A question arises while bidding farewell to the first ten days of Ramadan: What did these days record for us and what did they record against us?
There are numerous other questions that come to mind: Do we live for the sake of our religion or do we live for ourselves? How much effort do we exert for our religion? To what extent do we care for our religion? Humans live just like other creatures, but the difference lies in our goals and aspirations. At the end of the ten days of Ramadan, we should aspire not be like those about whom Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {They were satisfied to be with those who stay behind, and their hearts were sealed over, so they do not understand.}
The righteous predecessors have passed away and history has recorded what Bakr ibn ‘Abdullaah said,
“Whoever wants to look at the most knowledgeable man we could see in his era, should look at Al-Hasan, as we have not seen a more knowledgeable man than him, and whoever wants to look at the most pious (Wari‘) man that we have ever seen, should look at Ibn Seereen who used to abandon a portion of his lawful fearing that he might commit an unlawful act. Whoever wants to look at the person most devoted to worship that we know, should look at Thaabit Al-Bunaani as we have never seen someone who is better than him in worship and whoever wants to look at the most knowledgeable man of Hadeeth whom we saw in our era, should look at Qataadah.”
Will you and I be one of those?
Another question arises regarding the happiness that we felt at the beginning of Ramadan: do our hearts still revere this month and realize the importance of its days or our emotions became cold and weak during the season of performing acts of obedience? May Allah have mercy upon the righteous predecessors whose stories present a legendary world for us, that we can look towards for instruction and inspiration. Al-Awzaa‘i said,
“Sa‘eed ibn Al-Musayyib had a virtue that none of the Taabi‘oon (followers) managed to acquire. He never missed the congregational prayer for forty years, twenty years of which he never looked at people's backs (i.e. was always praying at the first row). The wife of Masrooq used to say, ‘By Allah! Masrooq would wake up everyday with his feet swollen because of praying a lot at night and I would sit behind him shedding tears as he might feel tired because of praying at night for a long time and pray while sitting, but he would never stop praying. When he would finish his prayer, he would creep just like animals when they are weak.’”
Abu Muslim said, “If I saw Paradise or Hell by my own eyes, I would not do something more than what I do and if I was told that Hell is burning in a blaze, I would not be able to increase anything in my deeds.”
He used to say, "Do the Companions of Muhammad think that they will exceed us, by Allah, I will compete with them until they would know that they left real men after them.”
Let me ask you: how many times did you miss the congregational prayer? How many optional prayers did you miss because of being busy? How many times did you indulge in backbiting? How many times did your eyes look at what is prohibited? How many times did you take steps toward committing something that is prohibited? How many times did you commit prohibited actions? They were, sins even if they were committed during the night in the month of Ramadan do not let them remain as a trench that besieges you, for they are just like what some scholars said:
"Which of the traits of sins does not induce you to abandon it? Is it the time that you waste in committing it, as this time becomes a bad omen for you? Is it the trench that it digs in your heart and mind, then fills it with immoralities, bad habits, and past memories that the devil adorns to you and invites you to the like of it? Is it the boredom of performing acts of obedience as well as losing its sweetness, or the fact that Allah has turned away from you and forsaken you until you committed these sins? Is it the mark that sins have granted you by making you one of the villains, disobedient and wicked ones, or is it because of your fear that your heart might change during the overwhelming pangs of death? Woe be to you if you die as a non-Muslim!"
The final question that requires an answer, dear callers, reformers and educators: What are the good deeds that you have done for your communities? Did you succeed in presenting your religion to others in the best possible way? A trader's success is measured by the degree of their success in presenting their merchandise and you have a greater right of presenting your religion in an attractive way. What have you done for your communities? The mosque of your district, your neighbors and relatives are the most worthy of your good treatment, how much care do you give them?
Recurrent questions
Is Ramadan not an excellent opportunity to answer these questions? You should leave the company of callers, reformers and educators whoever you are and whatever the circumstances you are in, as the responsibility lies on every individual. When we start evading the responsibility, we become badly in need of someone who would save us and rescue us out of this deviation.
Abu Is-haaq Al-Fazaari says, “I have never seen anyone like Al-Awzaa‘i and Ath-Thawri. As for Al-Awzaa‘i, he was concerned with public interest, while Ath-Thawri was a righteous person in private. If I were to choose for this Ummah (nation), I would choose Al-Awzaa‘i.”
If the first ten days of Ramadan pass by while we are negligent, no tears or weeping would be of any use to us after that. We must remind ourselves that the remaining portion of Ramadan is more than what has passed, so let us greater effort in worshipping Allah The Almighty and be wary of wasting more time because of negligence or laziness. We cannot be sure that we will witness Ramadan, as death is inevitable. Let us bid the first ten days of Ramadan farewell and ask Allah The Almighty to save us, help us and enable us to become among those who attain forgiveness during the remaining days of the month.