The commencement of the new school and working year signals something which is dreaded by some but faced by all – the termination of the holidays. Different people face the ending of the holidays with different feelings and reactions. Those who spend their holidays wisely and productively generally feel refreshed and recharged and are simply raring to put their shoulder to the wheel and get back to work. On the contrary, those who spend their holidays badly dread the day when their holiday will come to an end.
A bad holiday can be a holiday in which Allah Ta‘ala was disobeyed and Deen was forgotten. Now that the holiday is over, we struggle to get back into the routine of performing our salaah on time, reciting the Quraan Majeed daily, etc. Furthermore, we are racked by guilt for the sins that we committed and the evil that we indulged in.
A bad holiday can also be a holiday in which the budget was blown and the bank was broke. When the holiday is over and reality comes knocking, we realize, all too late, that we do not have sufficient funds for school fees and other basic necessities. Additionally, we bear the sin of wasting the wealth that Allah Ta‘ala blessed us with. In some cases, we bear the even graver sin of wasting it in avenues of vice.
If we were fortunate and spent our holidays wisely, we should thank Allah Ta‘ala and ask Him to continue to bless us and favour us.
However, if we regret the way we spent our holiday then let us not fall into depression and despondency. Rather, let us understand that our remorse is itself a great favour from Allah Ta‘ala as without remorse, it is not possible for a person to repent and change their life for the better.
After repenting and begging Allah Ta‘ala to forgive us, we should make a firm resolution to never again fall into the same sins. Thereafter, we should make an effort to try and repair the damage that was done to our Deen in this period. If we missed any salaah, we should perform the qadhaa. If we were negligent in reciting the Quraan Majeed, let us once again become punctual on our daily recitation, or even recite a little extra to compensate for the days in which we did not recite. To compensate for all the sins we committed, we should ensure that we abstain from all sins in the future. Insha-Allah, this will draw the forgiveness of Allah Ta‘ala, as He will see that we are genuinely remorseful and are doing all that we can to repair the damage and prove our loyalty to Him.
Our hearts are designed to contain the love of Allah Ta‘ala alone. When the holiday ends and we feel plagued by the void and emptiness in our hearts, then let us realize that there is only one way to fill this void and acquire true happiness – turning to Allah Ta‘ala.