How to Spend the Holiday

Ask our children:

1. How should a Muslim spend his time in the holidays?
2. What is the holiday of a believer?
3. Which types of places should a Muslim go to, and which places should a Muslim avoid?

Now tell them the story:

It was the last day of madrasah before the holidays, and Moulana looked around the classroom at the young children around him. Moulana looked at Afzal and asked him, “Afzal! Are you going anywhere in the holiday?” Afzal replied, “No Moulana, we are not going anywhere. We will be staying at home.” Moulana was surprised to hear this, because normally, Afzal’s family would go for umrah in the holiday.

Just then, Afzal explained and said, “Moulana, we were supposed to go for umrah, but my grandmother is not well. She cannot look after herself and is staying with us at home. My father said that it is more important for us to look after her, and keep her happy and comfortable, than for us to go for umrah.”

Moulana was happy to hear this and said, “Masha Allah! Alhamdulillah, Allah Ta‘ala has guided your father to do the right thing! When your grandmother needs him to look after her, then he must stay with her and look after her. You must also help your parents to look after her. You must sit with her, keep her company and make sure that she is comfortable.”

Next, Moulana turned to another student, named Humaid, and asked him, “Humaid! What are you doing this holiday?” Humaid replied, “Moulana! My father is taking me out in jamaat! Insha Allah, I am going to spend my time in the musjid, and I will also learn about the six points and how to give the i’laan to announce the bayaan after the salaah! My father told me that if we spend our time in jamaat properly, our imaan will become strong! Then, we will find it easy to be pious and to stay away from all types of sins.”

Moulana was happy and said, “Alhamdulillah! I am also planning to go in jamaat! Maybe we will be in the same jamaat!” Humaid loved his Moulana, so when he heard this, he became excited. He would love to go in jamaat with his Moulana and spend the holiday with him!

Moulana then spoke to the entire class and said, “Allah Ta‘ala has sent us all to this world to worship Him, carry out good deeds and earn our Jannah. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) taught the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) that we will live in this world for a short time only, whereas Jannah is forever and ever. We need to use every moment of our lives in this world to carry out actions which are pleasing to Allah Ta‘ala so that we can earn our Jannah.

“That is why Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) did not waste any time in this world. They did not go for holiday trips. If Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) travelled anywhere, it was for hijrah, for haj or umrah, for inviting to deen, for striving in jihaad or for some need such as business.

“As the ummatis of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), we should follow his blessed example in every aspect of our lives. We should eat like Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), sleep like him, dress like him, conduct our nikaahs and waleemahs like him, and do everything in the blessed way that he did it.

“That is why we should avoid making holiday trips, as this is not the way of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum). Rather, this is the way and culture of the disbelievers. The non-Muslims have holiday seasons, and in their holiday seasons, they make holiday trips to different places. If we also do this, then we will be following the culture of the disbelievers instead of the sunnah and mubaarak way of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).

“During the holiday period, we must try and use our time to become even closer to Allah Ta‘ala. That is why many people go out in jamaat during the holiday. By going out in jamaat, they ensure that they will be in a good environment – the environment of the musjid, and in good company – the company of the pious jamaat elders.”

After mentioning this, a student named Bilaal raised his hand and asked a question. He said, “Moulana, can we go to the beach in the holidays?” Moulana responded by saying, “Tell me Bilaal, will there be other people at the beach?” Bilaal said, “Jee Moulana! Lots of people come to the beach!” Next, Moulana asked, “How do these people dress at the beach?” Bilaal thought for a moment and then replied, “Moulana, they don’t dress properly. In fact, most of the time, they are half naked…”

Moulana said, “Yes, and that is not all. At the beach, these people will also be playing music and drinking alcohol. Now tell me Bilaal, is it right for a Muslim to be in such a place, where people are half naked, listening to music and drinking alcohol?” Bilaal shook his head and admitted, “No Moulana! A Muslim should not go to such a place!”

Thereafter, another student named Junaid spoke up and said, “Moulana! I have been waiting long for this holiday, because my father is taking me deep sea fishing! We will leave early in the morning – even before fajr, and will spend the whole day fishing, until the night.”

