Merry Christmas Nostalgia

Merry Christmas Nostalgia

“Nostalgia is a way of remembering people, places and things, and wishing things hadn't changed. It has sweetness to it. Sadness is just--well--being sad.” ― Linda Lael Miller, Creed's Honor.

Every festival brings joy and cheers to one’s life. We share this joy with people close to our heart. Also, there are people like me who use this day just to recall and recollect the sweet memories of childhood we had during festivals. This post of mine is for such group of people.

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I was born and bought up in a small town called Port Blair, the capital of Andaman & Nicobar Islands in India. People in my neighbourhood were of different faiths and cultures. Yet, the brotherhood amongst all was so strong that we shared all celebrations alike. Christmas was also one such festival.

My house was surrounded by three Keralite Christian families; Mathai Uncle’s family, Rajan Uncle’s family & Chacko Uncle’s family. Mathai uncle has four children; Shiney, Sajan (Shyam), Miney & Sini. Rajan Uncle has two children; Jenice (Tisha) & Tinu. Chacko uncle has three children Sunita, Suja & Sunil. Of these except Tisha & Tinu all others were elder to me. Hence, as per Keralite tradition I use to call Chechi for elders girls & Chetan (or Bhaiyya) to elder boys. There were other boys and girls of my age there; Rajesh, Rajani, Sajesh, Ravi, Saravanan, Nasir, Sanju, Baby, Shammi, Guddu and many more. We grew together, and as Shakespeare said

“So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition;
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem;
So, with two seeming bodies, but one heart”

Mathai uncle house was just opposite to my house, separated by a street. His wife Thankamma Aunty was my mother’s closest friend in the locality. Both of them loved tittle- tattle. Mathai uncle was the prime adviser to my father on how to educate children and ensure bright future to them.

I was very naughty in my childhood. Whenever I quarrel with my parents, I used to run to the street in-front of our house. And there stood Mathai uncle infront of his house with a pleasant smile. Then he will take me to his house by saying, “vaada veetikaada” in Malayalam which means “come veetikada (my family name)”. His wife Thankamma aunty was always ready with her coffee, yummy cakes and vattappams (Keralite Sweet cakes). She said, “you are like my Shiney who quarrel a lot but a real gem”. They advised me to oblige to my parents, do my homeworks in time, study well and work in gulf like their daughter Miney Chechi. Infact I can say, the first seeds of ambition in me about working in Middle East was through Miney Chechi. The youngest of them Sini Chechi taught me how to tell time by using a clock at a very early age.

Year end was fabulous for all as its Christmas time. Mathai Uncle and Shyam Bhaiyya used to fix Christmas tree infront of their house and lit it up. I used to take pieces of it and fix in infront of my house.  Until I was in Port Blair, there was no Christmas in which I didn’t eat Thankamma aunty’s delicious cakes and vattappams. Every New Year eve we slept late at night. We enjoyed watching Television programs. After 12am Mathai used to call us to their home and give us sweets.

Time passed by. We took higher courses and took job in different parts of the world. Many in these families migrated to Kerala. Seven or Eight years back, I was in Cochin in Kerala. Mathai Uncle gave me call and invited me to their new house in Aluva. When I went there Mathai Uncle was very happy. He was so excited to show me their new house. Thakamma Aunty was again ready with Coffee, Yummy cakes and Vattappams. For me it was as if I got my childhood again. Nostalgia & Nostalgia for me. I accompanied Mathai uncle to the nearest travel agent. He wanted to book tickets to Port Blair. He was 73 years old then and I helped him to climb up the stairs. He told me that when my parents first moved to the house infront of their house, I was just one year old and was just trying to walk. Nostalgia & nostalgia for him. That was the last time I saw both of them together.

Later, one day I got a phone a call from my father, Thankamma aunty is not well. He asked me to pray for her. I prayed to Allah for her, in the best possible way, to cure her but he decided something else. Few days later, I got a phone call again from my father, “Thankamma aunty has left for her heavenly abode”. I asked for my mother. When she picked up the phone she cried hard, a close friend had left her alone. 

