers in solving different humanity's problems as He says: (and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance)) (Sûrat Al-A‘râf-verse31), here Allah almighty tells us that extravagance in foods and drink is a sin that should be avoided by us.


In Islam Allah almighty ordered us to make a balances in all things even in food and drink as He almighty says about believers and the slaves of God: (And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly, but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes).)(Sûrat Al-Furqân-verse67).


In many verses Allah almighty advice us not to extravagance as He says: (And it is He who produces gardens trellised and untrellised, and date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste (their fruits and their seeds) and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in taste). Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due thereof (its Zakât according to Allah's Orders 1/10th or 1/20th) on the day of its harvest, and waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance),*. And of the cattle (are some) for burden (like camels) and (some are) small (unable to carry burden like sheep and goats - for food, meat, milk and wool). Eat of what Allah has provided for you, and follow not the footsteps of Shaitân (Satan). Surely he is to you an open enemy.)(Sûrat Al-An’âm-verse141-142).


On the other hand the prophet (peace be upon him) asks us not to eat too much as he says: (A human being has not filled any vessel which is worse than a belly. Enough for the son of Adam are some mouthfuls which can keep his back straight: but if there is no escape he should fill it a third with food, a third with drink, and leave a third empty)[Narrated by At-Tirmidhi].


this prophetic rule is considered to be one of the basics of modern medicine which demonstrates the sincerity of our Prophet and that all what he says is by inspiration from Allah not by himself!.


Treatment by walking to the mosques


Abu Hurayrah may Allah be pleased with him said that Messenger of God peace be upon him said to his companions (do you want to be guided to what will erase your sins and raise your levels with your God, they said yes then the prophet said you have to perform the ritual ablution very well, to be keen to walk to the mosques and to always be awaiting for prayer this is the bond) [Narrated by Muslim].


Don't you believe that if we follow these advices, the entire world will be better than now?

 

[sacoooo]

Islam teaches us many etiquette's of eating and drinking. The Prophet (PBUH) made a point of developing remarkably clean and healthy eating habits among his followers. He asked the companions to wash their hands before and after, to start eating with the praise of Allah, to eat using the right hand, not to eat until they really felt hungry, not to eat and drink excessively. Finally, by praising and thanking Allah for the food and drink, for making it easy to swallow and for producing an exit for it. Eating, like any other act of a Muslim, is a matter of worship when performed according to the Islamic guidelines. The following are SOME of the many food habits that had been practiced and performed by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him):


(1) Never Criticize Any Food: Food should not be criticized for any reason, despite personal disliking. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) never criticized any food that was offered to him.


"The Prophet (PBUH) never criticized any food (he was invited to) but he used to eat it if he liked the food, and leave it if he disliked it." - Sahih Bukhari


(2) Supplication Before Each Meal: Since eating, like any other act of a Muslim, is a matter of worship, it begins with the name of Allah. Muslims are to start their eating by making the following supplication:


"O Allah! Bless the food You have bestowed upon us and protect us from the torment of hell. In the name of Allah we start. "(OR AT LEAST SAY .. Bismillah) - An-Nasa'i

 

[sacoooo]

(3) Supplication After Each Meal: After completing the meal, Muslims praise and thank Allah for the blessing that He bestowed upon them. After finishing their meal, Muslims say the following supplication:


"Praise be to Allah the One Who gave us the food and the drinks. Praise be to Him Who made us Muslims. "(OR AT LEAST SAY .. Al-Humdullilah) - Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud


(4) Eating Less: One of the main principles of good health is a balanced diet. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized the habit of eating less as a method of preventing sickness and disease. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:


"Nothing is worse than a person who fills his stomach. It should be enough for the son of Adam to have a few bites to satisfy his hunger. If he wishes more, it should be: One-third for his food, one-third for his liquids, and one-third for his breath. "- Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah

 

[sacoooo]

(5) Eating Slowly: Eating slowly is recommended for health. Slow eating reduces the consumption of food, as it postpones much of the meal to a time when the absorption of nutrients begin to produce physiological signals of satiety. Slow eating helps in chewing the food well. This results in the exercise of the jaws and mixing of the saliva with food. Hence, efficient digestion takes place because the food particles are cut into smaller pieces, not requiring as much churning in the stomach or intestine. (Less Heartburn)


(6) Moderation: The religion of Islam laid down the basis of dietary regulations as well as the limits within which Islam teaches man to enjoy the pleasures of life, including food, in a moderate way, not becoming a slave to his desires and not losing sight of his ultimate spiritual goal. A Muslim is advised to avoid extremes and to choose a moderate course in all his affairs, including his eating habits.


