Advices for the New Year
www.shaykh.org (advices Of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat)

Taking Account

At the end of the financial year a businessman takes account to see how much profit or loss he has undergone.

He spends great time doing this as he wishes to assess if he is making a profit and whether there are any areas which are causing him to fall into loss.

Thereafter in the New Year he will make sure to iron out the weak points of his business to ensure the profit is manifold this time round.

Likewise, we have also been sent into this world as tradesmen. Life and wealth are our commodities through which we need to earn Jannah.

Verily Allah has purchased from the believers their souls in return for Jannah.

Hence we should view the year that has just passed from this perspective and take stock of how we spent our lives during that year.

Thereafter we should plan to spend the coming year, rather our entire life, in seeking the pleasure of Allah.

Take Account Daily

In reality, to take account of ourselves on an annual basis is not adequate. This is why the Masha'ikh have advised that a person should do mu'hasabah (self-assessment) daily.

The method of making mu'hasabah is to take some time out and ponder upon the deeds done throughout the day.

If good was done then one should thank Allah and resolve to continue; and if sin was done then one should repent and resolve to abstain from repeating the sin in the future.

Quality and Quantity

One should keep in mind that just as one ponders upon the quantity of the good he has done, he should also ponder upon the quality of these actions. Thus a person should ask himself the following two questions:

1. Was the act according to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam?

2. Was the act done with sincerity only for the sake of Allah or were there other motives behind the action?

Allah ta'ala has mentioned in the Qur'aan that the worst of people are those who spend day and night in what they think to be the obedience of Allah, whilst in reality, what they perform has no value in the eyes of Allah.

The great Companion Umar radiallahu anhu alluded this point when he said:

Take account of yourselves before Allah takes account of you. Weigh your deeds before Allah weighs them.

And prepare for that day when your deeds will be presented in the great court of Allah

One Year Closer To The Grave

At the start of the year, we also need to keep in mind that one more year of our lives has come to an end. If our actions were evil, and we were treading the path to Jahannum, we have now come one year closer to our final abode.

And if we were doing good deeds, we now have one year less to acquire our goal. An Arabic poet says;

The passing of days and nights please a person, but he does not understand that the passing of days and nights are in reality the passing of his life.

We need to value each and every second of ours, as it is possible that we may not be here for the 1st of Muharram next year. This is what Imam Bukhari rahmatuallahi alayh highlighted in poetic form by saying:

Appreciate the value of the reward of Salaah whilst you have the ability to do so, for it is possible that your death comes upon you suddenly.

Indeed, how many healthy people have you seen who have died, all of a sudden, without any illness?