It felt like it was just a moment ago when we stepped foot into 2023. And looking at ourselves today, 2024 is only about a week away. Time sure flew pretty fast. From the breeze of the new year’s wind in January to the beauty of the holy Ramadan month in March. From the scorching blazing sun in August to the bone-chilling night in December. In this final moment of 2023, we can finally see molten snowflakes falling from the sky in the night, rushing towards the earth, to fulfill its duty from Allah to make the flowers bloom with the arrival of sunrise.
A lot has happened in 2023. Many people welcomed the birth of a new soul, while others lost their loved ones. Many people got new jobs, while others are still looking for one. Many people can live peacefully inside a lovely pleasant home, while others are living under the rubble of destroyed houses. And lastly, many people can still cherish the freshness of life, while others have been taken back to where they belong.
فَبِأَيِّ آَلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
So which of your Lord's favors will you deny?
Until today, Allah has given us everything that we have always wanted. He gave us everything that we needed. And yet, only a few of His favors do we honor. How shameless have we become as His servants? Walking on the earth with pride, telling lies upon lies to deceive the innocent, and following our nafs even though the heart knows what is right.
Let us remind ourselves of this last moment of 2023. What have we done to people, to ourselves, and to Allah? What will Rasululullah Saw say if he sees us like this? Will he be proud? Will he be thankful? Or will he be ashamed to see us as his ummah, following nothing but this deceiving dunya?
Let us remind ourselves in this last moment of 2023. We have committed countless sins. If it were not for Allah’s mercy, the sky would have shattered and the sea would have swallowed the land, punishing those who are guilty. We say Alhamdulillah for His blessings and mercy. We say Astaghfirullah to seek His refuge and forgiveness. We say Subhanallah to glorify Him, The Creator and The Sustainer. The All Mighty and The Most Loving. The Wise and The Merciful One.
We have walked 2024 steps closer to Allah. Each step counts as a record for which we will be held accountable on the day of resurrection. But upon His mercy do we seek, for only with His love can we be safe from the burning flames of Helfire to the breeze of cold wind in His Jannah.
2024 shall be the year when we get closer to Allah. As a wise man said, “When we get closer to Him walking, He will get closer to us running.” Even if our sins reached the stars, His mercy shall surpass the seventh sky. Hopelessness is nothing but a deceiving illusion. Never feel hopeless to obtain His forgiveness. Because Allah loves those who never give up on seeking His mercy.
May Allah grant us guidance to go through 2024 with iman and taqwa