"O children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer; eat and drink, but waste not by excess. For Allah loves not the wasters. "- Al-Qur'an, 7:31

 

[sacoooo]

(7) Sharing: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), demonstrated to his followers the pleasures of sharing as opposed to over-indulgence in the good things of life. The sharing of food with neighbors, relatives, friends, the needy, and the destitute is emphasized. Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: "He is not a believer who eats to his fill but his neighbor goes without food." Sahih Bukhari.


Prophet Muhammad elaborated on the duty of the Muslim to suppress greed, especially in eating. This appears in a very specific situation reported by Ibn Umar, in which the Prophet (PBUH) prohibited anyone taking two dates together before asking permission from his companions (Sahih Bukhari).


(8) Eating Together: Eating with others bring about harmony and understanding among people. People are usually more relaxed when eating in company, this is one reason why families should always try to eat Together, not to mention this is the Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) Your mind is less absorbed in your daily activities and are free of worries. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) brought the attention of Muslims to the importance of eating together (Note: 'Eating together' here does not imply mixed eating by males and females at parties or banquets):


"Eat together and not separately, for the blessing is associated with the company." - Ibn Majah It was also reported that he said, "I do not eat reclining." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5083.


He used to eat using the first three fingers (of his right hand), which is the best way of eating. See: Zaad al-Ma'aad, 220-222. And Allah knows best.


The Prophet's guidance regarding diet: The Prophet (PBUH) used to know what he was eating. He used to eat what was good for him. He used to eat enough to keep him going, but no so much as to make him fat. Ibn 'Umar narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "The believer eats in one stomach whilst the kaafir eats in seven." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5081) and Muslim (2060).


He taught his ummah something to protect them from diseases caused by eating and drinking. He said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air. "Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1381), Ibn Maajah (3349); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2265). And Allah knows best.


From all that has been mentioned, the importance of healthy eating, a balanced diet and hygiene can be understood in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Islam has stressed on the importance of these things right from the start unlike health authorities etc., Which have just recently begun to stress its importance. This could be counted as just another gem that manifests the perfection of Islam.

.

 

[sacoooo]

What are the consequences of obesity?


Overweight and obesity lead to serious health consequences. Risk increases progressively as BMI increases. Raised body mass index is a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as:


· Cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke) - already the world's number one cause of death, killing 17 million people each year.


· Diabetes – which has rapidly become a global epidemic. WHO projects that diabetes death will increase by more than 50% worldwide in the next 10 years.


· Musculoskeletal disorders – especially osteoarthritis.


· Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).


Obesity is the coming danger


"The rising tide of overweight and obese people is the most significant public and personal health challenge facing our society. With concerted action across government and with wide "says Alan Johnson the British secretary of state for health. He added" With concerted action across government and with wide institutional support aligned to personal responsibility, I am confident we can do what no other country has yet done and reverse the obesity trend."

 

[fairsheet]

Howzabout some wonderous insight into Pan-Islam in general and ISIL in particular? I understand they're not doing much to help feed their victims. I guess per your ramble, that's a good thing because they're too fat as it is.

 

[sacoooo]

Obesity is the coming danger


"The rising tide of overweight and obese people is the most significant public and personal health challenge facing our society. With concerted action across government and with wide "says Alan Johnson the British secretary of state for health. He added" With concerted action across government and with wide institutional support aligned to personal responsibility, I am confident we can do what no other country has yet done and reverse the obesity trend."


Obesity and heart diseases


In a new study it was proved that the percentage of overweight and obese adults in the United States has increased over the past two decades — undermining efforts to reduce heart disease risk factors. Also the rising obesity is associated with the lower likelihood of having optimal blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Another study indicates that weight loss may correct structural heart damage in obese patients.