This is the tale of two families who differ in faith but yet are closely bonded in friendship.

At the present times, when many things are judged based on the faith we believe, I wondered how these two families could develop such bondage. It wasn’t that they weren’t religious. Mathai uncle and his family are devout Orthodox Christians and mine is also a deeply religious Muslim family. They prayed daily in their respective ways but never transgressed into others affairs on faith. They showed me how people of different faith can live a wonderful, peaceful & friendly life. This lesson is something I consider worth sharing with all in today’s age.

Recently, I got messages in WhatsApp that saying “Merry Christmas” is haram (forbidden) in Islam. There were lot of similar Facebook posts also on it. It said that “by wishing Merry Christmas, we agree that Jesus was a son of God and that is wrong in Islam”. I replied to it and said I disagree with it. Like Islam, Christianity is another religion in this world. Christians and Muslims are two different communities. A Christian wishing Merry Christmas to a fellow Christmas may have implied its literal meaning but a Muslim wishing it need not be considered that way. It is just a friendly wish to our Christian brothers and sisters on their festival. That’s it! There is no need to get into its literal meaning. The only motto of such a wish is to spread amity and brotherhood.

But still people want to know logic behind my argument. Such people should understand, many Non-Muslims have names which are against Islamic Ideology. For example, Suresh is a common name among Hindus. It is a Sanskrit word which means "Ruler of Gods". As per Islamic belief there is only one God and to consider anyone as a ruler of God is haram. But it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t call this person by his name. If I call him by his name it doesn’t affect my faith in any form.

Hence, I am surprised at such illogical posts of getting too much fundamental. My elder brother says such posts shows how can intelligence can be buried and exposed to a brutal death.

Muslims are disciples are Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Allah (SWT) refers to him as “rahmatul lil a’lameen” in the Quran which means 'mercy to mankind’. He was an epitome of tolerance and comprises. I would quote three different incidents which prove this:

• In the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, Prophet Muhammed (SAW) compromised on the basic principles on Islamic ideology. His opponents, the Quraish didn’t agree on using words like “Bismillahi-r-Rahmani-r-Rahim (In the name of God, the most gracious, the Merciful" because they didn’t believe Allah to be most gracious. Prophet Muhammed (SAW) changed words to Bismikallahumma which means “In the name of Allah”. And again the Quraish asked him to change “Muhammad Rasul Allah (the Prophet of Allah)” because they didn’t consider him one.  Prophet Muhammad (SAW) changed words to Muhammad ibn Abdullah (Muhammad the son of Abdullah). Although these words are the basic tenants of Islamic faith, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) compromised on it for the sake of maintaining peace and brotherhood. It simply means that in Islam, brotherhood is more important that words.

• In the tenth year of the Hijrah, a delegation of fourteen Christian Chiefs from Najran; among them Abdul Masih of Bani Kinda, their chief, and Abdul Harith, bishop of Bani Harith, came to Medina to make a treaty with Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and were permitted by him to pray in his mosque, which they did turning towards the east in Masjid an nabawi. It shows again that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was an epitome of tolerance and comprises. He taught us that a Muslim must respect the pattern of prayer of Non-Muslims.

• It is reported that a funeral of a Jew passed before the Prophet (SAW). As a sign of respect, the Prophet (SAW) stood up. The Prophet (SAW) was asked "Why did you stand up for a Jewish funeral?" The Prophet replied, "Is it not a human soul?" (Al-Bukhari). It simply means that all Muslims must respect all human soul, living or dead, Muslim or non-Muslim.

When I have such wonderful examples of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on tolerance and brotherhood, why should I even read the messages of hate?

On this festival eve, I wish to follow his footsteps and wish to spread the message of love and brotherhood.

On this festival eve, I wish to remember the people, place and things which shaped my childhood. Those memories have sweetness attached to it, which I wish to gift you all.

On this festival eve, let us all get nostalgic…

 “Nostalgia is a way of remembering people, places and things, and wishing things hadn't changed. It has sweetness to it. Sadness is just--well--being sad.”

I wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!