Do Muslims celebrate Easter?

No. Like Christmas, Easter has no origin with Jesus (as) or the first Christians, so Muslims do not celebrate it. Out of courtesy, though, they gladly wish their Christian friends a happy Easter.

Anyone who studies the history of Easter and Christmas will see that neither has a Christian origin. In the time of Jesus (as) and in the century of his first followers, these feasts were unknown. Later, Christians in the Roman Empire and in other European countries took over the festivals of other peoples and gave them a religious garment.

Why should one join blindly in a celebration that has neither a religious nor a rational basis? Whoever wants to honour the birth or death of a prophet should do it in a way that does justice to his goodness and his high qualities. Chocolate eggs have nothing to do with Jesus (as). And too much alcohol, which leads to accidents and suffering, certainly does not.

The same standard applies to Muslims. Some Muslim celebrations too, for example around the birthday of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), are held so loudly and outwardly that a stranger could hardly guess whose birthday it is. Such forms were unknown in the time of the Holy Prophet (saw). A celebration does not become religious just because it is given a pious name.

This does not mean Muslims should be unfriendly. Out of courtesy they gladly wish their Christian friends a happy feast. And whoever is given a chocolate egg may eat it, as a sweet, not as a religious symbol.