By Amatul Vakil Sidra | Contribution to Saudi Life

JANUARY 1, 2011… it is as if it was just yesterday, that we caught ourselves writing this date in our books, and here we are… celebrating the start of another brand new year- 2012.

Mahnn… life sometimes just flies by, isn’t it? A whole year just zipped past us < zzwwingg…!!! > And we didn’t even notice! We didn’t even shed a small light on where we are headed! Ever asked yourself -“Where did the last year go? What’s in store for me in the new year?” Why ‘celebrate’ the New Year which might even mark the beginning of a whole new series of tragic events in our lives? Why???

We have lived through 2011, witnessed the events it brought along with it. From the earthquake measuring 6.9 in Argentina - killing many on the New Year’s Eve, to the massive death and destruction caused by the tsunami in Japan, all the events serve as evidences in naming 2011 as ‘ THE YEAR OF DISASTERS’. Many dynamic leaders were assassinated, many lost their precious loved ones or committed suicide, and many more suffered miscarriages…

Yet, these were the same people who were welcoming 2011 with countless firecrackers, gift- giving ceremonies, parties, countdowns and what- not? They didn’t even have the foggiest idea that they would soon be among the ruins of the earthquake-buried deep, or swept away by the same waves they enjoyed surfing. Little did they realise that their end was near, that they were on the brink of their lives.

And let me remind you, that you or me could have been the victim of the Libyan War, or the heavy rain in Central America that killed 84 on October 18, 2011. Why! For all we know, we could have been visiting relatives in the AMRI Hospital in Calcutta, only to be found later by the rescue workers, half burnt.

Were these our expectations of 2011? Hadn’t we hoped that 2011 would mark a new beginning of happiness and joy?

I understand, you will now argue – hey, you win some you lose some; 2011 not only brought tragedy but also ecstasy. What about all those awards achieved by millions, finally getting paid for their hard work, many finding their way on the ‘Top Ten Whatever’ list, and breaking the records-making it to the headlines, I have no option but to agree. 2011 has been the year of happiness for many too.

But can I raise a question at this point? How do all those itsy- bitsy number of people who made it to the red carpet or the ‘Top 10 lists’ compare to the massive destruction which killed millions in Japan? It’s like comparing one small tree to an entire big forest!

The point is, my dear brothers and sisters, for every day, every month, every year, that we live by; we are one step closer to the end of our life. Does this make you happy? For a moment consider a cancer patient who was told that he had exactly seven days to breathe. Now tell me, by the end of each day, would he be happy or sad, a day closer to his end? The same goes for you and me, and the entire universe- for every year that whizzes past us, we are one year closer to our end, one year closer to meeting our Lord, one year closer to the Day of Judgement.

So WHY CELEBRATE THE START OF THE NEW YEAR WHEN IT COULD BE THE LAST OF OUR LIFE?

Time once passed, will never come back. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said;

“Lose no time to do good deeds before you are caught up by one of the seven calamities awaiting you- a starvation which may impair your wisdom, a prosperity which may mislead you, an ailment which may damage your health, an old age which may harm your senses, a sudden death, the Dajjal, or Doomsday, which is indeed the hardest and most bitter”.

[At Tirmidhi]

So instead of planning the big bashes, and going around wishing everyone a ‘Happy New Year’, why not engage in some other beneficial activity, in the obedience of Allah which will guarantee positive results? Or maybe in praying voluntary prayers and supplicating sincerely to the Almighty to make the upcoming year one of guidance and goodness?

Apart from this sensible explanation, let me shed some light on how the New Year Celebrations began:

[Source: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year]

All these prove that this day has paganism behind it, let alone the fact that neither our Prophet (peace be upon him) nor the companions after him ever celebrated it. It is clearly the practice of the non- Muslims and has no base in Islam. Why then take part in their celebrations or encourage them by wishing them New Year?

Prophet (peace be upon him) has been recorded saying that:

“A person will be considered to be with one whom he loves.”

[Sahih al Bukhari; Vol.8 #189]

Wise indeed, are those who grab all the available opportunities before being handicapped by obstacles. So seize the day! for earning the irreplaceable good that we will so regret not collecting on a Day when none benefits the other.

Do I still hear a Happy New Year from you? Let me leave you to answer the question...

Amatul Vakil Sidra is a 16-year-old Grade 10 student in Riyadh