The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988–2006, representing 8,264 adult men and women, 20 to 85 years old. All had complete risk factor profiles of their blood pressure, fasting glucose, low density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and smoking status.


The researchers had found that during this time period, the average body mass index (BMI) increased from 26.5 to 28.8 kg/m2, a significant change. In the same period, the number of people with optimal blood pressure decreased from 48 percent in NHANES III, 1988–94, to 43 percent in NHANES in 2005–06, and the number of people with optimal fasting glucose decreased from 67 percent to 58 percent. Both blood pressure and blood glucose are closely linked to obesity and these adverse trends track with the change in body weight.


Another study was funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation (Las Vegas, Nevada) demonstrates a stronger association of WHR (waist-to-hip ratio) with subclinical atherosclerosis as compared with BMI or WC (waist circumference) in a large, population-based cohort.


In analyses adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors, WHR remained independently associated with atherosclerosis. Waist-to-hip ratio showed better discrimination of atherosclerosis than either BMI or WC.


These findings support the use of WC and WHR over BMI as clinical measures of obesity and suggest that an increased burden of atherosclerosis may explain in part the excess cardiovascular risk among persons with obesity.

 

[sacoooo]

Obesity and diabetes


Doctors believe that obesity is probably the most important factor in the development of insulin resistance, but science's understanding of the chain of events is still spotty.


Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have filled in the gap and identified the missing link between the two. Their findings, to be published in the June 21, 2009 advance online edition of the journal Nature, explain how obesity sets the stage for diabetes.


The Salk team, led by Marc Montminy, Ph.D., a professor in the Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, discovered how a condition known as ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress, which is induced by a high fat diet and is overly activated in obese people, triggers aberrant glucose production in the liver, an important step on the path to insulin resistance.


In healthy people, a "fasting switch" only flips on glucose production when blood glucose levels run low during fasting. "The existence of a second cellular signaling cascade—like an alternate route from A to B—that can modulate glucose production, presents the potential to identify new classes of drugs that might help to lower blood sugar by disrupting this alternative pathway," says Montminy.


It had been well established that obesity promotes insulin resistance through the inappropriate inactivation of a process called gluconeogenesis, where the liver creates glucose for fuel and which ordinarily occurs only in times of fasting. Yet, not all obese people become insulin resistant, and insulin resistance occurs in non-obese individuals, leading Montminy and his colleagues to suspect that fasting-induced glucose production was only half the story.

 

[sacoooo]

Overweighting leads to dementia


"Healthy nutrition and periodic fasting activate brain" Says Hanz diteleyv Vasman director of the Department of Neurosurgery at University of Münster hospital. Also he confirms that calories restriction prevent disorders in the brain's functions and reduces the possibility of dementia.


He added that researches proved that healthy and low calories foods which are full of the fatty acid(omega3 ) increase the efficiency of delivering signals in the brain.



Obesity is a huge risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, scientists say...


"Obesity is a huge risk factor for Alzheimer's disease" says Professor Clive Ballard director of research at the Alzheimer's Society. He added "People who are obese at 60 are twice as likely to develop dementia by the time they are 75."And he says "If we're not careful, it might be 2m or 2.5m people who have dementia in 50 years. This is a real opportunity to reduce the numbers." And he confirms that the research had shown a regular exercise and a healthy diet could substantially reduce the risk.

 

[sacoooo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx4giAuFHnE

 

[sacoooo]

The nutrition system and Longevity


A study had been published in nature magazine which confirmed that there is a relation between the nutrition system and Longevity (Muslims don't believe in that otherwise we believe that healthy nutrition is a reason behind longevity).


The said study demonstrated the importance of keeping natural weight to get longevity as the protein (IRS2) affects the transmitting of insulin to brain cells.


Prof/ Maurice White at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute says that a simple way to get longevity is the reducing of insulin in blood by practicing sports and following a healthy nutrition system so that the brain will be less exposed to insulin.


Eating much raise prices


Today, scientists believe that obesity has a bad effect on the global food crisis and the environmental changes as obese people are consuming calories 18% than the natural average.



