The supplication of the Prophet Muhammad (s) at the beginning of the New Year

The holistic Islamic lifestyle, referred to as Hayatun Tayyibah, takes into account the annual cycle of the year. The Qur’an refers to this in many ways such as the seasonal changes and the sacred, inviolable months of the year.

As examples of the seasonal changes and its effects, the Qur’an states:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِرًا نُّخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبًّا مُّتَرَاكِبًا وَمِنَ النَّخْلِ مِن طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِيَةٌ وَجَنَّاتٍ مِّنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ انظُرُوا إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكُمْ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

“And He it is Who sends down water from the cloud, then We bring forth with it buds of all (plants), then We bring forth from it green (foliage) from which We produce grain piled up (in the ear); and of the palm-tree, of the sheaths of it, come forth clusters (of dates) within reach, and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, alike and unlike; behold the fruit of it when it yields the fruit and the ripening of it; most surely there are signs in this for a people who believe” (6:99).

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَ جَنَّاتٍ مَّعْرُوشَاتٍ وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَاتٍ وَالنَّخْلَ وَالزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَابِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ كُلُوا مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ

“And He it is Who produces gardens (of vine), trellised and untrellised, and palms and seed-produce of which the fruits are of various sorts, and olives and pomegranates, like and unlike; eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and pay the due of it on the day of its reaping, and do not act extravagantly; surely He does not love the extravagant” (6:141).

The sacred months are also mentioned:

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ

“Surely the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah’s ordinance since the day when He created the heavens and the earth, of these four being sacred; that is the right reckoning; therefore be not unjust to yourselves regarding them” (9:36).

For many the ending of the year and the beginning of the New Year will be nothing more than a party; another opportunity to throw the mind, body and soul into turmoil through alcohol and drugs. Many Muslims will sadly get caught up in this too.

For the holy Prophet Muhammad (s), the New Year was a moment of reflection and prayer; an opportunity to take stock of priorities and accomplishments and ground the end of the year and beginning of the New Year in God-centricity and consciousness.

In order for our New Year to begin like the Prophet Muhammad’s (a), let us review a narration about his behaviour and in particular a deeply powerful supplication he (s) would recite on New Year’s Day.

You will notice in it descriptions that references the passing of time such as “the sound of gushing water and the rustling of the trees” and an awareness of the needs of oppressed people when he (s) calls out: “O Reinforcement of the one who has no reinforcement” and “O Source of Great Hope! O Esteem of the Weak!” These words are so pertinent when thinking about the plight of Muslims in Palestine, Yemen, Kashmir, India, Nigeria, Syria, Iraq and many more…

From Sayyid ibn Tawus in the book al-Iqbal: Narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Fudhayl al-Sayrafi who said: It was narrated to us from Imam ‘Ali ibn Musa ar-Redha (a) from his father, from his father, from his fathers, who said*, “On the first day of Muharram, the noble Prophet (s) would offer two units of prayer after which he would raise his hands and supplicate the following words three times”:

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اَللّـهُمَّ اَنْتَ الاِْلهُ الْقَديمُ وَهذِهِ سَنَةُ جَديدَةُ فَاَسْئَلُكَ فيهَا الْعِصْمَةَ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ وَالْقُوَّةَ عَلى هذِهِ النَّفْسِ الاَْمّارَةِ بِالسّوءِ وَالاِْشْتِغالَ بِما يُقَرِّبُنى اِلَيْكَ يا كَريمُ

يا ذَا الْجَلالِ وَالاِْكْرامِ يا عِمادَ مَنْ لا عِمادَ لَهُ يا ذَخيرَةَ مَنْ لا ذَخيرَةَ لَهُ يا حِرْزَ مَنْ لا حِرْزَ لَهُ يا غِياثَ مَنْ لا غِياثَ لَهُ يا سَنَدَ مَنْ لا سَنَدَ لَهُ يا كَنْزَ مَنْ لا كَنْزَ لَهُ يا حَسَنَ الْبَلاءِ يا عَظيمِ الرَّجاءِ يا عِزَّ الضُّعَفآءِ يا مُنْقِذَ الْغَرْقى يا مُنْجِىَ الْهَلْكى يا مُنْعِمُ يا مُجْمِلُ يا مُفْضِلُ يا مُحْسِنُ

اَنْتَ الَّذى سَجَدَ لَكَ سَوادُ اللَّيْلِ وَنُورُ النَّهارِ وَضَوْءُ الْقَمَرِ وَشُعاعُ الشَّمْسِ وَدَوِىُّ الْمآءِ وَحَفيفُ الشَّجَرِ يا اَللهُ لا شَريكَ لَكَ اَللّـهُمَّ اجْعَلْنا خَيْراً مِمّا يَظُنُّونَ وَاغْفِرْ لَنا ما لا يَعْمَلُونَ وَلا تُؤاخِذْنا بِما يَقُولُونَ حِسْبِىَ اللهُ لا اِلـهَ اِلاّ هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظيمِ

آمَنّا بِهِ كلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنا وَما يَذَّكَّرُ اِلاّ اُولُوا الاَْلْبابِ رَبَّنا لا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنا بَعْدَ اِذْ هَدَيْتَنا وَهَبْ لَنا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْوَهّابُ

“Oh Allah, You are the Eternal Lord; And this is a New Year, so I ask that You grant me protection from Shaytaan and control over this indulgent self that incites toward evil and being occupied in that which would bring me closer to You, O Most Kind!

O Lord of Might and Majesty! O Supporter of the one who has no supporter. O Protector of the one who has no protector. O Guardian of the one who has no guardian. O Helper of the one who has no helper. O Assister of the one who has no assister. O Reinforcement of the one who has no reinforcement.

O Granter of Gracious gifts! O Source of Great Hope! O Esteem of the Weak! O Rescuer of the Drowning! O Saviour of the Devastated! O Benefactor! O Beautifier! O Granter of Excellence! O Bestower!

You are the one to whom prostrate the darkness of night and the light of day, the brightness of the moon and rays of the sun, the sound of gushing water and the rustling of the trees.

O Allah! You have no partner. O Allah! Make us the best of what they conjecture (about us) and forgive us that which they do not know (of our faults). Allah is enough for me; there is no god but He. In Him do I trust and He is the Lord of the exalted throne.

We believe in it – everything is from our Lord and none takes admonition except those who possess understanding. Our Lord! Make not our hearts deviate and bestow Your Mercy on us; indeed You are all Munificent.”

We too should recite this supplication and think about our role as representatives of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and where our efforts must lie in this coming year and decade.

*Even though the Prophet Muhammad (s) recited this on the first day of Muharram, there is no prohibition in reciting it on the first day of the common calendar. In fact by the principle of seeking hope in the favour of Allah (swt), it is recommended.