By Sana B. Sabally

“Bismillah-ir--Rahman-ir--Raheem,

Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil-‘Alamin.

Allah!-Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!”

First and foremost, to The Gambia and The Gambians, I’m saying, “As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakaatuhu, ---I am, at present quite well, and hope I shall continue so for a long time. I hope you (Gambians) are (all) quite well; I, at present, am blessed with that inestimable treasure, i.e. Good Health;

which I trust will not be withdrawn from me, for a long time.

I pray for you the same.

Gambians! Gambians! Gambians!

Now that we’ve celebrated the Muslim feast of “Iid-ul-Fitr (Koriteh)” and about to enter into the Christmas and New Year festivities i.e. end of one year and the beginning of a new one…and to as well celebrate “Iid-ul-Adha (Tobaski), I pray that WE make it all “A TIME TO FORGIVE, OVERLOOK AND FORGET: Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” The end of one year and the dawning of a new one provide an excellent opportunity to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start. We can’t forget our past, of course, but we don’t have to live in it. Any good we may have done is from God, so we can only be thankful. When we confess our shortcomings, they are buried in the deepest sea. Let’s not keep dredging them up. IF YOU KEEP LOOKING BACK, YOU CAN’T MAKE ANY MEANINGFUL PROGRESS.

“We have passed through one more year. One more long stage in the journey of life, with its ascents and descents and dust and mud and rocks and thorns and burdens that wear the shoulders, is done. The old year is dead. Roll it away. Let it go. God, in His providence, has brought us out of it. It is gone…its evil is gone; its good remains. The evil has perished, and the good survives. Those who know the Almighty Allah as their Maula (Creator, Lord, Helper, Guardian, Friend, Patron, Supporter, and Protector) can let go of the past and move ahead with assurance because Allah provides forgiveness and hope. Having confessed their shortcomings, “forgetting those things which are behind,” they can confidently face the future, “reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Remembering God’s Mercy and forgetting past mistakes will make entering the New Year a time of joyous anticipation.

“Yes, we can leave the shortcomings and failures of this past year behind us, accept His forgiveness, and press on to higher ground. As far as our shortcomings are concerned, we can make the beginning of the New Year a time to forget.

“Look not back on yesterday

So full of failure and regret;

Look ahead and seek God’s way---

All shortcomings confessed you must forget.

NEVER LET A DARK PAST CLOUD A BRIGHT FUTURE.”

Gambians! Gambians! Gambians!

On special days it’s good to think

Of those who mean so much

And thank them for

The joy they bring to all the lives they touch.

On special days it’s good to think

Of those who show they care,

With quiet acts of kindness

And a love that’s always shared.

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S & A H A P P Y N E W Y E A R!!!

AND HAPPY TOBASKI!!!

TO A L L OF YOU I N A D V A N C E!!!

WE now can pray a short prayer (Dua’):

“In the Name of All, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. May Allah Almighty guide us to His Straight Path in all our activities. May He give us Faith, hope, and trust in Allah, and in His benevolent government of the world. May He give us devotion and service in practical life. May He also give us love and practice of truth, in thought and intention, word and deed; patience and constancy, in suffering and in right endeavour, humility, the avoidance of an attitude of arrogance and superiority and protect us from the misleading trials; the apparent and the hidden ones. We pray Allah to grant us true and firm adherence to Islam and make us die therein.

“Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not into our hearts any Hatred or Rancour (or sense of injury) against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of Kindness, Most Merciful.

“May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Holy-Prophet, Muhammed (S.A.W.) and his family. May Allah shower His blessings upon him.

May Allah the Almighty grant us all, the understanding and the guidance to fulfill our duties and rights to one another, in the manner that has been explained to us by the Holy-Prophet (S.A.W.) and may He create the bond of true and sincere unity between us all. Aameen!!! Aameen!!! Aameen!!!

SB SABALLY

posted @ Sunday, December 24, 2006 12:32 PM by egsankara