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.