By 2021 is almost at an end, and I think we can all collectively agree that this year has also been one rollercoaster of a year. The pandemic is still ruling over the majority of the world and while things have somewhat resorted back to normal, we are still a long way away from living life the way we used to before the pandemic. But all hope is not lost. Like every year, we still get to celebrate everything we achieved this year with fireworks, a well-deserved break, and a nice list of new year’s resolutions we may or may not get to in the next year.
While the Islamic year started a couple of months ago (1443 AH) and our new year’s resolutions should already be in action by now, we still have a chance to lock in a few extra resolutions that we feel are completely necessary to achieve.
And because we’re all unique, we’ll each have our own goals and new year’s resolutions we want to complete and achieve, but as Muslims, there are a few resolutions that we should be making every day, not just every year.
Praying Salah daily
Salah is an integral part of our lives. It’s the 2nd pillar of Islam and is our key to paradise, which is why we must make sure to try and pray our five daily prayers each day and on time. It isn’t easy; sometimes we get caught up in the most demanding or trivial of things and end up missing our prayers. But even striving to do better and making the correct intention will result in a reward.
Reciting one page of the Quran
The Quran has been sent down to us as a form of guidance. Reciting one word from the Quran has so many benefits and it’s highly recommended that we recite the Quran as often as we can.
By setting a schedule of reciting just one page of the Quran every day after any Salah, or even during the day when we’re free, we’ll receive ten-fold the reward.
Donating to charity
In Islam, there are three main types of charities; Zakaah which is the obligatory charity, Waqf which is a philanthropic charity and Sadaqah, a charity that is willingly and voluntarily given at any point in time. Giving Sadaqah is an excellent practice to have in one’s life.
Donating even one dollar every week will result in a tremendous reward. The only catch here is that when we plan to donate every week or month, we must make sure we do so out of complete sincerity.
journaling
Journaling is one of the easiest ways of expressing ourselves. It’s important to get down all our thoughts and feelings, to separate our present selves with all the negativity from our past, and start anew each day.
Even if it’s just once a week, if we sit down and write down what we’re grateful for or what we’d like to change or even what we hated about that week, our hearts and minds will become that much lighter, even if it’s just for a moment.
Taking care of our health
It’s quite ironic that humans began actually looking after their health once a global pandemic hit. We began eating cleaner, became more hygienic, and started looking after our bodies. But our mental and physical health trumps everything else in our lives.
By exercising regularly, eating healthy food, and making sure our brains are stimulated but not overworked, we’ll be able to not only survive but thrive in this world.
What resolutions are you making this year? Slide to our DMs on Instagram or Twitter and let us know!