Jesus, the Son of Mary: A Sign for Mankind

Christmas day is a holiday observed generally on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity.

Isa Ibn Maryam (Arabic: عيسى, translit.: Īsā ), known as Jesus in the New Testament, is considered to be a Messenger of God and al-Masih (the Messiah) in Islam, as written in Qur’an, ”And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign (XXIII:50). In the Quran, Jesus is described "as a sign for mankind and a mercy from Us".

In the Sura Maryam, it is important to note that the first words of Jesus in the cradle were "Truly I am the slave of God" (XIX:30). In Ibn 'Arabi's perspective, only he who knows that he is a slave of God will come to know that God is the only true Self of all. It should be noted that it is not a question here of realizing "one's true Self", inasmuch as the Self cannot be the property of any individual; the only thing that the individual can be said to possess is the property of essential poverty. As Jesus tell us:

'I worship truly, and God is our Master; and I am His very identity, so understand. When I say "man", do not be veiled by man, for He has given you proof. So be the Real and be a creature. You will be, by God, compassionate.'

Despite the differences between Islam and Christianity, both consider Jesus and His mother (Mary) represent important massages for human being.

In the Gospel of Luke (1: 30-31)”…. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God." And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” In Quran also written; “O Mary, Truly God has chosen you and purified you, and preferred you above all women of creation. O Mary, be obedient to your Lord, prostrate to Him and bow with those who bow” (III:42-3).“Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.” (III: 45).

In the Futûhât al-Makkîya, Ibn 'Arabî also says that Jesus sprang from a "spiritual male", an angel in the form of a human, which was Gabriel. Therefore Jesus combined the human image and the spirit, and his creation was perfect: externally a human and internally an angel. According to Frithjof Schoun, virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus symbolized the sanctified soul, the faithful servant in the primordial state (fitrah) and perfect realized holy poverty (faqr). She transmits a massage of humility, interiority and resignation to the will of God.

For me, Christmas is not only celebrating the birth of the Messiah (Jesus) but also take His mother, virgin Mary as a patron and exalted role model for sincere seekers. She is a model for those who remain in spiritual retreat (khalwah) and who invoke the divine Name in order to purify their heart.