New Year 1443 Ah: My Contemplation
The year 1442 A.H has gone down in history as a spent year. Alhamdulillahi for Allah's mercy over us despite the turbulences we encountered in our individual and collective lives, even in our faith in the past year.
Our gratitude to Allah should be ceaseless because we are counted among the privileged ones that would witness the beginning of the New Hijrah Year 1443 A.H (Maa Shaa Allah)! May Allah preserve us till the end of the year and beyond (Amin).
As we step into the new year, we should begin to reflect upon the essence of the Prophetic Hijrah with a view to impressing its significance on our lives.
We should also bear in mind that our journey through the current year will come with its goodness on one hand as well as turbulences and uncertainties on the other hand, especially in our quest to perfect our affairs with our Creator. Let us always recall that the first hijrah embarked upon by some of the Prophet's companions to Abyssinia and the subsequent and final one by the Prophet (SAW) from Makkah to Madinah with the rest of the Muslim Ummah were tortuous and encumbered.
Therefore, our tormentors that would come in different guises in our material and spiritual lives would be relentless in trying to derail us from the journey to our own Madinah.
Our individual hijrah through the new year should not be without companionship. It is therefore instructive to prepare the right companion(s) for the journey. Our companions in this sense are our spouses, children, relations and friends. Albeit, we should make a dependable choice, the one that will be ready to trudge with us through the thick and thin of the year. Companion that will be willing to shield us, possibly take the snake bite and endure the agony of the venom on our behalf, just as Abubakar (RA) did for his friend, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the cave.
Prayer is fundamental in the life of a Muslim. Hence, in the year 1443 A.H, we should struggle to be more fervent in prayer and devout in worship as trusted means of seeking Allah's intervention in all our dealings because we are living in a perilous time.
"And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones" - Q2:45.
We should also hold close to our hearts and constantly remind ourselves that there is no winner in the race of life. Whatever will be will be, it has been predestined! Therefore, we should rely on Allah and entrust our affairs to Him.
"And give him sustenance from whence he thinks not; and whoever trusts in Allah, He is sufficient for him; surely Allah attains His purpose; Allah indeed has appointed a measure for everything" - Q65:3.
May Allah sustain us on the path of righteousness (Amin).