This time of the year is always a good opportunity to consider lessons learned and set new year’s resolutions for a new start. Every time this happens, we think about how to welcome the new year and say goodbye to the parting year.
We are about to end this very difficult and challenging year. 2020 was colored by economic collapse, political fractiousness, civil unrest, and a raging pandemic that’s still spreading throughout the country. Most of us are desperate for a return to some sense of normality and look forward to having access to the vaccine and being able to relax and be hopeful.
Some people consider accountability to be the most important task and list down details of their positive and negative actions throughout the year. And some people completely forgot about last year. Islamic law teaches the golden principles of justice and equality, tolerance, brotherhood and morality, as well as accountability.
In the Holy Quran, the concept of hell for hypocrites and paradise for Muslims is found everywhere, but at the same time, it is said that people will get paradise or hell based on their deeds. According to verse 24 of Surah Al-Haqqah in the Holy Quran, Believers who will get Paradise will be told, “Eat and drink joyfully for what you did in the days gone by.”
On the other hand, in Surah-Fatir, disbelievers will be told, “Did We not give you lives long enough so that whoever wanted to be mindful could have done so? And the warner came to you. So taste the punishment, for the wrongdoers have no helper.”
In a hadith narrated by at-Tirmidhi, “The feet of a servant will not move on the Day of Judgment until he has been questioned about four things: his life – how he spent it, his knowledge – how he acted upon it, his wealth – where he earned it and how he spent it, and his body – how he used it.”
For a Muslim, there is no set time for his accountability throughout the year. And for success, it is necessary that the process of accountability be continued throughout the year. Especially when the new year begins, we must analyze our deeds and try to find out what you have done to please Almighty Allah.
Improving your quality of life with each passing day, refining your actions in the right direction, increasing your love for children and respect for adults will improve your personality.
