New Year eve – A time for evaluation, not for frivolity

New Year eve – A time for evaluation, not for frivolity

 

Life is a gift from Allah Most High; to value it and live it as per the orders of Allah Most High and the Sunnah is our responsibility.  Especially when a new year starts, we should evaluate our past lives.  This moment is not to be spent in play and frivolity, but to reflect on our past lives and plan on how to make our future brilliant.

 

Allah Most High says:

 

O ye who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what (provision) he has sent forth for the morrow.  Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.  Surah Hashr (59:18)

 

With evaluation of self (Nafs), a person is led towards good deeds and stays away from bad deeds.  There is a Hadith in Jame' Tirmidhi, that a wise person is the one who evaluates himself (or herself) and prepares for the life after death.  A foolish person is the one who makes oneself a slave to desires and has hopes from Allah Most High.  (Jame' Tirmidhi, Hadith No: 2647)

 

5 things before 5 things

 

There is a Hadith in Mustadarak ‘Alas Sahihain: The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: You consider 5 things as a respite before things: Youth before old age, health before sickness, affluence before poverty, leisure before busyness and life before death.   (Hakim, Hadith No: 7957)

 

Advice of Hadhrat ''Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him)

 

There is a Tradition in Kanz Ul ‘Ummaal that Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) said: You evaluate yourselves before you are evaluated, because it will ease your judging and you check your Selves (Nafs) before you are checked and be prepared for the Ultimate Summons when you will be presented in the court of Allah Most High and nothing of yours will be hidden.   (Kanz Ul ‘Ummaal, Hadith No: 44203)

 

Nowadays, the New Year is welcomed with wine.  People gather at dens of indecency.  They go out of control and perform deeds which are not allowed by the Shariah.  Be it happiness or sorrow, in every state the laws of Islam should be kept in mind.

 

To welcome the New Year, "Happy New Year" is written on the roads.  No matter what the language is, the letters, alphabets are a means of gaining knowledge.  Islam does not permit disrespecting them.  Islam is not a conventional religion.  Its teachings are all based on truth.

 

Message of the Islamic New Year

 

The Islamic year starts with the martyrdom of Hadhrat ''Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) and the martyrdom of Hadhrat Imam Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with him) and it ends with Hajj and sacrifice.   The beginning and end of the year are gesturing that the days and nights and months and years of the Muslims should be only for the sake of Allah Most High and there is a message for the Muslims that the Companions and the Prophets’ Family sacrificed themselves, but they did not allow the Islamic teachings to be sacrificed.

 

Evaluate yourself!

 

We should evaluate ourselves that how have we fulfilled the rights of Allah Most High and how have we performed the Salaat, fasts, Zakaat and Hajj.  Did we fulfill them with proper sincerity and fear and consciousness of Allah Most High?

 

How did we fulfill the the rights of the creation?  Did we obey our parents?  Did we instruct and teach our children properly?  How did we treat the neighbors and relatives?

 

If anything is not perfect, we should repent, fulfill the rights which are due to others and ask their forgiveness.

 

There is a Hadith in Jame' Tirmidhi: The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: On the Day of Judgment, the feet of a human being will not budge until he is asked about his life that where has he spent it; about knowledge that how much has he acted upon it; about his wealth – how he earned it and where he spent it and about his body as to where he spent his abilities.

 

We have a double responsibility that we should look at our surroundings and decide ourselves that we will not even go near vices, that we will absolutely avoid all kinds of immodesty, indecency and that we will stop others also from these things as much as we can and invite them towards good.

 

Corruption and decay has spoiled the whole atmosphere.  Because of all this, we should not stay away from knowledge and Shariah and get stuck in ignorance.  We should adorn ourselves with knowledge, learn the rules of Islam and act upon them.  We should evaluate the past year and make a roadmap for the next year.  We should consider the rest of our lives as respite and spend them in worship and obedience to Allah Most High.