Given that Jesus ("Isa" in Arabic) is a revered prophet in Islam, the proximity of Christmas in the liturgical calendar offers a compelling moment for interfaith reflection, particularly regarding shared theological motifs between Christianity and Islam.
The question arises: what significance, if any, does this season hold for New Zealand Muslims?
Whilst New Zealand Muslims do not formally observe Christmas, the figure of Jesus is deeply respected within Islamic tradition as a prophet and messenger of God. His significance is underscored by the Qur’anic chapter entitled Maryam (Chapter 19), which affirms the chastity and piety of his mother and recounts the miraculous virgin birth. Maryam is venerated as the most exalted among women, though not deified.
Today, the Muslim population in New Zealand comprises a heterogeneous community shaped by migration, conversion, and generational continuity.
Four principal groupings emerge. First are immigrants from diverse regions, whose settlement spans both recent and long-term trajectories. Second are refugees, arriving from African, Asian and European contexts under humanitarian provisions.
Third are converts, predominantly of Anglo-European and Polynesian descent, whose embrace of Islam stems from theological conviction or familial ties. Fourth are New Zealand-born descendants of these groups, including those from intercultural marriages, whose identities reflect layered affiliations and evolving cultural fluency.
This demographic configuration challenges static conceptions of religious minorities and underscores the dynamic interplay between faith, heritage and national belonging. As these communities mature, they contribute to the reimagining of New Zealand’s pluralist ethos, prompting reflection on civic inclusion, cultural negotiation and the future of Islam within a complex social framework.
What does this mean for modern New Zealand? Where is this leading?
I read a lot of history books and my own thoughts turn to the popular song Saida Bint that New Zealand soldiers sang in Egypt during World War 2. The lyrics — replete with Arabic vernacular phrases like "Talaheena" (meaning "come here") and "Ya Habibi" ("my dear") — hint discreetly at the close relationship that once existed between different peoples fighting fascism together.
The Qur’anic narrative mentioned above describes an angelic annunciation of Maryam’s pregnancy, to which she responds with astonishment, affirming her virginity. This account, while distinct in theological framing, reflects a shared reverence for sacred figures and divine intervention.
Thus, although doctrinal differences remain, the juxtaposition of these commemorations invites a deeper appreciation of the theological and ethical intersections between the two faiths.
Maryam is revered, not worshipped, as the highest and most noble "Lady of the women of the world", although not as the sacrosanct mother of God in the Christian sense.
In the Islamic revelation an angel appeared before Maryam and announced her pregnancy. She was surprised and informed the angel that she was a virgin.
The angel replied: "So be it. Your Lord says: It is easy to Me and that We may make him (Jesus) a sign to men and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed." (19:21)
So, in Islam, Jesus was created like Adam, by the will of God and with no biological father. The Quran affirms that Jesus, as an adult, holds dual roles as both nabi (prophet) and rasul (messenger) of God, serving as a spiritual guide to the Children of Israel and as the final precursor to the Prophet Muhammad; he is further honoured with the title Kalimatullah ("God’s Word"), and referred to as al-Masih ("the Messiah") 11 times in the Islamic scripture.
The appellation Isa ibn Maryam ("Jesus, son of Mary") appears 33 times, underscoring his theological prominence.
These Quranic references reflect deep historical and doctrinal intersections between Christianity and Islam. While theological distinctions remain, this intimacy and the reverence accorded to Jesus in Islam invites reconsideration of interfaith tensions, which often obscure shared ethical and spiritual foundations.
In the New Zealand context, where the Muslim population now exceeds 60,000, the Islamic understanding of Jesus is increasingly present within the religious landscape, at times surpassing smaller Christian denominations in demographic representation.
Our modern educational and scientific culture teaches us to focus our attention on the material and physical world around us. This method of examining life, the universe and everything, has accomplished impressive results in technology.
However, one of its very real consequences is that we have edited out the sense of the "spiritual" or the "holy" that was once an essential component of our human experience of the world.
This has led to a profound alienation for many folk. Yet these aspects of society pervade the lives of folk who at present reside in more traditional societies at every level.
The nativity of Christ thus serves not only as a Christian celebration but also as a symbolic reminder of the commonalities between the two Abrahamic traditions. Sustained social discord between adherents contradicts the Quranic ethos of mutual respect and recognition of prophetic continuity.
Perhaps we should all take the time to sing Saida Bint together this season and bring that charming old ditty back into fashion?
■ Abdullah Drury is a Hamilton Muslim and author of the book A History of Christchurch Muslims — Integration and Harmony.
