The traditions of Islam teach that during this month, God gives Muslims a chance to double their rewards so as to have a much wider chance of getting into paradise. Muslims ask for His pardon for their past sins and conduct other meritorious behavior. Every act of kindness, prayer, giving, fasting, and anything else that a Muslim can possibly do to please God is expected. Since there is no assurance of salvation by grace for the 1.8 billion Muslims on earth, they hope to do more work as prescribed in Islamic law so as to have more chances on the Day of Judgement.

The Qur’an indicates that Jesus is the Spirit and Word from God. Although according to Islam, God is Al-Batin (hidden) and az-Zahir (manifested), Jesus is not seen or considered as being the manifestation (az-Zahir) of God. In contrast to that, in the Bible, we learn that Jesus was the manifestation of God. Jesus said: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). God still calls people to live in fellowship with Him through Jesus.

Although a Muslim friend asked me this question to answer in the light of the Bible, this is a question that Christian scholars have debated since the early church. Some say, “No, everything that happens is God’s will.” So, if a prayer is answered, the answer must be within God’s will. Those who hold this position may cite Romans 9:18-21 which describes God as a potter and us as the clay. Since God shapes the clay, the final form of the vessel must be according to His will. Nothing can thwart God’s will. While this view has a great deal of truth, it is not complete or entirely correct for several reasons. First, the potter and clay example in Romans 9 references an Old Testament Scripture in Jeremiah 18, where the clay becomes spoiled in the potter’s hand, so he reshapes it into something else. The final form was not what the potter initially intended. Secondly, it is a mistake to say that every time something wrong happens, God ordained it. Though God uses some things as punishment, a lesson, or a blessing, to say he is involved as the main force behind every action is not biblical. For example, is it God’s will for someone to murder a child? Is it not more correct to say that God allows people the free choice to do what is evil or wrong? Finally, there are many Scriptures where God expresses sorrow over what people choose to do.

Many in the world celebrate Christmas; however, I sometimes wonder how many remind themselves of why Jesus came into the world. Often, we may say, yes, we know. A reminder is a vital aspect of our lives.  Jesus came into the world for one reason: to make it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and go to heaven when we die. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). This forgiveness is not automatic. We must ask for it. It is free, but there is a condition: Repentance. Sadly, only a few churches today emphasize this crucial requirement. Often, I think about how very pleasing it is for the devil to see humans forget about sin and its ability to destroy marriages, families, churches, ministries, and even society.