Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Allah (swt) mentions regarding time in a verse of the Qur’an: “Allah merges the night into the day and the day into the night; He has made the Sun and the Moon subservient to His command. Each flows along for an appointed term. And that is Allah, your Lord; to Him belongs all sovereignty. As for those you invoke besides Him, they possess not even the speck of a date stone.”^[1] The calendar of Islamic civilisation is the Hijri calendar, which begins with the migration (Hijra) of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). The determination of Islamic acts of worship and special days, such as the Three Sacred Months, Ramadan fasting and Eid al-Adha, is based on this calendar. The Gregorian calendar, on the other hand, is the calendar of the region we live in and guides our daily schedules. Next Thursday marks the beginning of the Gregorian year. We will leave behind another year with its good and bad events. As we all feel, time is flying by. Days follow days, months follow months, seasons follow seasons and the end of a year that has just begun comes quickly.

Dear Jama’ah!
We should keep in mind that this brief world, which consists of yesterday, today and if we live, tomorrow, is temporary. We should not waste the blessing of life that has been granted to us by chasing after mere desires. Allah (swt) says: “Thus do We punish the one who exceeds bounds and does not believe in the verses of his Lord. And the punishment of the Hereafter is certainly more severe and lasting.”^[2] Wastefulness is forbidden in our religion and the greatest form of wastefulness is wasting one’s life on meaningless pursuits.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
A believer does not waste the trust of the life that has been entrusted to them. They strive to live a life worthy of the wisdom of existence and human dignity. Indeed, a life in accordance with the purpose of creation is one that follows the guidance of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The standard of a life pleasing to Allah is provided to us by Allah Himself and through the guidance of His Messenger. One of the most important responsibilities of a conscious servant is to ask the meaningful question mentioned in the Qur’an regarding the course of one’s life: “Fay-‘ayna tazh-haboon?” – “Where are you headed?”

A believer’s reflection on the direction of their life is also an instruction from our noble Prophet (saw): “Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable and weigh your deeds before they are weighed.”^[3]

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Many excessive celebrations are carried out under the pretext of the anniversary of the Gregorian calendar year. Without regard for what is halal or haram, people indulge in entertainment and can lose all sense of measure. Wastefulness, which is forbidden in Islam, takes place, causing harm to living beings and the environment, while triggering an unimaginable consumption. A Muslim never has the right to act contrary to the rulings and morals of Islam. Let us keep our distance from excessive New Year celebrations and not oppress our own selves by committing sins. Allah (swt) says: “Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”^[4]

May Allah (swt) grant us to reach many years with health, goodness and good deeds. May the remainder of our lives be better than what has passed before. Ameen!

[1] Surah Fatir, 35:13

[2] Surah Taha, 20:127

[3] Tirmizî, Kıyamet, 2459

[4] Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53

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