Abdur-Raheem McCarthy – 4 things to reflect on at the start of the New Year – Abdur Raheem McCarthy

			It's January 1 2019. And here's four things to reflect on as we start this new year. The first thing
is that in reality for us as Muslims, it's not the start of the new year. Our new year started
almost four months ago, and the month of Muharram on the Hijri calendar. Therefore, one of our New
Year's resolutions, as people start to do it here now in the beginning of January, is that we need
to revive the Hijri calendar in our lives, and our households and the lives of our children. So we
know our history, we know our dates, and our calendars as Muslims. The second thing is a reality
that we really need to focus on. And that is, as any man that has an ill bacillary Rahim Allah Tala
		

			used to say, you have an Adam, in Nama and a year for either the hubba yoke, they have a Babak, Oh,
son of Adam, you are very but days. So if one of your days goes, then some of you has gone, meaning
that what's been written for you in this life, when one day goes, that part of you has gone as well,
you've become, you've come one day closer to death, you've come one day closer to your meeting with
Allah subhanaw taala. And this is a reality of every day of the year. However, when a new year comes
in, it hits hard and it makes us reflect more. And this is beneficial for us, we used to pilot an
entire year of my life has gone. And until a year of the calendar has gone therefore, I'm closer to
		

			death, the time I have on this earth is coming closer to an end. And that helps us to reflect but
whether like we said whether it's a day, or a week, or a month or a year, this is a reality all
throughout the year. But when that new year comes, it hits and even harder. The third thing is
		

			that we need to take this time to make some to reflect also and do some more hands on what has
happened in the past year to take some time and see what did we accomplish what we what we wanted to
accomplish, and the things that we didn't accomplish that we want to accomplish and the things that
you know, and to build on the on the positive things from last year. And to to take make the
commitment from the start of this year that we're going to wipe away all the bad and all the
negative things that happened or that we did in 2018. And the fourth thing is that we have these as
they say New Year's resolutions. There's nothing wrong with that when because reality even though we
		

			set our Hijiri calendar has already started. But most of us around the world we do live on the on
the Christian calendar, or work calendar is based on this. So it's okay for us to put at death and
goals and objectives that we want to accomplish during this year in general Tada starting on this
calendar Inshallah, because what's important is that we are accomplishing that we are productive
with the time that Allah subhanaw taala has blessed us with here on the earth. So if we look at
points three, and four, and we want to reflect on what we did in 2018, and what we want to do in
2019, and one of my courses in bettering ourselves and being more productive Muslims, I used to use
		

			the initials MBs. So what do we need to focus on, so we need to focus on MBS obviously, now that
these initials have been tainted, so you're gonna be AMA, we can't really use this anymore. But the
meaning stays the same of these initials, which is mind, body and soul we need to see, and 2018 What
did I do to better my mind, we're talking about bettering our mind educating ourselves as Muslims,
in both the affairs of our deen our religion, and also in the worldly affairs as well. We need to
constantly always want to better ourselves and become better in all aspects of our life, not just in
the aspects of the raise affairs, but also when it comes to the worldly affairs as well that we want
		

			to better ourselves. So we look at what we did in 2018. And what we accomplished and we hold
ourselves to account for that. And now we make new commitments of what we want to do and what we
want to accomplish now in 2019. The second thing, the B is for our bodies. Our bodies are Amana
responsibility that also panna Wattana has given us and it's something we need to take care of. And
something wanted to be asked about your own piano. So how were we when it came to our diet and our
eating, where we're eating healthy and clean in 2018, where we over eating, and going against the
sooner we follow in as soon as of only having 1/3 for our food and 1/3 for a drink, and 1/3 to be
		

			able to breathe? Were we going to the gym where we're working out where we training, martial arts,
whatever it is we do to stay in shape where we cycling, swimming, whatever you do hiking, were we
doing enough insufficiently to take care of our bodies because when your body is strong, and we know
from the Hadith that the strong believer is more beloved to a lord than the weak believer but
obviously here what's meant by this is the the strength of the man first of all, but then also the
strength of the body as well. So when we're strong in our our bodies, we're even going to be
stronger now but NRA bad and our worship to Allah subhana wa Tada. We're going to be able to excel
		

			more even in our worthy of faith.
		

			Here's we're gonna be able to focus more on our religious affairs. So when you're healthy, and
you're eating good and you're working out, you're going to you're going to benefit in all aspects of
life. Therefore, we need to look at what do we do in 2018? And what do we want to do make this
commitment now of what we're going to do to take care of our bodies.
		

			And 2019 and the other the s, we said his work for the soul to focus on the issue of soul and
nourishing our soul. We need to make sure that we look at where our Eman is right now, after 2018.
We're here on the first day of 2019.
		

			What was the programs that we had to strengthen our Eman in 2009? And 18? What were we doing to
nourish our souls? were we successful great yourself that I was a five was i Seven was a three? And
then where do I want to be in 2019? And when we say where do you want to be in 2019, a piece of
advice when it comes to working out or educating yourself any of the aspects we want to better
ourselves in, don't be in a hurry, put some goals for yourself that by end of February, I want to be
here, end of April or March, I want to be here put goals for yourself. Don't say I want to be at the
highest level right away. Because what happens is you start off. And this is what happens with new
		

			year's resolutions all the time. People start off and they go until about about mid
		

			mid January, and then they start to go down and start to decline. So they might find two weeks,
three weeks, even some people up to a month and they're doing good and then they start to decline.
And they go back to the old habits. So when you want to change old habits and you want to better
yourself, and anything that you're doing, make sure that you do it gradually and slowly and work
yourself in. So here we are saying we reflect on 2018 What do we do to better ourselves and our
minds and make ourselves more educated in all aspects of life, both the religious and worldly
affairs? And then we're gonna look at our bodies what happened to in 2018? What are we going to do
		

			with our bodies in 2019, making sure we eat healthy, we eat less, and that we're strong and in
shape, and then how we're going to nourish our souls and 2019 and Chautala. By focusing on the forms
of AI that we need to focus on everyone. Make a schedule for yourself when it comes to your worship,
write down what you want to accomplish. Sit down and with a pen and paper and write down what do I
need to do if I'm going to nourish my souls? Any I need to make sure I focus on my prayers focus on
reciting a certain portion of the Quran each day I need to focus on my car, especially the morning
and evening evening car of Qatar survival Messiah. I want to make sure that I pray the Sunnah Varroa
		

			tip, want to make sure that I fast one day a week, whatever it is that you're going to do, make sure
that it's clear you have clear objectives, and then you focus on it during the year. And don't hold
yourself accountable for all of this in 2020 hold yourself accountable each day for some things each
week for others each month. hold yourself accountable throughout the year. We ask Allah subhana wa
Taala to forgive us all for any shortcomings that we had in 2018 and to help us build on all the
positive that we did in 2018 and to help us be from those who are successful
		

			and 2019 those who strive to better themselves and all the aspects of their life. May Allah subhana
wa Tada grabbed us all the trophy and the ability to do that which is pleasing for him and to be
from those who excel and all of the aspects of life as salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.