Roots of Hope: Remembering the Past, Acting for the Future

Introduction:

This week – 4 to 10 February 2026 – we reflect on people and occasions that teach us hope, accountability and communal responsibility. By drawing on Islamic sources and occasions we aim to help imams and cultural leaders use these moments to guide their communities in ethical, practical and faith-centred ways.

4 February 2026 / 15 Sha‘bān: The Birth of Imam al-Mahdī (may Allah hasten his reappearance) (255 AH)

The 15th of Sha‘bān is celebrated in many Muslim communities as the birthday of the Twelfth Imam (atfs), a figure of hope and justice in Shīʿī belief. His birth (255 AH) marks the promise of a future governed by righteous leadership.

In troubled times the Imam Mahdi (atfs) calls believers to patient hope and to active preparation for justice. The Qur’an’s promise of a righteous inheritance comforts and instructs us:

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ

“And indeed, We have written in the Psalms, after the Reminder, that the earth shall be inherited by My righteous servants.” (al-Anbiyā’, 21:105)

Message for Today:

Try to be a righteous person. The future belongs to the righteous. Evil, injustice, and godlessness may have short-term attractions, but they have no lasting outcome and will disappear like foam on the water.

6 February 2026 / 17 Sha‘bān: Death of Ayatollah HasanʿAli Nakhūdakī Isfahānī

Ayatollah HasanʿAli Nakhūdakī Isfahānī is remembered as a religious scholar and community leader from Isfahan whose life touched scholars and ordinary people alike.

As communities face rapid social change, the legacy of learned, locally engaged scholars reminds us that knowledge grounded in service sustains faith. Islam values learned guidance combined with humility and public service (the Qur’ān and Prophetic tradition consistently commend knowledge that benefits others).

Message for Today:

Support and cultivate local religious education that answers real community needs – spiritual, social and ethical.

7 February 2026: 18 Sha‘bān: Death (Wafāt) of Mullā Muḥammad-Mahdī Narāqī

Mullā Muḥammad-Mahdī Narāqī was a scholar known for his writings on ethics, jurisprudence and spirituality; his works influenced later thinkers in theology and moral philosophy. His death anniversary is an occasion to study his ethical writings and their practical aims.

Narāqī’s emphasis on moral formation speaks directly to contemporary needs: how to live faithfully under social and economic pressures. Islam encourages both inward reform and outward good conduct – knowledge should lead to character and action.

Message for Today:

Study the valuable and renowned book Jāmiʿ al-Saʿādāt, the most famous work of Mullā Mahdī in the field of ethics and share its lessons with others.

1–7 February 2026: World Interfaith Harmony Week

Designated by the United Nations, World Interfaith Harmony Week invites people of different faiths to meet, build friendships and cooperate for the common good. It encourages respectful dialogue and joint action on shared concerns.

Message for Today:

Engage respectfully with neighbours of other faiths; joint social action is both wise civic practice and an expression of Islamic ethics.

Closing paragraph

This week’s commemorations invite imams and cultural managers to blend hope with responsibility. Use sermons, classes and community projects to turn remembrance into practical uplift for families, young people and the wider society.