Researchers say that consuming much food means more fuel consuming to produce more foods, also obese people needs transportation methods to move which needs more fuel and money. Phil Edwards one of those researchers say that the only way to reduce pollution and fuel consumption is to make people walk and move by riding bicycles also by reducing the use of cars.

 

[sacoooo]

Christmas and 25th of December
Many Christians are unaware that the true spirit of reverence which Muslims display towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of their faith as prescribed in the Holy Quran. Most do not know that a Muslim does not take the name of Jesus , without saying Eesa alai-hiss-salaam i.e. (Jesus peace be upon him).


Jesus is commonly considered to have been born on the 25th of December. However, it is common knowledge among Christian scholars that he was not born on this day. It is well known that the first Christian churches held their festival in May, April, or January. Scholars of the first two centuries AD even differ in which year he was born. Some believing that he was born fully twenty years before the current accepted date. So how was the 25th of December selected as the birthday of Jesus ?

Grolier's encyclopedia says: "Christmas is the feast of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on December 25 ... Despite the beliefs about Christ that the birth stories expressed, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century.... since 274, under the emperor Aurelian, Rome had celebrated the feast of the "Invincible Sun" on December 25. In the Eastern Church, January 6, a day also associated with the winter solstice, was initially preferred. In course of time, however, the West added the Eastern date as the Feast of the Epiphany, and the East added the Western date of Christmas".

So who else celebrated the 25th of December as the birth day of their gods before it was agreed upon as the birth day of Jesus ? Well, there are the people of India who rejoice, decorate their houses with garlands, and give presents to their friends on this day. The people of China also celebrate this day and close their shops. Buddha is believed to have been born on this day. The great savior and god of the Persians, Mithras, is also believed to have been born on the 25th of December long before the coming of Jesus .

The Egyptians celebrated this day as the birth day of their great savior Horus, the Egyptian god of light and the son of the "virgin mother" and "queen of the heavens" Isis. Osiris, god of the dead and the underworld in Egypt, the son of "the holy virgin", again was believed to have been born on the 25th of December.

The Greeks celebrated the 25th of December as the birthday of Hercules, the son of the supreme god of the Greeks, Zeus, through the mortal woman Alcmene Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry among the Romans (known among the Greeks as Dionysus) was also born on this day.

Adonis, revered as a "dying-and-rising god" among the Greeks, miraculously was also born on the 25th of December. His worshipers held him a yearly festival representing his death and resurrection, in midsummer. The ceremonies of his birthday are recorded to have taken place in the same cave in Bethlehem which is claimed to have been the birth place of Jesus .

The Scandinavians celebrated the 25th of December as the birthday of their god Freyr, the son of their supreme god of the heavens, Odin.

The Romans observed this day as the birthday of the god of the sun, Natalis Solis Invicti ("Birthday of Sol the invincible"). There was great rejoicing and all shops were closed. There was illumination and public games. Presents were exchanged, and the slaves were indulged in great liberties. These are the same Romans who would later preside over the council of Nicea (325 CE) which lead to the official Christian recognition of the "Trinity" as the "true" nature of God, and the "fact" that Jesus was born on the 25th of December too.

In Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbon says: "The Roman Christians, ignorant of his (Christ's) birth, fixed the solemn festival to the 25th of December, the Brumalia, or Winter Solstice, when the Pagans annually celebrated the birth of Sol " vol. ii, p. 383.

Christians opposed to Christmas

There are several Christian groups who are opposed to Christmas. For example, they take the verse from the Bible in Jeremiah 10:2-4 as an admonition against decorating Christmas trees.

The King James Version reads: "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen.... For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

In order to understand this subject, it is helpful to trace some of the history of Christmas avoidance, particularly its roots in Puritanism.

The Puritans believed that the first-century church modeled a Christianity that modern Christians should copy. They attempted to base their faith and practice solely on the New Testament, and their position on Christmas reflected their commitment to practice a pure, scriptural form of Christianity. Puritans argued that God reserved to himself the determination of all proper forms of worship, and that he disapproved of any human innovations - even innovations that celebrated the great events of salvation. The name Christmas also alienated many Puritans.


