Entering in the New Year Islamically

As we all know, as the New Year approach everyone thinks about the ways to welcome the new year. In the developed world in particular, the New Year's Eve is celebrated with a lot of activities. People stay awake for the entire night and spend their time and money partying and consuming alcohol. Thus, the previous year is concluded and the New Year is started with merely worldly activities. As an Ahmadi Muslim, my celebration is little different. I think that using our wealth to give alms and helping indigent people in any possible way should be a tradition to promote and uphold so that the year for them would be a HAPPY new year too. New Year’s Eve should be spent thinking how did we spent the whole year and what we wished to have done to make things better. Then we should also make a promise to ourselves to enter the new year in the best possible way and always striving to be a cause for others’ happiness.

The Holy Qur’an states, “Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, God surely knows it well” (3:93). Sharing a part of what we are blessed with and doing virtuous acts will bring a revolutionary pious change of heart. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of human beings, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful, and to remove the sufferings of the injured.” May God Almighty enable us all to always be willing to help others and make others happy.