New Year - Occasion to reflect over past life

Human life passes through different phases and different conditions.  Sometimes, there is happiness and at other times, there is sorrow.  Be it happiness or sorrow, Islam has given guidelines for all times.  It is compulsory upon us to keep in mind these guidelines.  Nowadays Muslims are falling prey to destitution and difficulties because of not acting upon the teachings of Islam.  Days pass in frivolity and nights are spent in heedlessness.  People are committing various sins in the name of welcoming the New Year.  People are welcoming New Year with wine, fireworks, song and dance.  People gather at the centers of indecency.  They are getting carried away by their emotions and are committing various acts which are prohibited by the Shariah.

 

Our life is a bounty given to us by Allah Most High.  It is our responsibility to live it by the decrees of Allah Most High and by the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Especially at the time of beginning of a new year, we should reflect over our past life.  This is not the time for frivolity, but is the time to analyze our past and plan for our future.  Today, coming to the Masjid on listening to the Adhaan seems too big a task.  People don’t have time to participate in good works, but there is no hindrance in going from one city to another to “welcome” the New Year and in spending money like anything.

 

It is not the mark of a Muslim to waste his/her life in opulence and song and dance.  A Muslim community is dignified one and has high standards of morality.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has exhorted it towards high morals, has granted it unblemished character and a sophisticated culture.

 

Muslims should consider every past moment as a respite and reflect over their lives.  They should spend their days and nights in obedience of the Shariah.  They should spend each and every moment of their lives in light of the Shariah.  Allahmh has ordered us to do so in the Holy Quran:

 

O believers! Keep fearing Allah. And everyone should be vigilant to what he has sent forward for tomorrow (the Day of Reckoning). And always fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Well Aware of what you do.  Surah Hashr (59:18)

 

These are the words of Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Qadri, Professor, Islamic Law, Jamia Nizamia, Founder-Director, Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center in the weekly lecture at Masjid Abul Hasanaat, Phool Bagh, Jahanuma, under the aegis of Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center.

 

The Mufti said that the life of Muslims is not to fulfill base desires, but to spend it in the obedience of Allah and His Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  They don’t follow the customs of the world, but are bound to follow the rules of the Shariah.  The Mufti said that we should analyze our deeds.  If we have done anything prohibited by the Shariah, we should repent with a sincere heart.  Whatever Salaat and fasts we have missed, we should make them up.  The Mufti said that on this occasion, we should especially reflect not only over the rights of Allah but also over the rights of the creation.  If there have been lapses in fulfilling the rights of creation, we should compensate for them as well.  He quoted a Hadith from Jame’ Tirmidhi that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

 

On the Day of Judgment, a human being can’t move even a wee bit until and unless he (or she) is not asked about his life as to what in what deeds has he spent it, about his knowledge as to how much has he acted upon it, about his wealth as to how he earned it and how he spent it, about his body as to where he spent its energies.

 

The session ended with Salaam and Dua.  Maulana Hafidh Syed Wahid Ali, Teacher, Jamia Nizamia, led the proceedings.