Christmas, after all, meant "the mass of Christ." The mass was despised as a Roman Catholic institution that undermined the Protestant concept of Christ, who offered himself once for all. The Puritans' passionate avoidance of any practice that was associated with papal Rome caused them to overlook the fact that in many countries the name for the day had nothing to do with the Catholic mass, but focused instead on Jesus' birth. The mass did not evolve into the form abhorred by Protestants until long after Christmas was widely observed. The two customs had separate, though interconnected, histories.

As ardent Protestants, Puritans identified the embracing of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the early 300s CE as the starting point of the degeneration and corruption of the church. They believed the corruption of the church was brought on by the interweaving of the church with the pagan Roman state. To Puritans, Christmas was impure because it entered the Roman Church sometime in this period. No one knows the exact year or under what circumstances Roman Christians began to celebrate the birth of their Lord, but by the mid-300s CE, the practice was well established.

 

[sacoooo]

Obesity costs America 147 billion Dollars


American researchers said that spent money on obesity related diseases comprises 10% of the total medical expenses in the US, which is equal to 147 billion Dollars a year. According to a study published in the Health Avenue Magazine, the total expenditure on obesity related issues had doubled in less than 10 years.


Dr. Thomas Freden, the director of the US centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says that it is very important to have effective actions immediately to decrease the enormous burden on the country resulting from obesity. More than 26% of Americans are considered obese meaning that they have Body Mass Index 30 or more (Body Mass Index BMI is measured by weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters).


Obesity is a major cause of cancer


A famous scientist warned that the cancer incidence is increasing all over the world in a dangerous way on humanity comparing to the climate change phenomenon.


Professor Michael Marmout, the teacher of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of London, verified that the prevalent obesity disease is a major causing factor of cancer incidence.


The study concentrates on the cases of weight gain and obesity which results in the incidence of about 14 thousand cases of cancer in Britain every year. It is also showed that third of these cancer cases is coming from diet and lack of exercise. Experts advice people to be slim and avoid having too much fast foods, red mead, preserved meat, bacon, gammon in addition to alcohol.




Cancer causes seven million people to die all over the world yearly according to the latest estimates of the World Cancer Research Fund, and it is expected to increase to more than ten million by 2020. This crisis requires immediate action as the numbers are threatening all over the world and cancer is considered the second causing factor of Death in Britain after Heart Diseases.


In the other hand, a study in the last issue of "the epidemic of cancer" magazine revealed that obesity doubles the incidence probability of bone marrow and blood cancer in old ladies, this study was conducted by a research team from Minnesota University in the US

 

[oicu812]

all this reading made me hungry..

im gonna go get a "heart-attack" burger,, a couple of lg. pizzas, and a box of crispy cream doughnuts....oh,,,and a baby carrot for my health..

 

[gigi]

Christmas and 25th of December
Many Christians are unaware that the true spirit of reverence which Muslims display towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of their faith as prescribed in the Holy Quran. Most do not know that a Muslim does not take the name of Jesus , without saying Eesa alai-hiss-salaam i.e. (Jesus peace be upon him).


Jesus is commonly considered to have been born on the 25th of December. However, it is common knowledge among Christian scholars that he was not born on this day. It is well known that the first Christian churches held their festival in May, April, or January. Scholars of the first two centuries AD even differ in which year he was born. Some believing that he was born fully twenty years before the current accepted date. So how was the 25th of December selected as the birthday of Jesus ?

Grolier's encyclopedia says: "Christmas is the feast of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated on December 25 ... Despite the beliefs about Christ that the birth stories expressed, the church did not observe a festival for the celebration of the event until the 4th century.... since 274, under the emperor Aurelian, Rome had celebrated the feast of the "Invincible Sun" on December 25. In the Eastern Church, January 6, a day also associated with the winter solstice, was initially preferred. In course of time, however, the West added the Eastern date as the Feast of the Epiphany, and the East added the Western date of Christmas".

So who else celebrated the 25th of December as the birth day of their gods before it was agreed upon as the birth day of Jesus ? Well, there are the people of India who rejoice, decorate their houses with garlands, and give presents to their friends on this day. The people of China also celebrate this day and close their shops. Buddha is believed to have been born on this day. The great savior and god of the Persians, Mithras, is also believed to have been born on the 25th of December long before the coming of Jesus .

