These guys are my friends, and I spent with them what I spent with
them from time withno benefit in it, actually sometimes in what Allah
has prohibited…why are they smiling?! Are they laughing and smiling
because Ramadhan is over with or what? Or are they happy for letting
themselves follow their desires? Or because they have on new clothes,
or what? And he remembered at this moment something he heard in the
'Eid khutbah last year, "'Eid isn't happiness for those that wear new
clothes, but it isfor those whom Allah is pleased with of his
slaves,and those that were rescued from the great torment."
As he was going about asking himself these questions, he would look to
those righteous people,and he remembered whathe read in some books,
that the righteous people are happy with 'Eid because Allah has
completed His blessings on them by letting them live to see Ramadhan
and finish it, and they have hope that their Noble Lord will accept it
from them. And he remembered the words that the Imam of his mosque
said, the words which Imam Ibn Kathir used to say when Ramadhan came,
"Oh Allah let me reach Ramadhan peacefully with blesssings, and
makeRamadhan full of blessings and peace for me, and accept
Ramadhanfrom me peacefully with blessings."
My friend left the 'Eid prayer area, and made to himself a truthful
promise, and he swore and guaranteed, and he said to himself, "If
Allah Ta'ala allows me to live tothe upcoming Ramadhan, then He will
see what good I will do!! And I will experience the happiness that
these righteous people have experienced."
This, my beloved brother, feeling of repentance on being sinful, came
very fast while he was in the 'Eid prayer area, waiting for the prayer
to start, amongst the Muslims during 'EidulFitr last year. And it is a
certain feeling that every believer has felt in their heart, to do
good in this noble month and it has a great and high status with
Allah.
Days passed, and the month of Ramadhan returned, and he today has the
determination and firm will, with the permission of Allah, to make his
days and nights busy in this blessed month, as much as possible! And
another thing that made him gain determination besides just looking at
those around him, was that death took a person from his family, and
also a person that lived in his district died as well. Through all of
this he thanked Allah for allowing him to live until he reached this
day hoping that his Lord will accept from him this noble month, but
his heart is torn desiring this month…
Why does he not desire it and he hears about its great virtues? Is it
not themonth of Qu'ran, mercy, supplication, forgiveness and
acceptance? Why would he not desire this month when he heard
thesayings of the Prophet (SAW): "Whoever fasts Ramadhan with faith
and anticipation, his previous sins are forgiven."? "Whoever stands in
prayer in Ramadhan with faith and anticipation, his previous sins are
forgiven."? "Whoever worships in laylatulQadr with faith and
anticipation, his previous sins are forgiven."? Is this something
blameworthy?! And the one who is promising himthese rewards, is not
some satellite TV show, it is Muhammad (SAW).
Is he blameworthy for his desire of this month whenhe hears the words
of the Prophet (SAW): "Whenever Ramadhan begins, the gates of Paradise
are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained."
Do not blame him, my loved ones, for he knows that the gates of
Paradise aren't opened and the gates of Hell aren't closed because of
the angels! Or because of the mountains! Or because of the trees! The
gates of Paradise are opened because of him and his believing brothers
the humans and the jinns. Yes! Because of him, out of all the creation
of the heavens and the earth! And the doors of Hell were closed
because of him. Should he be blamedbecause of his happiness and
excitement for this month?! Who will now blame him when he hearsthe
words of the Prophet (SAW): "Whoever reads the Qur'an then for every
letter will be 10 rewards."And they know that the Qur'an has
approximately 300,000 words, so that in one completion of the Qur'an
that equals 3 million good deeds!? And the bounty of Allah is much
greater than this, and we are not trying to count or calculate it, so
if the good deed is multiplied to 700 times, then who is able to count
this?!
So we ask Allah (ta'ala) and he is the most bountiful and generous, to
make us and our noble brother busy our lives with acts that are
pleasing to Him, and that our sins will not prevent us from His
blessings, and that we don't return to the worst of our actions.
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