The New Islamic Year & Our Responsibilities - Shaykh Abdul Hadi

Khutbah Opening

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.

Amma ba'd: Indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ. The worst of affairs are those newly invented, and every newly invented matter is a bid'ah, and every bid'ah is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.

Reflecting on the New Islamic Year

Brothers and sisters, Alhamdulillah, we have completed one more Islamic year and entered a new year. There are many things to learn from this, because the changing of time, days, climate and weather is from Allah. As in Surah An-Nur, verse 44, Allah says:

Allah alternates the night and the day — indeed in that is a lesson for those who have vision.

As a wise person, we have to think about what we have achieved during the past year, what good deeds we have done, and how to continue these good deeds and improve them. And at the same time, if we have lacked in something, or there is negativity in what we did last year, then we have to stop and plan ahead to improve ourselves. Our efforts should be to make our future much better than our past.

Two Bounties Neglected

Rasulullah ﷺ said that there are two bounties of Allah in which people are careless and lenient — one is good health, and the second is time. If you have good health but you are not ready to take part in charitable work, or in Da'wah work — spreading Da'wah, or to improve your knowledge — and if you have time, people are trying to waste their valuable time in invaluable things.

Indeed there are glad tidings for the person who benefits from time and age, and who welcomes the new year with accountability and Taqwa — piety.

Who is the Good Person?

According to a hadith, the Prophet ﷺ was asked: who is the good person? He replied: he who has a long life and good practical deeds. Then the person asked the Prophet ﷺ about who is the bad person, and he replied: one who has a long life and bad practical life — bad practices.

(Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2329)

The Month of Muharram and the Islamic Calendar

This is the first month of the Islamic calendar — Muharram. During the time of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), they decided to make a proper calendar which Muslims can follow and use. So they discussed where the calendar should start from, as there were many incidents and memorable occasions — from the birth of the Prophet ﷺ, to the first revelation (Wahi), and also the time he spent in Makkah al-Mukarramah before migration, and then the time he spent in Madinah al-Munawwarah after migration. But they all unanimously decided that the Hijrah should be the starting point.

What is Hijrah?

They could have made any occasion the starting point for the Islamic calendar, but they all agreed on Hijrah. What is Hijrah? Migration from a place — the migration of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah al-Mukarramah to Madinah al-Munawwarah.

Hijrah means: to leave your hometown, your wealth, your friends, and even — if there is a need — your family members behind, for the sake of Allah, to protect your Deen, to save your Shari'ah and preserve your 'Aqeedah — leaving all these behind and migrating to a place where you can practice your Deen in a better way. That is Hijrah. So you have to consider this: Hijrah means you are leaving your hometown, your family members, your wealth for the sake of Allah.

Lessons from the Journey of Hijrah

The Migration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

When life for Muslims in Makkah al-Mukarramah was very hard and challenging, and it became very hard for them to practice their Deen there, the Prophet ﷺ permitted a group of companions — the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all) — to migrate. He told them they could migrate, but from Makkah al-Mukarramah — do you know where? — to Habasha, which is currently known as Ethiopia. He told them that there is a king who does not allow anyone to be oppressed in his kingdom. Then after some time, a second group of companions left Makkah al-Mukarramah to join them in Habasha. And then finally the companions and the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Madinah al-Munawwarah.

We need to consider here a few points. The companions did this Hijrah by the permission of Rasulullah ﷺ, and they did not concern themselves with the superiority and greatness of Makkah al-Mukarramah — which is the most sacred place on earth. And another point to be noted: in Habasha there was no Muslim ruler at that time — he was a Christian. So land, country, and hometown do not take precedence for us — they come after our Iman and our Deen. So as a Muslim, we have to be ready to give priority to our Deen, to our 'Aqeedah, to our Shari'ah — more than our culture, more than our customs, and more than our family and their values. If something contradicts the Islamic Shari'ah, we have to be ready to give priority to our Deen — not our culture; to our Shari'ah — not our customs.

Determination, Good Organization, and Tawakkul

Another thing we learn from this is determination and good organization. The Prophet ﷺ used all the necessary resources and means available to him, and then put his trust on Allah. For example: the arrangement of a camel as transport, food, a journey plan, as well as a guide to take them through safe routes — avoiding the normal routes to travel from Makkah to Madinah.

So the Prophet ﷺ used all these resources, and this teaches us that a true believer should use the resources and means he has, and then put his trust on Allah. This is the meaning of Tawakkul. But if someone says he has put his trust in Allah and does not use the necessary means given to him — then he is going against the teaching of Rasulullah ﷺ, against the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. Some may think: just leave your home and put your Tawakkul on Allah — it is not like that. And similarly, there are some people who put their trust only in their resources and means and do not make any du'a to Allah, they don't want to put their trust on Allah — and this is also wrong and against the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.

The Cave of Thawr

The Prophet ﷺ did not go directly from Makkah to Madinah during the migration. Rather, he spent three nights in the Cave of Thawr (Ghar Thawr) to avoid those who were searching for him, because there was a very large reward announced by the Mushrikeen of Makkah — one hundred camels — for whoever caught Rasulullah ﷺ, alive or dead.

As Allah says in Surah At-Tawbah, verse 40:

He was the second of two when they both were in the cave, when he said to his companion: "Do not grieve — surely Allah is with us."

I request all brothers and sisters — please try to note this, try to read this, try to learn this: Don't worry — Allah is with us. Believe in this and put your Tawakkul on this.

