Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

One more year from our life has gone and we are constantly approaching the Mercy of the Exalted Allah. However, the last year was a little bit different because during it we faced challenges that the society did not know. The challenge called a pandemic should be seen as an opportunity and not as a test. This was many times repeated, but now at the end of the year, everyone should look at his own achievements and shortcomings. The pandemic was used by some people to become more useful to themselves, to their relatives and to the society. Some people tried to hide behind the pandemic and indulge in even more carnal pleasures. Some tried to earn more money, and some tried to earn political dividends. There is no doubt that Allah will give everyone whatever s/he deserved, because no one can escape the knowledge of the Almighty.

Dear brothers, it is not fatal for a person to make a mistake, it is not fatal to miss an opportunity, sometimes it is even better to make a mistake in order to come to his senses and to turn to Allah. It is a problem when someone sees as normal and correct to turn away from the Exalted Allah. It is fatal when the heart of a person becomes harder like Allah has commanded in Qur’an-i Kerim: “Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah! Those are in manifest error.” (Zumar: 22)

At the beginning of the new 1442 year let us try to improve our relation with Allah, then to reconcile with ourselves, and also with the people around us. Let us thank Allah for giving us a new opportunity to correct ourselves and to make up for what we have missed. May the Exalted Allah give health and long life to everyone, to heal the sick, to bestow mercy on those who left this world and to grant all of us a lot of grace. Happy new 1442 Hijri year.

Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi,

Grand Mufti of the Republic of Bulgaria