Assalamu Alaikum and Happy New Year 1434 to all. The 1st of Muharram was November 15th, 2012, which is the beginning of the New Year according to the Islamic calendar. Although many people celebrate and acknowledge January 1st as the “official New Year; we should all be very cognizant of the Islamic New Year. We should recognize the significance of this date and remember the Hijra or migration from Mecca to Medina (Hijra). We should understand all the persecution and suffering that Prophet Muhamad (SAW) and his sahabas endured with patience and fortitude to upkeep and propagate the message of Islam. Their perseverance and sacrifice allowed this deen to come to us “on a silver platter”. The Hijra was an event that took history in a new direction. Although the Islamic calendar starts from this migration, history prior to this date is very significant in Islam. This migration had a very positive effect in spreading the message of Islam to mankind. The beginning of each New Year, translates into new beginnings for most of us. As we prepare to make resolutions for the New Year, we too can migrate from our negative ways to more positive actions that are pleasing to Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) says in the Quran, “Indeed what is to come will be better for you than what has gone by” (Quran 93:4). A very profound message from Allah (SWT), the Hearer, the Seer, the Knower. If we reflect upon this statement, it is full of hope and optimism for us. If we indeed want to attain betterment in our lives, we need to review our relationship with our Lord. We must frequently ask ourselves, based on our day to day behavior and our character and our personality, do we feel that we are building a stronger connection with our Lord. Sincere self-evaluation will help us recognize our shortcomings and our faults. Although old habits are hard to break, the hope for positive yields should be our incentive to make those changes. That’s step one, step two would be to commit ourselves to making changes in our lives and step three to implement changes so that we secure that better future that Allah (SWT) has promised us. Allah (SWT) has also stated that “Verily He will not change the condition of a people, unless they change what is within themselves” (Quran 11:13). So Allah’s (SWT) promise for us to secure a better future depends on our actions. Let us be proactive in doing good deeds that will earn Allah’s (SWT) pleasure and mercy. Let us not be complacent in life, let us not stagnate spiritually or in doing good deeds and in attaining blessings. We just do not know how many blessings we will need or which deed will earn the mercy of God Almighty. We just cannot wish and pray for things to be better without making sincere effort to change ourselves, and we also have to be patient. Allah (SWT) is the best of planners, we are not. Sometimes what we want and what we think will make our lives happier, may not be what’s best for us and may not happen and so we get frustrated and begin to lose hope. However, many times we see that what eventually happens is even better for us than what we hoped for. So as part of our change, let us commit to always persevere and not falter in our faith and belief in Allah (SWT). While we may be tempted to question His help, He will never give up on us to make our life positive and blessed. So remember just one positive change we make could have a domino effect in our life. Obviously, the changes we make should have a direct effect on increasing our Eeman and on changing one or more negative characteristic to a positive one. Our New Year’s resolution should make us a new and better person, we should attempt to filter out negative aspects in our lives and to promote positives ones. Sometimes resolutions and transitions last for just a month or so and the energy to change fizzles out; however, our promise to be a better believer should never falter, because the blessings we will accumulate will help us not just in this life, but in the Hereafter (insha Allah). Allah (SWT) says: “I am as my servant thinks I am, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me to himself, I remember him to Myself; and if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s span, I draw near to him an arm’s length, if he draws near to me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length and if he comes to me walking, I go to him running”. Allah (SWT) is always there for us, we need to show our gratitude to Him and hasten to Him and always be grateful and thankful to Him for all that He has blessed us with. May Allah (SWT) guide us to do actions that are pleasing to Him and to live a life which brings us closer to Him and His mercy (ameen). Please have a safe, healthy and blessed New Year and many more to come (Insha Allah). Quote from a wise man : “We must become the change we want to see”.
