 We all come with so many New Year resolutions, what we want to do next year, and masha'Allah some of us we have so long list that sometimes it's very hard to know if you're gonna live to see those days of that list or not. Whatever list that we do we want to come up with, that's fine. What I suggest personally for myself and for all of us that the top of our list should be strengthen my relationship with Allah. That should be the priority. The first thing that comes in my list is to make sure that whatever the relationship that I have with Allah next year I want it to be stronger and better. How do I strengthen my relationship with Allah? That is a big thing. I want to strengthen my relationship with Allah. But how? And where do I start? There are so many ways you can strengthen your relationship with Allah. But the easiest and the best and the fastest, and I know because sometimes when we travel we're looking for the shortest way. Short cut. So to get there as quick as possible. The shortest and the fastest way to strengthen your relationship with Allah is Salat. The best way to communicate and to strengthen your relationship with Allah is Salat. And I will suggest humble brothers and Abdullah we all do our prayers but let your new year resolution to strengthen your relationship with Allah be I want to be the one who also pray on time. It's a difference between praying and praying on time. Resolution should be I want to pray on time. You know why? Because the Prophet tells us he says افضل العمال الصلاة في اول وقت. The best deed the best deed that you can see in Islam is Salat. By the way you know that and we call in Adhan هَيَّا عَلَى خَيْرَل. No, what did he do better than Salat? Nothing. Salat is the best. That's what I said, هَيَّا عَلَى خَيْرَل. خَيْرَل عَمَل. No, this Salat also is the best deed but the best of the Salat is to do it on time. Brothers and sisters if we can take this as our resolution for next year. As Salat in Waqt. Trust me we got everything done. And I wanted to say that even one of the resolution should be in the list. Strengthen your relationship with Imam. That's one of the relations should be that I want to strengthen my relationship with my Imam. But how would you do that? You can do that with Salat too. Salat strengthen your relationship with Allah and your Imam as well. And you know and I know a lot of you might have heard this story of a man who Imam told him the best you can do for me is to keep your Salat on time. There was a story when Alim is telling this story that happened. It's a real story that happened. And Alim was traveling and he was sitting in the bus. As he was sitting in the bus the time of Salat came he was looking what will happen. And the narration said before the bus even left he was hoping that he will have somebody knowledgeable that can sit next to him so they can have a good conversation educational conversation. Now suddenly a man walked in with the normal clothes, jeans, t-shirts. Here we go. As they sat next to him he was okay what's gonna happen? He didn't say anything to him. No he said anything to him. He was sitting in the bus. He got to a place he started looking at the time. It's time for Salat but what will happen? Then immediately that young man sitting next to him he told the driver can you stop the car? Stop the bus. He said where's wine? He said I want to do Salat. There's a lot of people in the bus. What are you talking about? When we get to the bus stop where's that? No, no. Now. Now I want you to stop right now. The bus driver said no I'm not stopping. For you, he said if you don't stop I will throw myself out of the window and get out your car and your bus. Everybody's looking at this guy. Is he crazy? What's wrong with this man? Yes, he was crazy but in his own world. Then he said to the man at the bus driver said okay okay don't throw yourself out. I will stop. He stopped. Everybody, Masha'Allah, everybody get the Shafa'ah. Shafa'ah of this guy made Wudu. Let's do Salat. They did Salat. They finished the Salat. They sat in the bus. Now the Alim was curious who's this guy? Who is so concerned about Salat that much? Then the Alim asked who are you? What's your story? He said Sheikh Nayou wouldn't believe. I grew up. I was born and raised Muslim but I wasn't practicing. I didn't even know what the Salat is all about. I had a mother or grandmother who is in the house always she called Ya Sahib al-Zaman. I thought this woman is just out of her mind calling someone who? I didn't even know what the Salat of the Zaman is about. He said until my final year in the school that I supposed to go write my final exams on my way I got to a place where they'll block all the roads. The bus cannot get there and I'm very very limited time to get there. If I don't get there on time I missed my test. That's it. I'm done. He said what can I do? He said he was standing there looking left and right. He didn't know what to do. Then he remember his grandma at home called someone Ya Sahib al-Zaman. He