Planning

"I will lose 10 lbs"; "I will exercise more"; "I will spend my money more carefully" - these are just some examples of the kind of resolutions many of us make at various time markers in our lives, most notably, at the beginning of a new year. But for most Muslims, few, if any, are aimed at contributing to Islam on a community level.

Change and hope were the buzzwords of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Let's let the coming year be the time to put them into action.

As Muslims, we should always remember that oft-repeated Dua recited after our daily prayers: “Our Lord give us good in this world and good in the Next world and save us from the punishment of the Hellfire”. This helps us choose priorities in life balanced between our Dunya and Akhirah.