Today, millions of Muslims all over the world mark the occasion of a new Islamic year, called “Hijri Year”. This occasion marks a new beginning in the Muslim calendar.
It reminds us about a very important incident in Islamic history, that is, the emigration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his Companions from Makkah to Madinah
Do We Recognize the New Hijri Year?
When I said ‘millions of Muslims… mark’ in my opening paragraph, I myself believe this is an overstatement, though it is something that should be the case.
But, on the contrary, many Muslims today are not properly familiar with the occasion. They do not even have this as part of their culture. They are living in a completely different world; with only what they identify with is the Gregorian calendar.
It is one aspect of the current sorry state of affairs for Muslims to see that, apart from Ramadan, Hajj and Eids, many Muslim kids find it quite challenging to name properly the rest of the months on the Islamic calendar.
So, how do you expect such generations of Muslims to be familiar with the story behind the Hijri Year itself?
Yes, they are Muslims and many of them do actually come from conservative families. However, they are unaware of the significance of Islamic history, especially with what relates to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Also, they are unaware of what the Prophet and his followers went through to pass the religion safely to us.
So, when you see a foundation as shaky as this one, be wary of disastrous consequences; it will collapse in no time. They resemble a spider’s house, and {truly the frailest of all houses is the spider’s house.} (Al-`Ankabut 29:41).
God reminds us:
{Which is better, the person who founds his building on consciousness of God and desire for His good pleasure, or the person who founds his building on the brink of a crumbling precipice that will tumble down into the Fire of Hell, taking him with it? God does not guide the evildoers} (At-Tawbah 9: 109)
Be Proud of Your Faith
Now as we prepare to enter into a new year, it’s important to draw to mind that the spirit of being a follower of a faith is to be proud of that faith, its tenets as well as its occasions.
Being a Muslim in a true sense goes beyond a physical manifestation of `aqeedah, if you really have that `aqeedah.
It requires, first and foremost, a spiritual embodiment of faith; constantly nourishing it with Remembrance (dhikr) and meditation (tafakkur). Thus, your mind becomes always busy with what strengthens your bond with your Creator, His messengers and prophets (peace and blessings be upon them).
You should remember what they passed through (for you to be Muslim) trying to put yourself in their shoes.
After all, they were also humans, with blood and flesh: {And We did not give them (the Messengers) bodies that ate no food, nor did We exempt them from death.} (Al-Anbiya 21: 8)
But despite being humans, they were exemplary in all forms and aspects of virtues. So, it behooves us, as Muslims, to be fully cognizant of this fact. We should not just only take them as role models, but also try to relate to their ordeals, the pains and struggles they went through.
Pages: 1 2 3