As the festivities wind down until next year, we now look ahead to making 2025 even better than 2024. The new year offers a perfect opportunity for fresh starts and positive resolutions. I pray that all your endeavours come to fruition. With determination and consistency – the key components of success – you can achieve your goals.

Allah says in the Koran: “So be steadfast as you are commanded, along with those who turn in submission to Allah with you. And do not transgress. Surely He is All-Seeing of what you do.” (Surah Hud, 11:112)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also said: “The most beloved of deeds to Allah are the most consistent of them, even if they are few.” (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)

Consistency is powerful and brings abundant rewards. So, let us resolve to apply a healthy dose of consistency to all our efforts in 2025.

Although Muslims do not celebrate the Gregorian New Year, we follow the Islamic calendar, known as the Hijri or Lunar calendar. The Islamic year is currently 1446–1447 AH, with the Islamic New Year falling on June 27, 2025. The Hijri calendar is used to determine the dates of religious observances and events.

The Islamic New Year, or Al-Hijra, marks the beginning of the first month, Muharram. It commemorates Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) migration from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina) in 622 CE, a pivotal event in Islamic history.

The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, consisting of 12 months and approximately 354 or 355 days. This means the Islamic New Year occurs about ten days earlier each year compared to the Gregorian calendar.

Currently, we are in the month of Rajab, the seventh month of the Islamic calendar and one of the four sacred months in Islam. It is a time of increased spiritual activities, including additional prayers and fasting, as Muslims prepare for the upcoming months of Sha’ban and Ramadan.

Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of Friday, February 28, 2025, and conclude on the evening of Saturday, March 29, 2025, depending on the sighting of the moon. Muslims worldwide will observe this holy month by fasting from dawn until sunset, engaging in prayer, reflection, and acts of community. Ramadan concludes with Eid al-Fitr, one of the two annual celebrations in Islam.

Ramadan is a time for spiritual renewal and a chance to make positive changes. It offers an opportunity for self-improvement, deeper connection with Allah, and realignment with Islamic principles.

Personally, I find Ramadan challenging as I don’t naturally relish fasting, but I do so for the pleasure of Allah. As Allah says in the Noble Koran: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:183)

My goal is to draw closer to Allah. The essence of Ramadan lies in reflection, self-discipline, and positive transformation. Many Muslims set meaningful resolutions during Ramadan and strive to maintain them throughout the year.

My prayer is that we all be blessed with a successful Ramadan and that Allah accepts our efforts. I also pray that 2025 brings world peace and compassion.

Bermuda, continue to stand for justice and humanity. Let us demand ceasefires wherever bombs are falling and peace is desperately needed.

Wishing you a beautiful week.

As-salaamu alaikum (peace be unto you).

• Linda Walia Ming is a member of the Bermuda Hijab Dawah Team, a group of Muslim women who reside in Bermuda and have a goal of educating the community about the religion of Islam