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Reflecting Over the Past Year
Muslims celebrate New Year with the start of Muharram, which is the first month in Islamic Hijrah. There are no prescribed celebrations for the new year in Islam, however, it’s always good to take such occasions as opportunities to reflect on how well (or badly) we have performed over the past year, in terms of dunya (worldly life) and akhirah (the hereafter), as well as what we want to achieve over the coming year.

When reflecting, if we see that we were successful in achieving lots of good deeds, then say alhamdulillah, and ask Allah for more opportunities to do good in the coming year. However, if you see otherwise, then seek Allah's forgiveness and start anew, promising yourself to do better, inshaAllah.

It is reported from Al-Hasan Al-Basri (RA): "The life of this world is made up of three days: yesterday has gone with all that was done; tomorrow, you may never reach; but today is for you, so do what you should do today." [Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabir, p197]

So it is a wonderful time for reflection and to better ourselves. To start a new clean fresh sheet. Forget the past, but let us take lessons from it so that we can do better in the present. The past does not matter as it is gone. The future matters, but not as much, as it is not certain we will see the future but what matters is now. We should make the best of now and every second we have left.

New Year's Resolutions
What can we do to prepare ourselves for the new Islamic year? Let's look at the resolution steps that we can implement in our daily lives prior to starting the new Hijrah year. 

1. Do Things in the Name of Allah
Muslims are those who submit their will to Allah. This approach is the essence of all Islamic teachings. So with Allah in mind, a Muslim should begin their day and end their day with doing deeds according to His Will. That is ideally how a Muslim should choose to live their life, by executing every daily action with Allah in mind. There are many du'as (supplications) in which a Muslim should recite before they perform daily obligations; such as driving, having a meal, going to the bathroom, etc. To remember Allah should be a Muslim’s starting point when walking on a fresh spiritual journey towards the straight path.

2. Surround Yourself with Good Company
In Islam, having good company is better than being alone, but being alone is better than keeping bad company. The strength of influence is explained in a Hadith (a collection of traditions containing sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that, with accounts of his daily practice [the Sunnah], constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Qur’an). The Prophet said: “A person is on the religion of his companions. Therefore let every one of you carefully consider the company he keeps.” - Tirmidhi

3. Pray 5 Times A Day
The five daily prayers is the foundation of what it means to be a Muslim. Islam means “submitting to the Will of Allah”. Therefore, everything that a Muslim does stands on him worshipping his Creator. Sadly, many Muslims give more attention their jobs than to their obligatory prayers. To become a better Muslim, start the journey by mending our relationship with our Creator. Apart from remembering Him in our daily actions, we should remind ourselves that prayer is the key to direct communication with our Lord. If we fear we might forget the prayer times, technology can come in handy and there are phone apps which can notify the prayer times accordingly. It is time for us to submit to the Will of Allah, if we are to be thankful. “And if you were to count Allah's favours, you would not be able to number them; most surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. [Surah An-Nahl, Verse 18]

4. Give Charity Without Hesitation
Zakat, or charity, should not only be handed out once a year during the fasting month of Ramadan. And charity is not only in the form of money and material things. Loosen that frown on your face, and spread a smile to the people you pass by, that is also considered as charity in Islam. Even a dollar is sufficient for charity in Islam. Charity is also more rewarding when done in secret. The Prophet said, as narrated by Abu Dhar: "Even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity." - Tirmidhi

5. Set Specific Goals for Self-Improvement
Inculcate your spiritual strength and set productive goals for yourself, which are achievable. Change takes time to develop, not everyone has the spiritual strength to have an immediate positive change overnight. But setting a goal to change is a stepping stone to develop further into a better Muslim. Identify a weakness that you need to work on, and start taking steps to overcome it. For example, anger. Anger is seen as a secret weapon of man towards evil. Anger can lead to an ugly outcome which can destruct the peace and harmony. In Islam, anger is seen as a spark of fire and (the devil) was created from smokeless fire. As Allah's Apostle said, "The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but is the one who controls himself while in anger.” - Bukhari

6. Avoid The 7 Deadly Sins
Though the seven deadly sins are known as the capital vices or cardinal sins in Christian ethics, these deadly sins are applicable in Islamic morals as well. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride, are also sinful in the view of Islam. Let us work our way to becoming a better Muslim by working ourselves beyond the list given above. Apart from reflecting, one can work on their improving their daily Islamic practices, such as perform Sunnah prayers, fasting in the month of Muharram, and give out charity to those in need. As stated in the Quran in Surah At-Tawbah, Verse 36, "Four of them (Zulqaedah, Zulhijjah, Muharram and Rejab) are sacred," and a hadith wrote, "The best of fasts besides the month of Ramadan is the fasting of Allah's month of Muharram." - Muslim

These are only some examples of New Year's Resolutions, you can also come up with your own Muharram Resolutions :)

Here are links to the End of Year and New Year du'as (supplications). Click on the images below to be re-directed to the respective youtube links. 


End of Year du'a to be recited after Asar prayers, on Thursday 30 Zulhijjah 1438H, 21 September 2017. 


New Year du'a to be recited also on Thursday 21 September, after Maghrib prayers.

We at IslamicEvents.SG would like to wish all our subscribers a refreshed and blessed spiritual journey ahead. May Allah forgive us for our past sins, accept our ibadah, keep us steadfast on the righteous path, and make us among the believers. Ameen.
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Sources:
MD (text) 
JOM SG (videos for End of Year and New Year du'as)