said let me call Ya Sahib al-Zaman. You are the only one who can help. Then what happened? Imam al-Zaman came and helped him. He said in a few seconds I said I found myself in my building where I supposed to be and like myself. He said I saw a man came and took me to my place. He said when we got there before he left he asked I asked him who are you? He said I am an Imam. And then he said for all this help that you gave me you saved me. What is it that I can do to help you what you did for me? Give me money? Buy me dinner? Take me out? Sharpen? He said all I want is take care of your Salat and pray on time. He said from that day I made what we call Tawbat al-Naswaha. I never used to pray. I never used to fire. He said that incident changed my mind and I promised him I say from today I will be the one praying on time. Not that I will pray on time. And since that day I never miss my prayer on time. If we really want to strengthen our relationship with Allah and the Imam the best way is through Salat. And that should be the first phase in our list to do next year. That is number one. Number two brothers and sisters. One of the suggestions also that should be part of our to-do list next year. Insha Allah. If Allah is upon wa ta'ala grant us a life which is one of the best thing one can do. Put in your list to help others as much as you can. Brothers after serving Allah with your wajibat there is nothing important in Islam like to help other people. Forget about your Muslim non-Muslim. No, don't worry about it. Helping others is the priority after wajibat. And I'm not saying this. You know when you go there is one of the Maraja Ayatullah Al Ankarani. He has one of the sayings where he said do your wajibat and after your wajibat he says serve people and don't worry about anything else. And when you go Yomul Qiyamah Allah ask you tell him Al Ankarani told me to do so. You think an Alim will make this bold statement and not know what he's talking about? Do your wajibat and help people as much as you can. And then after that he said if Allah asked you, he said tell him I told you to do that. You go to the Quran brothers. Every prophet you can see their priority after Allah is to serve people. Our Imams were the same thing. The best thing to do brothers is to help others. Let me go into some details brothers. You know when you go to the Quran Allah talks to us. Tells us about when a person passes and dies and leaves this wall. And they go to Iyarafta. Some people do you want to come back? And Quran says about them. Allah sent me back. But Quran didn't say when they said maybe I would do good when I come back. But Quran didn't tell us what kind of good are they talking about? Salat, fasting, Hajj, Zakat, Homs. What are they talking about? Quran didn't mention that. But then Quran put another ayat to tell you what is it that they will hope to come back and do. And you will be surprised it's not fasting. It's not reading Quran. It's not even Salat. You know what they want to do? And Quran called them in Surat Al-Munafiqoon. He said if you would please give me some time so I can give Sadaqah help others with whatever I have that is the importance of giving helping people in this world. Our imams that is their priority. Imam Zayn al-Abideen after Salat al-Aisha he doesn't go to bed. He goes out helping people. Our imam Quran even said to us in many verses of the Quran not only that. Quran tells us Allah and His Messenger and those who believe and those who do Salat and give us Zakat. They always want to give others whatever they have. All the prophets you go to the Quran. Allah swt talks about them. Ibrahim Al-Khalil, Ibrahim will not go to bed every night unless he made sure that he serves someone. Every night he cooks and Ibrahim was a good cook too. You know that? He was a good cook. And Quran tells us about that. When the angel came Ibrahim what did he do? He cooked for them. And Quran said He brought them to eat. They are some food for you. Seven people. He said no. Why are you naive? That is Ibrahim Al-Khalil. Every night he will not go to bed unless he feeds someone. And something also to remember when you go to Najil Balagha, Imam Ali has a page that he talked about muhassaba. That every night before you go to bed you do muhassaba. And the muhassaba he tells you what to do. Part of the muhassaba he says that one of the things that he was recommending is to ask yourself who did you serve today? Who did you help today? And unfortunately sometimes when somebody comes asking for help we feel so bad. We think they bother in us. They disturb in us. You know what Imam Hussein alaihi salam said about this? Imam Hussein says It's a blessing that Allah has put some of the people's needs in your hands. Don't take it lightly and then it will deprive from you to somebody else. That is to tell us the importance of helping others. Being there for others. And when we say help it can be in any capacity you can. That is something should be part of our to-do list.