The Egyptians celebrated this day as the birth day of their great savior Horus, the Egyptian god of light and the son of the "virgin mother" and "queen of the heavens" Isis. Osiris, god of the dead and the underworld in Egypt, the son of "the holy virgin", again was believed to have been born on the 25th of December.

The Greeks celebrated the 25th of December as the birthday of Hercules, the son of the supreme god of the Greeks, Zeus, through the mortal woman Alcmene Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry among the Romans (known among the Greeks as Dionysus) was also born on this day.

Adonis, revered as a "dying-and-rising god" among the Greeks, miraculously was also born on the 25th of December. His worshipers held him a yearly festival representing his death and resurrection, in midsummer. The ceremonies of his birthday are recorded to have taken place in the same cave in Bethlehem which is claimed to have been the birth place of Jesus .

The Scandinavians celebrated the 25th of December as the birthday of their god Freyr, the son of their supreme god of the heavens, Odin.

The Romans observed this day as the birthday of the god of the sun, Natalis Solis Invicti ("Birthday of Sol the invincible"). There was great rejoicing and all shops were closed. There was illumination and public games. Presents were exchanged, and the slaves were indulged in great liberties. These are the same Romans who would later preside over the council of Nicea (325 CE) which lead to the official Christian recognition of the "Trinity" as the "true" nature of God, and the "fact" that Jesus was born on the 25th of December too.

In Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Gibbon says: "The Roman Christians, ignorant of his (Christ's) birth, fixed the solemn festival to the 25th of December, the Brumalia, or Winter Solstice, when the Pagans annually celebrated the birth of Sol " vol. ii, p. 383.

Christians opposed to Christmas

There are several Christian groups who are opposed to Christmas. For example, they take the verse from the Bible in Jeremiah 10:2-4 as an admonition against decorating Christmas trees.

The King James Version reads: "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen.... For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

In order to understand this subject, it is helpful to trace some of the history of Christmas avoidance, particularly its roots in Puritanism.

The Puritans believed that the first-century church modeled a Christianity that modern Christians should copy. They attempted to base their faith and practice solely on the New Testament, and their position on Christmas reflected their commitment to practice a pure, scriptural form of Christianity. Puritans argued that God reserved to himself the determination of all proper forms of worship, and that he disapproved of any human innovations - even innovations that celebrated the great events of salvation. The name Christmas also alienated many Puritans.


Christmas, after all, meant "the mass of Christ." The mass was despised as a Roman Catholic institution that undermined the Protestant concept of Christ, who offered himself once for all. The Puritans' passionate avoidance of any practice that was associated with papal Rome caused them to overlook the fact that in many countries the name for the day had nothing to do with the Catholic mass, but focused instead on Jesus' birth. The mass did not evolve into the form abhorred by Protestants until long after Christmas was widely observed. The two customs had separate, though interconnected, histories.

As ardent Protestants, Puritans identified the embracing of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the early 300s CE as the starting point of the degeneration and corruption of the church. They believed the corruption of the church was brought on by the interweaving of the church with the pagan Roman state. To Puritans, Christmas was impure because it entered the Roman Church sometime in this period. No one knows the exact year or under what circumstances Roman Christians began to celebrate the birth of their Lord, but by the mid-300s CE, the practice was well established.

So what?

 

[sacoooo]

Many Christians do not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus is mentioned by name twenty-five times. For example:


.. We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit. .. Quran 2:87


Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah gives thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah. Quran 3:45


.. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah .. Quran 4:171


And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him .. Quran 5:46


And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous: Quran 6:85


The Quranic Titles of Jesus


Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran he is also addressed with respect as: "Ibne Maryam" - son of Mary; as Masi (Heb) Messiah - translated as Christ; "Abd-ullah" servant of Allah; "Rasul -Ullah" - Messenger of Allah.


He is spoken of as "the word of God", as "the spirit of God", as a "Sign of God", and numerous other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Quran honors this great Messenger of God, and over the past fourteen hundred years Muslims continue to hold Jesus as a symbol of truth.


