It was super windy and cold, but Allah sent the clouds on their way and allowed us to see the hilal of Rajab 1446.
O Allah, bring us the new moon with security and faith, with peace and in Islam, and in harmony with what our Lord loves and what pleases Him. Our Lord and your Lord is Allah.
Ameen
All time is not the same.
There are particular times that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, the Creator of time itself, has deemed sacred, blessed, and full of blessing.
We could make resolutions for a year based on a Catholic Pope’s finagling of time (which was modified from a polytheist’s machinations of the months).
We could do that, but as Muslims, we’ve got blessed and better options. Allah told us in Surah Tawbah that since the day He created the heavens and earth, His calendar has 12 months, and four of them are sacred. Additionally, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised us on several blessed hours, days, nights, and months throughout Allah’s calendar.
We could make resolutions for Pope Gregory XIII’s 2025, or we could align our hearts with the worship of the natural world, and look for a little sliver of the hilal which signals a month that Allah has said is sacred:
Rajab.
May Allah bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and allow us to reach Ramadan.
Ameen
Jaabir ibn Abdullah ﵁ told us of a time when Umar ibn al-Khattab ﵁ saw him with meat hanging from his hand.
Umar said, “What’s this, Jaabir?”
Jaabir said, “I desired meat, so I bought it.”
Umar said, “Or do you buy everything you desire, Jaabir? Do you not fear the verse:
أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَـٰتِكُمْ فِى حَيَاتِكُمُ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Umar was talking about this ayah from Surah al-Ahqaf:
And the Day those who disbelieved are exposed to the Fire [it will be said], “You exhausted your pleasures during your worldly life and enjoyed them, so this Day you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation because you were arrogant upon the earth without right and because you were defiantly disobedient.” (46:20)
Umar’s question to Jaabir allows us to question ourselves:
Are we trying to have all our desires fulfilled in this world?
Clap back at overconsumption with a more balanced approach: pray for “the good of this world and the good of the Hereafter” (2:201) with the understanding that this world is “no more than play and amusement” (29:64) and the next is “far better and more lasting. (87:17)”
What is the connection between arrogance and overconsumption? The arrogant consume excessively, ignoring the principles of justice, moderation, contentment, humility and gratitude that are central to Islam. The roots of overconsumption and arrogance come from forgetting our role as khalifa. We are servants of Allah ﷿ and stewards of our shared planet. We are charged with honoring the rights of all creation.
Allah made us khalifa, not consumers.
During Black Friday and other times we are coaxed to “buy, buy, buy,” imagine Umar standing right next to us, asking:
Or do you buy everything you desire?