I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestioned ability of a man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. — Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)
The new Islamic year (1429 Hijri) is finally here. A few days ago, people celebrated the beginnings of 2008 in many novel as well as traditional ways. One of the usual ways was to set new goals and resolutions for personal transformation and improvement. Although, setting resolutions and goals is a powerful tool to help you potentially shape your destiny, you should note that there is no concept of “New Year Resolutions” within the teachings of Islam. Instead, as Muslims you should constantly be assessing your lives and setting goals and making resolutions, rather than waiting for special days during the year to perform the exercise.
However, given the importance of personal transformation (something that lot of us need), this is an appropriate time to discuss this subject. (more…)