In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
This new Hijri year, 1437 AH, is a great gift from Allah because we don't know if we can reach the next one. So, we should receive this new year in the best way, with pious intentions and good goals.
At the end of the financial year businessmen analyze their year’s trading, but our trade is with Allah and is more worthy of being evaluated.
We should thank Allah for the gifts with which we have been blessed and we should seek His forgiveness for our wrongdoings and shortcomings.
We should also make our new year’s resolutions for the coming year – what we intend to achieve on our journey to Allah, and the traits which we wish to leave behind.
We should bear in mind that both Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, the first month of the new year, are of the four inviolable months so the reward of our actions is multiplied. Our bad deeds are also more grave in these times.
We should open the new year with good works. Amongst the best of these works is fasting. The greatest day in Muharram to fast is of course the tenth, `Ashura.’ Fasting on this day wipes out the sins of the previous year.
One of the wisdom behind the merit of fasting in the month of Muharram is that both are attributed to Allah – Muharram is the “the Month of Allah” and fasting, as in the hadith qudsi, “is Mine, and I will reward accordingly.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “The best (month) to fast after Ramadhan is the Month of Allah which you call al-Muharram. The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.” [Muslim]
Both fasting and the night prayer have been made easy in the winter. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that winter is like spring for a believer: the night is long so he is able to stand in prayer in it, and the day is short so he is able to fast during it. [Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi]
Make the intention to wake up before Fajr to pray Tahajjud and Witr. Make the intention to attend gatherings of sacred knowledge and benefit from them.
We should leave our blameworthy traits and fear what might be coming before the next new year -- the beginning of our own Judgment Day (when we die), the punishment of the grave, the torment on Judgment Day and the punishment of the Hellfire. We should protect ourselves against these calamities. This is the basic meaning of taqwa. We do something to place between ourselves and the wrath of Allah. We knock at every door of opportunity to be close to Allah.
People of taqwa will always have Allah to take care of their needs.
Allah Almighty says,
وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّـهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًا ﴿٢﴾ وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّـهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ بَـٰلِغُ أَمْرِهِۦ ۚ قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱللَّـهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْرًا ﴿٣ ...[Qur'an At-Talaq 65:2-3]
...And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (2) And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. (3)
We ask Allah that He gives the hearts of every believers the taste of love of Allah and the taste of love of His beloved Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the taste of love of his family and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
O Allah, just as You have granted me all that I have loved, let those things be a means of strength for me to use in the way You love. O Allah, whatever love (of things) You have removed from me then grant in its place the love (of things) that You love.
O Allah, I ask you for your love and the love of those you love and the love of that deed which would draw me closer to Your love. O Allah, make Your love more beloved to me than myself, my family, and more beloved than cold water [on a hot day]. O Allah, grant me your love and the love of that person whose love will benefit me by you.
We ask Allah that He makes us from those who are obedient to Him and make us keys to goodness on this earth.
May Allah grant us every benefit from this new year and make it a year of great openings and good.
Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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