In the
same Hadith, he says that every journeying in life; be it physical, mental or
spiritual is valued according to the truth or righteousness of the cause
behind it. Thus the nobler the intention and cause behind a given action, the
higher God Almighty values that action, resulting in greater divine rewards in
this life and the hereafter.
Take, for example, everyday acts such as eating, working for a living, going
to school, or nurturing our loved ones. If we consciously perform
these through a desire to fulfill God’s covenant in caring for
the universe, their value is higher than if they were carried out
automatically, without any thought for their spiritual dimensions.
Similarly, if my aim in life is only to be rich, period, then Insha'llah (if
God wills) I might become rich. But if I am motivated to acquire wealth in
order to help other fellow human beings, besides myself and my family, then
Insha'allah, a greater universal value has been added to my efforts.
I came to Canada from Egypt more than 30 years ago to pursue graduate studies
toward a Ph.D. Back then, I had no particular intention of contributing to the
well-being of this country. Even when I decided to stay here in Canada, and
turned down lucrative job offers from the United States, it was more for
personal reasons than anything else, for my wife is a Canadian.
But now, with my white hair and feeble bones, I've come to know better. After
deep reflection and meditation, I have made a commitment to carry out every
deed in my life with a higher intention. And this is my Islamic New Year's
resolution.
The Islamic New Year dates from the time when the Prophet and his companions
migrated from Mecca to Medina. The lunar calendar followed by Muslims the
world over is called the Hijri, or Hegirian, from the Arabic word Hijra,
meaning "migration." This historic migration was not done for economic
reasons, but in order to be free to worship the One God, the Creator of all.
The beginning of the Islamic era proper was set as July 16, 622 A.D., based on
the first day of the Hijra. Early Muslims chose that day, rather than the
Prophet's birthday, to mark the beginning of their calendar. It
distinguished for them those events that happened before and after the Hijra.
Muhammad was called to Prophethood with the beginning of the Divine
revelations that resulted in the Qur'an, in June 610 A.D., in Mecca.
But during the next 12 years or so, he and the community of early Muslims were
heavily persecuted by the citizens of Mecca. Therefore, during the first year
A.H. (After Hijra) the Prophet established an Islamic fellowship in Medina as
a new social order. He also built the first mosque (or masjid) there as a
place of worship, a university, a social centre, a governing house, and a
court of law.
The Hijra also marks the creation of humanity's first multireligious world
order. In fact, the Covenant of Medina was the first written constitution in
human history. It was also at this time that a new concept of the Ummah was
born -- a universalist commonwealth based on faith, moral justice, family
values, equity, social responsibility, peace, freedom, and human dignity.
So I wish all Muslims a truly blessed new year; 'am-mo-barak, as it is said
in Arabic.
As for my non-Muslim friends I invite them to read the history of my people.
For this, I highly recommend “The Cultural Atlas of Islam” (Macmillan, 1986)
by Ismail al Faruqi and Lois al Faruqi, p. 511. It is an outstanding reference
book with beautiful photos and maps, and an excellent read.
[Dr. Mohamed Elmasry is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at
the University of Waterloo, and national president of the Canadian Islamic
Congress. He is author of Spiritual Fitness (TM) For Life, available at
amazon.com He can be reached at
np@canadianislamiccongress.com]