Although the Islamic New Year begins with the month of Muharram, it is generally the month of January in which the majority of people follow the New Year’s Resolution trend and make certain pacts with themselves in order to significantly change their lives for the better – in some way or another.

As an Islamic charity, however, we tend to adopt different focuses in comparison to others; setting goals which could achieve a lot more for us in the long term, or the Hereafter, as we know it.

Here are four New Year’s resolutions for you to consider in 2018:

Give Something Back to the Community

There are always ongoing local projects in every community, be it to keep the streets clean, partake in fundraising, volunteering in soup kitchens for the homeless or needy or simply providing companionship to those who are isolated and lonely. Many local communities also hold specific campaigns during the winter season, where you can donate warm clothes to help those less fortunate to get through the blistering cold months.

Do your good deed for the day by supporting your local community and take part in local campaigns that resonate with you.

Invest in the Future

Generally, to invest in something means to generate a form of return in the long term – usually associated with money in this day and age but we usually forget to invest in our Hereafter, which can be of far greater benefit to us. Sadaqah jaariyah is a form of giving which keeps on giving - for example, donating towards a water well is a form of ongoing charity, which not only benefits others today but also for many years to come, therefore the reward in Islam for this form of charity is also ongoing.

Increase Knowledge

Increased knowledge and faith can only benefit us in the long term; aim to learn something new each and every day. The average human being only utilises approximately 10% of their brain in the average lifetime so acquiring more knowledge can only be a good thing. Attaining taqwa is also a key goal to keep in mind, attaining taqwa in Islam means to bring yourself closer to your Lord and achieving increased consciousness of what is right and wrong in Islam – therefore inspiring good actions in order to please Allah SWT.

Volunteer for a Good Cause

To give to others does not always necessarily consist of parting with money or solely by way of financial giving. Helping and assisting others can also involve volunteering time towards a good cause, be it by way of supporting your community, assisting in campaigns towards a good cause such as world emergencies, helping to deliver aid to those in need or donating your time to a local charity or an Islamic charity such as Islamic Help.

There are so many ways in which we can vow to help others in the year 2018, which, in essence, is also a way of helping ourselves by securing a better place in our Hereafter.

For more information on our current campaigns and projects or if you would like to volunteer your time, give Islamic Help a call on 012 1446 5682 or visit us online, here.