Honorable Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, our Lord Almighty (swt) states, "O believers! Be mindful of Allah and let every soul look to what deeds it has sent forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah, for certainly Allah is All-Aware of what you do."[1]
In the hadith I have read, our beloved Prophet (saw) says, "A wise man is the one who controls his nafs and does righteous deeds to benefit him after death; and the weak person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires, and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires."[2]
Dear Believers!
Every moment, every hour, every day, every year of our lives is a page from our book of life. We fill these pages with merits or sins, good deeds or evil deeds, rights or wrongs. When the day comes, we will find laid open our record of what we have ourselves done, and our Lord (swt) will state, اِقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَۜ كَفٰى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَس۪يباًۜ "Read your record! You alone are sufficient this Day to take account of yourself."[3] This verse reminds us to take account of ourselves before the day comes when some faces will be bright while others gloomy. It imparts the wisdom of maintaining a consciousness of accountability at all times, before our deeds are placed on the scale.
Dear Muslims!
The sense of holding oneself to account means to lead a life as aware that we are constantly under the supervision of our Lord (swt) as per the verse, وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ اَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْۜ "He is with you wherever you are."[4]
It means to know the value of all blessings entrusted to us and to duly show gratefulness for them as required by the divine warning, ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّع۪يمِ "Then, on that Day, you will definitely be questioned about your worldly pleasures."[5]
The sense of holding oneself to account also means to live a life as befits a believer, after which all our bodily parts will hopefully bear witness not to our wrongdoings but to our good deeds, by keeping in mind the verse, "On the Day their tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them for what they used to do."[6]
Dear Believers!
Once again, we find ourselves in the final days of yet another year of the Gregorian calendar. We have journeyed through yet another year from our life capital. We have come another step closer to the inevitable end, death. Now, let us collectively ponder these questions: Are we prepared for the day of reckoning, when every account shall be settled in full? Have we been able to attain the status of a believer that the Qur'an and Sunnah present as an example? Have we given as much consideration to the concern for eternal life as we have to the concerns of the transient life in this world? Have we been able to keep our hands away from the evils that will darken our faces when we see them in our book of deeds? Have we been successful in restraining our tongues from uttering evil words that not only wound our hearts but also harm our brotherhood? Have we purified ourselves of all kinds of harmful feelings and thoughts that harden our hearts and foul our minds? Have we, with tears of repentance, sought forgiveness from Allah for the sins we committed, whether knowingly or unknowingly?
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Let us turn this day into a milestone by reflecting upon the answers to these questions. Let us strive to live the remaining days of our lives in accordance with the pleasure of Allah (swt). Let us endeavor to depart from this world with a life adorned with faith, worship, and good morals. Let us distance ourselves from inappropriate attitudes and behaviors, such as engaging in New Year's entertainment, having Santa Claus figures and suits, and participating in Christmas pine tree decorations, which do not have any place in our religion and culture. Let us not squander our health, time and money on harams such as alcohol, which is the mother of all evils, gambling, which destroys families, and games of chance and lotteries, which dash hopes.
Dear Muslims!
Over the past few days, as a nation, our hearts have been on fire. Our heroic sons were martyred in a heinous terrorist attack. We know that those who attack the territorial integrity of our homeland, our independence, our brotherhood and our lives are the same dirty hands that slaughter innocent souls in Palestine. Traitorous terrorist organizations, devoid of all human and moral values, are the pawns of the same network of evil and murder. As long as we stand united and protect our country and our values, these nefarious hands and their pawns will never achieve their ambitions. I would like to take this opportunity to wish our Lord Almighty's (swt) mercy on our heroic martyrs, the best of patience and prosperity to their families and loved ones, and a speedy recovery to our injured. I offer my deepest condolences to our beloved nation.
________________________________
[1] Hashr, 59/18.
[2] Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah, 2.
[3] Isra, 17/14.
[4] Hadid, 57/4.
[5] Takathur, 102/8.
[6] Nur, 24/24.
General Directorate of Religious Services