ADMONITION BEFORE CROSSOVER
By Babatunde Jose
“End of year admonitions” refers to a set of serious warnings or pieces of advice given at the end of a year, often encouraging reflection on past actions, taking stock of personal growth, and making positive changes for the coming year, usually with a focus on spiritual or ethical improvement; essentially, a reminder to use the closing of the year as a time for self-assessment and renewal.
Key elements of end of year admonitions might include: Gratitude and reflection; taking time to appreciate the good things that happened during the year while also acknowledging areas for improvement.
Accountability: Examining personal actions and behaviors to identify areas where one could have acted more responsibly or ethically.
Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and seeking reconciliation with others.
Setting goals: Establishing clear and achievable objectives for the New Year.
Spiritual renewal: Deepening one’s connection to faith or personal values.
Community engagement: Considering ways to contribute positively to one’s community.
“As we close this year, let us reflect on the relationships we have nurtured and the opportunities we have missed, and commit to strengthening the bonds that truly matter.”
“Let this be a time to forgive past transgressions and open our hearts to new beginnings.”
“Embrace the lessons learned this year and use them to build a stronger foundation for the future.”
“Remember that true wealth lies not just in material possessions but in the connections we make with others.”
“As you set goals for the New Year, prioritize personal growth and meaningful contributions to society.”
Finally, let it be a period of spiritual stocktaking.
Five years ago we gave a New Year admonition which I would like to repeat here:
It is difficult to live in the present, ridiculous to live in the future, and impossible to live in the past. Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.
Faith is life itself: Extract the honey but do not break the hive, so says the sage. *Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest (Quran 13:28).* Accept life as it is. Find consolation by remembering the afflicted. Whatever happened last year has gone with that year and we should open a new chapter.
Brooding over last year and its tragedies, is to exhibit a form of insanity — a kind of sickness that destroys resolve to live for the New Year. Let us save ourselves from the ghostly apparition of the past.
*It is said that we cannot return the sun to its place of rising, the baby to its mother’s womb, milk to the udder, or tears to the eye. Reading too much into the past is therefore a waste of the present. We should strive to move forward.*
*“We should not remove the dead from their graves”; neglecting our beautiful castles, we wail over dilapidated buildings. Everything on earth marches forward, preparing for a new season; the river never flows backwards — and so should you. When you wake up in the morning, do not expect to see the evening.*
Last year has passed with its good and evil, while tomorrow has not yet arrived. We should resolve to make the best of what life serves us. If life gives you a lemon, add sugar and turn it into lemonade.
There is no doubt our country is on a stormy sea. The tempest has been raging without any let or hindrance and with no rainbow on the horizon. But we are grateful to have witnessed the New Year. Many went to bed on the 31st but never woke up to see the new dawn. We have been to the bottom of the valley and our situation has been worse than the ‘captives in Biblical Babylon’. Yet, we are alive and when there is life there is hope. Albeit sometimes a hopeless hope.
We have a hope of a better tomorrow. All is not lost. With hard work and perseverance we might yet arrive at the ‘promised land’. We must not lose focus or direction. Yes, our revolution of expectations turned into a revolution of frustrations. But we should not be deterred.
To paraphrase Shaykh ‘ Aaidh al-Qarnee’s admonition in the book Don’t Be Sad: _“When there is a violent storm and the seas are turbulent, the occupants of the boat call out, ‘O’ Allah!’ So also when the camel-driver and the caravan are lost in the desert; and when doors are shut before those who seek to enter through them and barriers are placed before those who are in; so also when all plans end in failure, all hope is lost, and the path becomes constricted; also when the earth, vast and wide though it is, is straitened for you, causing your soul to feel constricted, call out,_ : *Gracious is Allah to His servants: He gives Sustenance to whom He pleases: And He has Power and can carry out His Will. (Quran 42: 19)*
No doubt the doors to our prosperity are being shut against us by a faction. People who have cornered all the good things Allah has bestowed on the commonwealth. They have pauperized and impoverished the multitude, serving us stones instead of bread and dispossessing people of their cherished possessions. *But ‘there is God’:*
_“He is thought of when kindness, care, relief, affection, and mercy come to mind. He is the Possessor of Majesty, Magnificence, and Might, let comfort take the place of sorrow, make happiness come after sadness, and let safety take the place of fear. He soothe burning hearts with the coolness of faith; give peaceful slumber to the restless and serenity to disturbed souls. He guides the confused ones to His light and those that are astray to His guidance. Allah removes evil whispers from our hearts and replaces them with light, destroys falsehood with truth, and crushes the evil plots of the Devil with His army of Angels.”_ – Al-Qarnee, Don’t Be Sad.
*And He giveth you all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favors of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude. (Quran 14: 34).*
*We have at our disposal two eyes, a tongue, lips, two hands, and two legs: Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny? (Qur’an 55: 13)*
Our tormentors should reflect on the following: Can they picture themselves walking without feet? Should they take it lightly that they slumber soundly while misery hinders the sleep of many? Should they forget that while they fill their bellies with both delicious dishes and cool drinks, the pleasure of good food and drink is impossible for the multitude, due to abject poverty, sickness and disease?
Let us as individuals consider the faculties of hearing and seeing with which we have been endowed. Look at our healthy skin and be grateful that we have been saved from diseases that attack it. Reflect on our powers of reasoning and remember those that suffer from mental ailments. Today we are free to roam the world, but there are millions who are inhibited due to poor health and infirmity, let alone those in penitentiary. We need to reflect.
Let us seek forgiveness from our Lord, remember Him, prepare for the final parting from this world, and live happily and at peace. Be content with our sustenance, our wives, our children, our work, our shelter and our life:
“Surely your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself above the Throne, arranging the matter [of His creation]. There is no intercessor except after His permission. That is Allah, your Lord, so worship Him. Then will you not remember? (Quran 10:3)
May we be among the favored; Amen.
As we enter the New Year, let us remember the suffering people of Gaza: It is time to free Palestine! They have run out of white sheets to shroud the dead. Subhanallah!*
We should also remember our son Akinola Jose, lying prostrate in his bed in the hospital, victim of a cruel drunken driver. We pray for his speedy recovery. It has been a harrowing end of year for his parents. May Allah grant them succor. Amen
Finally a prayer for turnaround in the health of our daughter, Tinuke. 2024 was a trying year for her health. She has been challenged before but 2024 has been the year of ill health; one crisis after the other; in and out of emergency ward, blood change and transfusion and other hematological issues. We pray that Allah will grant her better health this New Year. It is well, even in the well.
“ *Rabbana la tuzigh quloobana ba’da ith hadaytana wa hab lana milladunka rahmah innaka antal wahhab.”: “Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver of all bounties. (Quran 3: 8)*
Barka Juma’at and a Happy New Year
Babatunde Jose
Friday 27th December 2024