Never Lose Hope — Even in Critical Situations

Another point to learn from the journey of Hijrah is that we should never be hopeless, even in critical situations. Regardless of the situation, regardless of the circumstances — as true believers we need to be hopeful. Many Muslims today complain about the situation of Muslims in general, always talking about the challenges and hard times they are facing. So we have to learn from the journey of Hijrah: when our Prophet ﷺ was in the cave, the situation was very critical — but within just eight years, the Prophet ﷺ came back to Makkah and conquered it with victory. And a year later he performed Hajj with about 100,000 Sahabah al-Kiram with him in Arafat. Can you imagine — nine years before that situation, and then how Allah changed everything? Then he started giving Da'wah to the superpowers of the time — the Roman and Persian empires — inviting them to Islam.

The Story of Suraqah bin Malik

Another point from the journey of Hijrah: when the Prophet ﷺ was going from Makkah to Madinah, a famous leader of the Mushrikeen, Suraqah bin Malik, came following him with the intention to capture him and claim the large reward announced by the people of Makkah. But the Prophet ﷺ forgave him and gave him good news: "A day will come, O Suraqah, when you will be among those who conquer the Persian superpower." This is one example of having trust in Allah and being hopeful — and indeed this happened during the lifetime of Suraqah bin Malik, who later accepted Islam.

Lessons from the Prophets of Allah

We can learn a similar lesson from many other messengers and prophets of Allah. For example, when Yusuf (peace be upon him) was thrown into the well and his life was almost over — that very well became like a ladder for him to eventually rule the kingdom of Egypt.

Likewise, Musa (peace be upon him), when he was marching with his people to escape the oppression of Fir'aun — Fir'aun's army was following them from behind, and at one point Musa (peace be upon him) and his followers found themselves at the edge of the sea. It was so dangerous — one step forward and they would be in the sea, and if they turned back the army would catch them and kill them all. Even the followers of Musa (peace be upon him) started shouting against him. But Musa (peace be upon him) said: "Don't worry — Allah is with us." Again the same message: la tahzan — Allah is with us. And Allah helped them and made a safe path for them through the middle of the sea. And when they had crossed, the sea became like a graveyard for Fir'aun and his army.

A similar situation with another great prophet — Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The authorities of the time tried to burn him alive. But Allah protected him and made him a role model for all the generations to come. Today, not a single day passes without people remembering Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Thousands are performing Hajj and 'Umrah always remembering him — millions around the globe. Can you imagine? The authorities tried to burn him alive — but look at how Allah protected Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

So we have to reflect upon the meaning of the verse of Surah At-Tawbah, verse 40 — and how Allah helped the messengers.

The True Meaning of Hijrah in Our Daily Lives

But about the Hijrah, there is also another lesson, my brothers and sisters. According to a hadith, the first step towards Hijrah is that a true believer is one from whose tongue and hands people are safe, because Muslims love peace — they bring harmony to society.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 10)

And about Hijrah, the Prophet ﷺ says: the true migrant is one who abstains from prohibited things. If Allah has prohibited something, the first lesson, the first step towards Hijrah, is that we have to stop from prohibited things — we have to abstain from what is prohibited.

Problems Facing the Muslim Community Today

But unfortunately, what is the situation today? Muslims are involved in shirk — the major sin. You may not find a single month in the Islamic calendar without Muslims having innovated something in the name of Islam, for which you will find no source in the Quran and no source in the Hadith. Yet Muslims are involved in bid'ah.

And also, my brothers: there is laziness in Salah. Although the difference between a practicing Muslim and a Mushrik is Salah — still we see laziness in Salah. Some don't bother at all. Some are praying only weekly — on Friday only. Some pray whenever they want. My brothers and sisters, Salah is obligatory upon every believer — male and female — five times daily. Not whenever you want, not as you like. Salah is fard. So we have to pray at the appropriate time, in the appropriate manner, five times daily.

And there is another problem: we should avoid haram and doubtful things — in our food and in our earnings. But many Muslims engage in earning regardless of whether the source is haram or doubtful.

And another problem is showing off — riya' — which is not acceptable for a Muslim. This is considered a form of hidden shirk. For example, if they are praying two raka'at as a nafl (non-obligatory), but they are trying to pretend that they spent the whole night in Salah al-Tahajjud. Or maybe they are giving a small amount in charity but trying to show off that they are the most generous people. Or maybe they are doing very little dhikr of Allah, but they are holding a very big tasbih in their hand to show people how much they are engaged in dhikr. To whom do we want to show this? Do you think people are going to give you any reward for this? If you are doing something for Allah, don't show off — this should be between you and Allah.

Our Duties Going Forward

There is a need for us all to gain and learn beneficial knowledge — ilm-e-nafi'. And we should safeguard the rights of people — huquq al-'ibad — alongside the rights of Allah (huquq-ullah) and the rights of our family members. But many do not bother about huquq al-'ibad — the rights of people as established by Allah according to Islamic Shari'ah. And we should take part in Islamic Da'wah — spreading the true teaching of Islam — whatever ability you have, spare your time and energy and efforts to take some part in Islamic Da'wah.

May Allah give us tawfiq and the ability for understanding the teaching of the Quran and the Sunnah of Nabi ﷺ and following the best. Alhamdulillah Rabbil 'Alamin. Alhamdulillah Rabbil 'Alamin. And the end result belongs to the Muttaqeen. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon His noble Messenger, and upon his family and all his companions.

Be Accountable — Change Yourself First

Brothers and sisters, some people always complain about the situation of Muslims and want to see a change — but they are not ready to make any change within themselves first. They want to implement Islamic Shari'ah throughout the world but not upon themselves or their family members — as if they and their family members are free from Islamic Shari'ah, but they want to implement it on others. It is not like that.

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable by Allah on the Day of Judgment, and weigh your good deeds before they are weighed on the Scale on the Day of Judgment."

As Allah says in Surah Al-Hashr, verse 18:

O you who believe, fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forward for tomorrow. So try to invest something to get benefit after death — to get benefit in the grave, to get benefit on the Day of Judgment.