Islam requires Muslims to respect the faith of others


Regardless of historical facts and theological differences that Christians may have among themselves or theological differences Muslims may have with Christianity we cannot disregard the sentiments of practicing Christians who use this occasion to revere Jesus .


Prophet Muhammad was always very respectful towards the Christians. According to Islamic historians, Ibn e Saad and Ibn e Hisham, once there was a delegation of Byzantine Christians, who were traveling from Yemen to Madinah. The delegation was lead by a bishop by the name of Zqyd al-Usquf, who came to discuss a number of issues with Prophet Muhammad . When the time of their prayer came, they asked the Prophet if they could do their worship in the mosque of the Prophet. He answered, "Conduct your service here in the mosque. It is a place dedicated to God."

We should never ridicule the religious beliefs of others, no matter how much we disagree with them. God says in the Quran: "And insult not those whom they worship besides God, lest they insult God wrongfully without knowledge. Thus We have made fair-seeming to each people its own doings; then to their Lord is their return and He shall then inform them of all that they used to do".

 

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Birth:
Now a month of Rabi 'al-Awwal and this month in Arab history


Messenger of Allah
(Muhammad peace be upon him).
was born in Mecca in the morning of Monday 09 Rabi Al Awwal That Which correspond to the 20 or 22 April 571 G.

do not celebrate

Prohibition of the Prophet Muhammad the celebration of this day
Who Is the Prophet Muhammad ?

Muhammad was born in Makkah in the year 570. Since his father died before his birth and his mother died shortly thereafter, he was raised by his uncle who was from the respected tribe of Quraysh. He was raised illiterate, unable to read or write, and remained so till his death. His people, before his mission as a prophet, were ignorant of science and most of them were illiterate. As he grew up, he became known to be truthful, honest, trustworthy, generous, and sincere. He was so trustworthy that they called him the Trustworthy. Muhammad was very religious, and he had long detested the decadence and idolatry of his society.



At the age of forty, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. The revelations continued for twenty-three years, and they are collectively known as the Quran.

As soon as he began to recite the Quran and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered persecution from unbelievers. The persecution grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This emigration from Makkah to the city of Madinah, some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

After several years, Muhammad and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies. Before Muhammad died, at the age of sixty-three, the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula had become Muslim, and within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China. Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the truth and clarity of its doctrine. Islam calls for faith in only one God, Who is the only one worthy of worship.

The Prophet Muhammad was a perfect example of an honest, just, merciful, compassionate, truthful, and brave human being. Though he was a man, he was far removed from all evil characteristics and strove solely for the sake of God and His reward in the Hereafter. Moreover, in all his actions and dealings, he was ever mindful and fearful of God.
What Did Muhammad Say?

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, taught many important principles and morals, and even set forth rules for combat setting the precedent and still exceeding the rules of war set forth by the Geneva Convention.



Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, or his followers never at any time claimed that he was a son of God or the God-incarnate or a man with divinity – but he always was and is even today considered as only a Messenger chosen by God. He insisted people praise Almighty God, alone and not to celebrate him or his companions in any way. While most people do not hesitate to raise to divinity and even make 'gods' out of other individuals whose lives and missions have been lost in legend. Historically speaking, none of these legends achieved even a fraction of what Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, accomplished.

Uniting mankind together for the purpose of worshipping the One God of Adam and all the other prophets, peace be upon them all, was his main motivating cause and his striving was for the sole purpose having everyone to understand and follow the codes of moral excellence set forth by Allah in His Revelations.

Today after a lapse of fourteen centuries, the life and teachings of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. They offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills, which they did when he was alive. This is not a claim of Muhammad’s, peace and blessings be upon him, followers, but the inescapable conclusion forced upon by a critical and unbiased history.

Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, claimed to be a servant, messenger and prophet of the Almighty God; the same God of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon and of Jesus, the Christ, son of Mary (peace be upon them all). He claimed he was receiving revelation from Almighty God (Allah) through the Arch Angel Gabriel, calling it the Recitation (Quran).

He ordered people to believe in God as One, without partners, and to follow the Commandments of Almighty God to the best of their abilities.

He forbade himself and his followers from evil practices and filthy habits, showing them the proper ways to eat, drink, use the toilet and proper behavior in all relationships. This he claimed was all from Allah.