The beginning of a new year is as good a moment as any to make a resolution to transform the manner in which we interpret our lives. I resolve to pay attention to the myriad blessings He has granted me, inculcating a climate of gratitude within. I resolve to trust in His Perfection, His Eternal Knowledge, and the plan He has for my life, accepting that my goals and plans are merely speculative, and that wholesome good lies in that which He has in store for me. I resolve to treat others appropriately, combining kindness and love with honesty and authenticity. And I resolve to increase my Allah-Consciousness, striving to direct all of my attention to the beauty of the moment, people, and circumstances before me, refusing to be bullied by the past or distracted by the future. Who's with me? We do not know the events that will unfold during this year. We do not know which of us will be here to celebrate the next new year, whose lives will have been transformed, which relationships will have formed or dissipated, where or with whom we will be in one year's time, whether children will be born, loved ones will pass on, targets will be achieved, or dreams will be crushed. All we know is that His Mercy transcends all, and that He creates in every moment the opportunity to witness His Majesty. We ask Him to permit us to be at peace regardless of what fate ordains, and to make our lives a celebration of the Beauty of His Creation. May we all find the peace and serenity that is the natural consequence of true submission (Islam) to His Will, and may our lives be filled with beauty and joy.
