Silent Night

As a British Muslim I learnt about my faith (Islam) from a young age, I also learnt to understand Christianity through school by being part of the school choir, nativity plays and prayers of thanks. I'm also familiar with Christian hymns and Christmas carols, in fact many of them seem to be stored in my memory and come rushing forth at this time of year when you hear them all around. I understand Christianity to complement my own faith; Muslims have great respect for Prophet Jesus and Christianity has a history in Islam.

 

I was educated in church schools at primary and secondary level and joined the choir in my early years. At Christmas time we'd go to medical centres and other public places and sing carols to elderly folk and the general public, it was our way of sharing our singing 'skills' with our communities. One of my favourite carols is Silent Night; to this day it gives me a feeling of tranquillity and peace each time I hear it.

 

As a child, a lot of the time I didn't think about the meaning of carols, perhaps at that age you don't think about things too deeply and accept ideas such as prayer, thinking of God through song and remembrance. Of course, the words about Jesus being God don't mean the same thing to me as they do to my Christian friends but these experiences taught me the importance of morality and spirituality at a young age. Religion became a part of me long before I knew who I was.

 

My parents encouraged me to be at one with my faith and to understand the importance of respecting other faith traditions. They even tolerated my singing practice at home...now that must have been painful on the ears! I find my parents' attitude fascinating and inspiring. I was learning about Islam at home, for me home and school really complemented each other. We grow up in what is theoretically at least a Christian country. Celebrations such as Christmas are very normal to us, in fact they have become part of the cultural make up of our country and we certainly welcome the holidays that come with this time of year. However as an adult I've been able to think more about the spiritual significance of Christmas and the trials that Jesus's family went through, especially the humility and patience that they emulated.

 

There are significant commonalities between Islam and Christianity. I am fortunate enough to have learnt that first hand from a very young age!

 

Sughra Ahmed

Community & Public Affairs, Christian Muslim Forum

Researcher, Policy Research Centre

Organiser, Happy Christmas 4All