Do Muslims believe Jesus was born on Christmas?

What Muslims believe about the birth of Jesus

For Muslims, Jesus is one of the greatest prophets and the Messiah. The Quran describes the angel bringing Mary "good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary" (Quran 3:45). When she asked how she could have a child when "no man has touched me," the answer was: "Such is Allah; He creates what He wills" (Quran 3:47). Muslims believe in the virgin birth, but not that Jesus is God or the son of God. See Do I have to believe Jesus isn't God to become Muslim?

The Quran's nativity: Mary and the palm tree

Surah Maryam (chapter 19) tells the story in a moving way. Mary went to a remote place, and "the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree" (Quran 19:23). She was comforted and told to eat and drink:

Some Muslim scholars have noted that fresh dates usually ripen in the hot months, and see this as a hint that the birth wasn't in winter. Others point out that the whole scene was a miracle, so the season can't be worked out with certainty. Either way, the Quran simply doesn't give a date, and Muslims don't claim to know one.

Where 25 December comes from

The Gospels don't give a birth date either. Historians say the earliest clear record of Christians in Rome celebrating Jesus' birth on 25 December comes from the fourth century. Why that date was chosen is debated among historians, and different churches have marked other dates: many Orthodox Christians celebrate on 7 January because they follow the older Julian calendar. For most Christians, the exact date matters less than the meaning they give it. Muslims can respect that sincerity while holding their own beliefs. For the wider history, see Is Christmas a pagan holiday?

How Muslims honor the birth of Jesus

In the Quran, the baby Jesus speaks from the cradle and says: "And peace is on me the day I was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive" (Quran 19:33). Muslims send peace on him whenever his name is mentioned. But Islam has its own two festivals: when the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Medina, he told people that Allah had given them two days better than their old festive days, the day of sacrifice and the day of breaking the fast (Sunan Abi Dawud 1134). So a Muslim can talk warmly about Jesus with Christian family in December, while not celebrating Christmas as a religious day.