The dawn of the Muḥarram crescent signifies that the Islamic calendar has quietly turned its page. Muslims around the globe are expected to take this moment for reflection, not merely about time, but also about transformation. It’s incumbent to know that the beginning of a new Hijrah calendar is not about celebration, it is more deeply a divine pause. A chance to reorient, to renew, to return, and to reiterate.
Historically, the Hijrah of the Prophet’s (S.A.W) i.e. migration from Makkah to Madinah was far and reflects more than a change of location. It marked a significant turning point in human history: when a persecuted faith became the lens and the structure of a community, when revelation moved only not from theory but with practices, and when sacrifice laid the foundation for civilization. As for we the Muslims of today, have we ever reflected on each new Hijrah calendar, knowing that it’s a symbolic Hijrah year of self-actualization. The real questions to your venerable self should be: Have I moved? Has my heart migrated from heedlessness to remembrance? Has my soul taken a step no matter how small it is toward sincerity? If the calendar has shifted, has my character?
Time, in Islam, is sacred. It is not a passive measure but an active witness. This is evident enough in the book Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2246 as propounded by The Prophet (S.A.W) who warned, “Do not curse Time, for indeed Allah is Time.”
As a believer, this statement, profound in its simplicity, reminds us that time is not something we own or waste at will. It is one of the divine signs that are endless, irreversible, and we shall make a succinct account of it.
Behold! Every breath you take is a step toward your final abode. Are you still chasing mundane activates or you’ve moved to set your AKIRAH? Allah the master of all orators in His wisdom has aphoristically summarized the urgency of time in just a few verses as read in Sūrat al-ʿAṣr, 103:1–3 “By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss except those who believe, do righteous deeds, encourage truth, and encourage patience.
Significantly, these verses are not just poetic in formation. They are divine verdict and a spiritual equation. Without purposeful action, belief, and brotherhood in truth, we are by default in loss. Yet the needs and demands of life often drown out such clarity. The likes of work pressures, academic deadlines, social obligations, and family responsibilities amid the chaos, we forget: every ticking second is not just time passing, it is life expiring. Ask yourself in what did you spent your time on?
Islam as a religion does not take a measure of success on how long you live, but how you live. Do you rise for Fajr with sincerity? Do you speak with integrity? Do you honor the duties to Allah, your parents, your neighbors, your selves or you only allow the passage of time?
The Prophet (S.A.AW) was reported to have reminded us of the following: “Take advantage of five things before five things: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your life before your death and your free time before you are busy” (al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak, 4:306; ḥasan).
As you open to the new Hijrah calendar, you are invited not to grieve the past, but to take account of it with every sense of humility and resolve. The Prophet (S.A.W) taught us that our intentions define our journey: “Actions are judged by intentions, and every person will be rewarded according to what they intended.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 1907).
So, intend with purpose. Let your renewal be quiet but real. Not loud declarations, but consistent movements: one sincere du‘ā before sleep, one honest moment with the Qur’an, one act of forgiveness, one act of charity and every other righteous acts at all time.
It is also important to note that Hijrah reminds us that small steps lead to new destinies. The journey from Makkah to Madinah was not made in a blink. And neither is inner change. What matters most is not perfection but progression. Not speed but direction toward a fruitful life time.
As this new calendar count, don’t just mark a date, but make a shift. A shift in thinking. A shift in striving. A shift in sincerity.
I pray your time is filled with barakah. I pray your days draw you nearer to your Rabb.
And your journey this year is not of body, but of heart: from heedlessness to remembrance, from distraction to devotion.
Muḥarram Mubārak!
KEWULERE ADAM OLASUNKANMI (B.A Ed, IFLL, PCIBF). ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS STUDIES INSTRUCTOR LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (LASUIS)
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This piece by Ustadh Adam Kewulere on Hijrah and judicious use of time has capped it all. The piece worths the time of all- old and young. Every second is a minus from our life time. I wish him and all Muslims fruitful use of our time. Amin.
May we witness more of it on earth 🤲.