CELEBRATING NEW YEAR: It's A Start-Line For A New Attempt, Not A Festival.

 

Celebrating New Year:

It’s A Start-Line

For A New Attempt,

Not A Festival

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Fests are held after the achievements,

not before the start. At the start, you

show your determination, confidence,

honesty and sincerity of effort, with a

prayer to God for success!

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(M. Javed Naseem)

People love to celebrate New Year eve because they see others doing it year after year. But do they really know what they are doing? What is New Year eve? Is it a festival? No, it is not a festival but is used as an excuse to have fun, do stupid things, get drunk and commit adultery. As a matter of fact, 1^st of January (Gregorian calendar) or 1^st of Moharram (Islamic calendar) is the first day of the year. If you want to celebrate a successful and exceptional year, then you should be celebrating it on 31^st of December or the 30^th/29^th of Dhul Hijjah, at the end of the year, when you can assess and audit the year separating gains from the losses. That makes sense. But the 1^st of the year? You have not even started doing anything – success is another story – on the first day of the year and you are busy celebrating it!

First day of the year marks the start-line of a particular 12-month period of your life, whether business or educational. You can assess the year only at the end of it when you check the balance sheet or the final progress report – success and failures. You are on trial between the first day and the last day of the year, and during this period your performance will definitely fluctuate. 1^st day of the year gives you another head-start, another chance, to do things better than the last year.

On this day, you should be more serious than usual and plan your agenda carefully. You check your programs, blueprints of projects and tools one more time and start with determination, honesty and sincerity. Success will meet you at the end of the road when you would be exhausted doing your best and giving 100%. Only then you are justified to celebrate.

The best thing you can wish for in a year, is the Guidance – all kinds of it. But the best guidance comes from the Almighty, the Supreme Creator and the Greatest Provider. He says in the Quran:

“Those are upon (right) guidance from their

Lord, and it is those who are the successful.”

(al-Quran 2:5)

That kind of guidance can make you successful not only in this material world but also in the Hereafter when only your good deeds, gratefulness and obedience to God would matter. For us humans, no success can be greater than pleasing the Almighty Lord. If we obey Allah’s commands, follow the instructions from the Quran and take care of our fellow human beings, that is the right path which guarantees success in both worlds. Allah tells us in the Quran:

“So give the relative his right, as well as the

needy and the traveler. That is best for those who

desire the countenance of Allah, and it is they

who will be the successful.”

(al-Quran 30:38)

What is Islam? Islam is total surrender and submission to the Will of Allah. That’s a very simple and plain definition of Islam. You need to please your Lord God to be successful in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah, the Almighty, has given us a formula of success in the Quran. He commands us:

“So fear Allah as much as you are able and listen

and obey and spend (in the way of Allah); it is better

for you. And whoever is protected from the greed of

his own soul - it is those who will be the successful.”

(al-Quran 64:16)

Allah commands us further to discharge our obligation of “enjoining good and forbidding evil”. In return, He will grant us success. And when Allah promises us success, there can never be an achievement greater than that.

“And let there be (arising) from you a nation

inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what

is right and forbidding what is wrong, and

those will be the successful.”

(al-Quran 3:104)

If you insist on celebrating the New Year (Islamic or Gregorian), I wish you the best Guidance from the Almighty Cherisher. Take a deep breath and reflect! Ponder for a moment, what’s the purpose of your life in this world? And then check your progress whether you are close or too far from your real goal! May Allah help you and guide you! Amen.

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