In the Islamic calendar, time is not only measured by days and months, but by meaning. Certain periods are honoured as opportunities for reflection, restraint, and renewal.

One such period is the month of Rajab, the seventh month of the Islamic (Hijri) lunar calendar. Rajab is considered a sacred month of reflection, renewal, and responsibility.

According to the Islamic calendar, we are currently in Rajab, which began circa 14 days ago, making New Year’s Day the twelfth day of Rajab.

As the Gregorian year turns, Muslims find themselves already immersed in a season that calls for inner realignment and moral awareness.

Rajab is one of four sacred months mentioned explicitly in the Koran: “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is 12 … of them four are sacred. So do not wrong yourselves during them.” (9:36)

Historically, these months were times when conflict was suspended and peace was prioritised. Islam preserved this sanctity, reinforcing a timeless principle: societies thrive when restraint, justice, and moral accountability are honoured. Those that call wars today need to heed to these principles.

Wrongdoing is considered especially grave in sacred times, not because God is harsher, but because human beings are meant to be more conscious.

Rajab is not marked by festivals or compulsory rituals. Its power lies in its quietness. Muslims often use this month for repentance, reflection, and intentional self-correction.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught: “Actions are judged by intentions, and each person will have what they intended.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Thus, Rajab becomes a month of intention-setting — not performative piety, but sincere inner work.

Rajab also serves as preparation for Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and spiritual discipline. It is commonly said that Rajab is the month of planting seeds, Sha‘ban of nurturing them, and Ramadan of harvesting their fruits. This gradual approach reminds believers that lasting change does not happen overnight.

I find it especially striking that Rajab this year coincides with the western celebration of the new year, a time traditionally associated with resolutions and fresh starts. Both moments ask similar questions: what needs to change? What values will guide us forward?

Islam, however, grounds this renewal in moral responsibility. The Koran states: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.” (13:11)

This principle resonates powerfully beyond faith boundaries. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr warned humanity with clarity and urgency: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

In an age where we speak of recycling to save the planet, this warning feels painfully relevant. Without justice, compassion, and restraint, no environmental effort can save a world in which humanity has destroyed itself morally and socially.

Rajab, therefore, is not merely a spiritual pause — it is a call to renew our commitment to justice, peace, and shared humanity. It reminds us that meaningful transformation begins in the heart, but must be lived out in action.

In closing let us remember to reflect and redirect whatever leads to harm of mind, heart and soul with this prayer (duaa):

O Allah, renew our hearts in this sacred month.

Grant us the courage to change what is within us,

So that justice, peace, and mercy may flourish among us.

Unite humanity in righteousness, protect us from arrogance and destruction,

And guide us to live together with wisdom before we perish through our own folly.

Ameen.

Bermuda may all that is good be within our grasp in 2026 and beyond.

As salaam 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