Advice from the honorable Shaykh on welcoming the new Hijri year.
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The Shaykh : The advice that a person should give himself in welcoming this year is:
He should look at what good deeds he deposited in the last year, and what deeds he performed that benefit him and benefit other Muslims, especially students of knowledge.
For the student of knowledge has two obligations:
An obligation for himself and an obligation for others, for Islamic knowledge is the inheritance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. And if we look at the state of the prophets, and at their head, their seal, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), we find that they performed well in their private worship and in their calling of creation to the truth.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most God-fearing of people and the most fearful of his Lord. He would stand in prayer at night until his feet would crack and swell from the length of standing. He was asked about this, and it was said to him, "Allah has forgiven you what has passed of your sin and what remains." He said, "Should I not love to be a grateful servant?"
In the field of calling to Allah: He (peace and blessings be upon him) called his people to the oneness of Allah and worshipping Him, and he saw from them harm until they would throw the dung of camels on his back while he was prostrating under the House of Allah, until they conspired against him with what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in His saying:[Al-Anfal 8:30] So the discussion among them was about these three matters: affirmation, which is imprisonment, killing, and expulsion.
So Allah, the Exalted, permitted him to leave by migration from Makkah to al-Madinah, and Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, helped him against them, until he returned to Makkah after eight years as a conqueror, a victor, and triumphant, praise be to Allah.
So I say that the students of knowledge have two obligations:
The first obligation is for themselves, and the second obligation is for others among the people, that they teach them, guide them, and call them to Allah, and that they clarify the truth that came with the Book and the Sunnah, by what they learn from their teachers, by what they learn by themselves from the books, and by what they hear from the tapes issued by those whose knowledge is trusted.
And there is no doubt that spreading knowledge is a cause for performing the obedience of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, as is well known. A man comes to a group of people and delivers to them a word that admonishes and directs, so the people disperse, having understood what he said, and then they take it up and apply it in themselves and in others. This is a matter that is observed and known. And a person should prepare himself in the coming of this year with seriousness and striving, to complete what was lacking in the last year and to improve what had some crookedness or deviation, so that he welcomes this year with seriousness and energy. And let him know that if a person accustoms himself to laziness, he becomes used to it and it becomes difficult for him to be energetic after that. And if he accustoms himself to movement and energy and spreading religious awareness in the nation, it becomes easy for him, and this becomes his constant habit, until he becomes sad and his chest becomes narrow if he does not perform this matter.
He should look at what good deeds he deposited in the last year, and what deeds he performed that benefit him and benefit other Muslims, especially students of knowledge.
For the student of knowledge has two obligations:
An obligation for himself and an obligation for others, for Islamic knowledge is the inheritance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. And if we look at the state of the prophets, and at their head, their seal, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), we find that they performed well in their private worship and in their calling of creation to the truth.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most God-fearing of people and the most fearful of his Lord. He would stand in prayer at night until his feet would crack and swell from the length of standing. He was asked about this, and it was said to him, "Allah has forgiven you what has passed of your sin and what remains." He said, "Should I not love to be a grateful servant?"
In the field of calling to Allah: He (peace and blessings be upon him) called his people to the oneness of Allah and worshipping Him, and he saw from them harm until they would throw the dung of camels on his back while he was prostrating under the House of Allah, until they conspired against him with what Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in His saying:
And [remember, O Muhammad], when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you
وإذ يمكر بك الذين كفروا ليثبتوك أو يقتلوك أو يخرجوكSo Allah, the Exalted, permitted him to leave by migration from Makkah to al-Madinah, and Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, helped him against them, until he returned to Makkah after eight years as a conqueror, a victor, and triumphant, praise be to Allah.
So I say that the students of knowledge have two obligations:
The first obligation is for themselves, and the second obligation is for others among the people, that they teach them, guide them, and call them to Allah, and that they clarify the truth that came with the Book and the Sunnah, by what they learn from their teachers, by what they learn by themselves from the books, and by what they hear from the tapes issued by those whose knowledge is trusted.
And there is no doubt that spreading knowledge is a cause for performing the obedience of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, as is well known. A man comes to a group of people and delivers to them a word that admonishes and directs, so the people disperse, having understood what he said, and then they take it up and apply it in themselves and in others. This is a matter that is observed and known. And a person should prepare himself in the coming of this year with seriousness and striving, to complete what was lacking in the last year and to improve what had some crookedness or deviation, so that he welcomes this year with seriousness and energy. And let him know that if a person accustoms himself to laziness, he becomes used to it and it becomes difficult for him to be energetic after that. And if he accustoms himself to movement and energy and spreading religious awareness in the nation, it becomes easy for him, and this becomes his constant habit, until he becomes sad and his chest becomes narrow if he does not perform this matter.