A S 2008 draws to a close, dangerous precedents are being set across the globe that will influence the year to come in many ways.

We continue to let a tyrant starve his people to death in Zimbabwe; governments – previously exponents of the free market – are rewarding the failure of major commercial companies, such as banks and car makers, by subsidising them with taxpayers' money, and, most worryingly of all, people in the middle of a credit crunch are spending in shops now opening 24 hours especially for that purpose.

Oh, the irony of it. How can the solution to not having enough money be to spend more of it?

And Christmas, or the modern manifestation of it – no longer a religious festival but a commercial one – lends itself remarkably well to that modern dogmatic chant: "spend, spend, spend". The sound of jingle bells is replaced with the "kerchink" sound of the cash register.

The relentless pressure to shop is increasingly referred to as therapeutic – a suggestion conjuring up images of a body massage among the calming aroma of herbal oils. All of our troubles will melt away as we spend the last remaining pennies in our coffers. Ah yes, forget about the New Year, that is bound to be prosperous, there are just too many people wishing that for me, so let it be, let it be, let it be.

But sadly, the economic dark clouds are gathering for the New Year. If 2008 was bad, it was just a trailer for the main event, which is apparently due for a cloudburst during 2009.

But, despite the massive job losses we have already seen and will no doubt continue to see, and the obvious implications of those for everyone, people in this country will rise above it. Despite all those out there ready, willing and able to take advantage of our savings, investments and homes, we will rise above it. We have done it before and we will do it again.

You see, it is in times of suffering that the true human spirit has the potential to shine. No doubt some of us will give in to the "dark sides" of blaming others, envy or coveting what is not ours, but most of us will not do that.

When we have less, we share more, like we have always done. Those penny charity boxes next to the checkout will still be filled, if not more so. Just as we do in winter, when we check on our elderly neighbours, because we know they may need us, even in the global financial hardship from which we too will suffer, we know others will need us even more. And we will be there for them.

That is the true potential of the human spirit. That is what the Prophet of Islam, Jesus, who is talked about in the Qur'an, endorsed, just like all the prophets before him.

And that, even in the all-consuming material world that we have to live in today, is the saving grace of the Christmas period.

There is debate about whether Jesus was born on December 25. Frankly, it does not matter – it is the spirit of his message that I, as a Muslim, will celebrate and remind others of during this week.