Thursday, 18 Ramadan 1445 | 2024/03/28
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 Nafsiya Reflections: The Month of Change

The month of Rajab has passed as now the month of Sha'ban has come to an end, and the great month of Ramadan is knocking at our doors. Subhan Allah. We may have prepared our minds during these past two months, preparing our souls, our 'Nafs', to enter into this holy month, the month of mercy. The month of Tahajud, the month of Itikaf (seclusion), goodbye world, goodbye distractions of dunya, focusing on our Akhirah, for it is the month of real work... or is it?

My brothers and sisters, this month is the month that the Sahabah would prepare themselves for months in advance. They would supplicate to Allah Ta'ala for six months to allow them to reach Ramadhan. Then, they would supplicate to Him another six months to accept it from them. I mean why wouldn’t they, RA, the month that the doors of Jahannam are closed and the doors of Jannah open! The month that Allah swt chooses some from amongst us to be forbidden from jahannam, Hell!

The prophet of Allah saw said,

«إِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صُفِّدَتْ الشَّيَاطِينُ وَمَرَدَةُ الْجِنِّ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ فَلَمْ يُفْتَحْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَفُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمْ يُغْلَقْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ وَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ وَلِلَّهِ عُتَقَاءُ مِنْ النَّارِ وَذَلكَ كُلُّ لَيْلَةٍ»

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the devils are chained, the jinn are restrained, and the gates of Hellfire are closed and none of its gates are opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and none of its gates are closed. A heavenly caller announces: O seeker of good, come near! O seeker of evil, stop short! Allah will save them from the Hellfire and that is during every night of Ramadan.”

Every night of Ramadan, Allah forbids some of us from hell!! Every night! Where are we?! Chatting? Gossiping while washing the truck-load-of-dishes from the truck-load-of-food we had on the table, sitting with friends while the masjid is empty during Maghreb prayer?! May Allah (swt) forgive our shortcomings!

It’s not haram to have these massive dinner parties, for breaking the fast of one who is fasting, is part of the beneficial acts of Islam... but is that the intention behind what we are really doing? Or are we spending hours cooking and eating and cleaning and talking about anything and everything that has to do with this Dunya... while the days pass by quickly. Watching the newly released so-called “Ramadan shows”... Astaghfirullah, HasbunAllahu wa Ni'mal Wakeel for such a repulsive representation!

I ask myself before you... Whose traditions are we following? Is it the traditions of Rasool Allah, saw? How are we spending this great month, this great opportunity?! For example, if the bank gave us an opportunity to take anything we wanted for 30 days.... What would we do?! 30 days every year... Would we prepare for it months in advance? Renting trucks, getting all the gear, all the equipment we would need, ready to transfer as much as possible, as much as our backs could carry out. Would we be spending our time with our buddies drinking coffee, having a good time, while the bank had our name on it? I don’t believe anyone with a sane mind would do that. But why do we do that during the month of mercy, the month of forgiveness, the month of bounties. Let me repeat this one again, He (swt) opens the gates of heaven, as He (swt) handpicks a few of us to win the Akhirah! Handpicks a few of us forbidding us from jahannam!! And we can barely get up from all the food we stuffed down our throats.

It is a sad reality we as an Ummah are living through. It’s a bitter pill. We are oblivious to what we are doing. The month of fasting has become the month of food. The month of tahajud has become the month of chilling with the guys. And it passes... as the blessings and bounties of this blessed month pass with it. This Ramadan will never come back. We talk about how much we love Ramadan... how it’s in the air. It’s heartbreaking. Ramadan is not here yet, and Allah gave permission to our souls to return to our bodies today. He could have not given them permission but He did. He sees something in us. He SWT gave us the opportunity right now! To have the intention to make this Ramadan different, to make today different. To change ourselves. To become more than who we are now. To focus on becoming the best versions of ourselves. To save ourselves from Jahannam on the day of Regret. And to save the next generations from falling into the same mistakes.

It is the month of real work. Work to change the realm of society we see today. To challenge ourselves, to push ourselves to make a difference in this life, for us and our Ummah, and the world. To pull this Ummah out of the dark hole of ignorance it has fallen into, to the noor, the light, of true Islam. To remind this great ummah of the great Islam. To give our lives and others purpose. To elevate ourselves to manifest Islam, just as the sahabah RA had. To carry Islam. To hold the Rayah of Rasool Allah saw. And what better time... than now?

[مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ]

Whosoever acts righteously - whether a man or a woman - and embraces belief, We will surely grant him a good life [Surah an Nahl: Aya 97]

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