Moulana asked Junaid, “Junaid, when you go fishing on the boat, then do you read your salaah?” Junaid’s face had a guilty expression as he said, “Moulana we are very busy fishing! Sometimes, we don’t get a chance to read salaah. When we get back home in the evening, then we make qadha for the salaah we missed.”

Moulana was very disappointed and said, “Astaghfirullah! How can you miss your fardh salaah just to try and catch some fish?! You can buy fish in a shop, but if you miss your salaah, then the sin and the loss is so great that you can never cover up for it!”

Moulana then said to the class, “The holiday time is the time when people generally become very relaxed and commit many sins. They go to places where there is music, where there is no purdah between men and women, and where people are not dressed properly. Similarly, many people become lazy to read salaah. If the men are reading salaah, then they are lazy to come to the musjid and read salaah with jamaat. Also, many people do not worry about purdah, especially with cousins, whereas we have to make purdah from our cousins as well. Sometimes, during the holidays, people are not particular about halaal and haraam food and they eat anything from anywhere. All this is very bad and destructive to our deen and imaan.

“That is why when the holiday period is over, many people find it difficult to do good deeds like reading the Qur’aan Majeed, making zikr, sitting for deeni programs and performing salaah. On the other hand, because of the bad effect of the holiday, they find it easy to commit sins and haraam deeds, like listening to music, watching movies and other evils.

“A Muslim must remain loyal and faithful to Allah Ta‘ala at all times. Whether it is the holiday season or any other time, a Muslim must be punctual on his salaah. Males should perform their salaah in the musjid with jamaat, and females should perform their salaah at home. We must recite the Qur’aan Majeed and make our zikr every day. People take holidays from work and from school – but a Muslim never takes a holiday from Islam, deen and the sunnah. A Muslim’s whole life, until he leaves this world, is Islam, deen and the sunnah.

“During the holiday period, especially the time around Christmas, New Years and Easter, when the disbelievers are committing different types of sins everywhere, the best place for a Muslim to be is at home. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) taught us in the Hadith that if we want to stay safe from all the fitnahs and sins, then we must stay at home. If we go to the places where the disbelievers are having their holiday and merrymaking, then we will be emulating them, and in the sight of Allah Ta‘ala, we will be like them. Allah Ta‘ala will be displeased with us. As Muslims, we have to emulate Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his Sahabaah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) – not the disbelievers.

“For a Muslim, the real holiday will be the time when his eyes close, he leaves this world with imaan and gains entry into Jannah. After entering Jannah, a Muslim will have holiday and fun forever and ever and ever. He will be able to see Allah Ta‘ala and enjoy the bounties of Jannah. But, to get to Jannah, we must make sure that we spend all our time in this world correctly – by spending our time in the obedience of Allah Ta‘ala and in a manner that is pleasing to Him.”

After Moulana had spoken, the children were all determined that no matter what, they would not go to wrong places in the holidays, and they would ensure that they remained punctual on their salaah, recitation of Qur’aan Majeed, zikr and other ibaadaat. They would try to remain in a good environment and use the holiday to draw closer to Allah Ta‘ala, instead of committing sins and haraam actions.

Lessons:

1. A Muslim must spend his holiday in a way that is pleasing to Allah Ta‘ala. He must remain punctual upon his salaah, recitation of the Qur’aan Majeed, zikr and other ibaadaat.
2. The holiday of a believer will come when he enters Jannah. After he enters Jannah, he will have holiday forever and ever. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) did not take holiday trips in this world. They spent all their time for deen and the aakhirah. Taking holiday trips is the way and culture of the non-Muslims.
3. A Muslim must not go to places where sins take place and where the disbelievers gather during the holidays. A Muslim must not go to places where there is music, where people are not dressed correctly, where people are drinking alcohol, where men and women are mixing without purdah and other places which are filled with sin and evil. During the holidays, when many sins are committed in all places, a Muslim should remain at home to protect his imaan and deen. He should also try to be in a good environment, like the environment of the musjid, and in good company.