I would like to address my words to you, as an elder brother speaking to his beloved younger brother; as a loving friend speaking to a friend he cares about, and as advice from someone who wishes you nothing but goodness and success in life.
How have you prepared yourself for the month of Ramadan? Indeed, Ramadan is a blessed month when the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, the devils are chained up, and during this time Allah The Exalted frees His pious slaves from Hellfire.
Have you resolved to repent to Allah The Exalted in Ramadan? Have you decided to go back to your Lord? Have you made the intention to abstain from committing all sinful and evil acts and turn over a new leaf in Ramadan? Have you formulated a plan of daily worship in this blessed month? How are you planning to receive the days and nights of Ramadan?
Have you resolved to repent to Allah The Exalted in Ramadan? Have you decided to go back to your Lord? Have you made the intention to abstain from committing all sinful and evil acts and turn over a new leaf in Ramadan? Have you formulated a plan of daily worship in this blessed month? How are you planning to receive the days and nights of Ramadan?
These questions need to be answered sincerely, honestly, and frankly so that the month of Ramadan does not end before you perform any acts of worship or righteous deeds, with its days and hours wasted in vain.
Start with repentance:
I am not accusing you of being a sinner when I advise you to repent to your Lord. Indeed, repentance is the beginning and the ending point on the straight path. It is the refined status which many people lack in all the stages of their migration to Allah The Exalted.
Repentance is not only for sinners and those who mix good and bad deeds, as many people think. The Prophet, , who was the leader of the obedient slaves and devout worshippers, said: “O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day.” [Muslim]
Repentance is not only for sinners and those who mix good and bad deeds, as many people think. The Prophet, , who was the leader of the obedient slaves and devout worshippers, said: “O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day.” [Muslim]
When Allah The Exalted commanded His slaves to repent to Him, He called them believers. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {… And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.} [Quran 24:31]
Indeed, we all have committed sins and wrongdoings. Who among us does not sin? Who does not disobey Allah The Almighty?
We all commit sins, yet Allah The Exalted is The All-Forgiving. The doors of repentance to Allah are always open. He stretches out His hand at night for those who sinned during the day to repent, and stretches out His hand during the day for those who sinned at night to repent until the time the sun shall rise from where it normally sets. Allah The Exalted rejoices at the repentance of the remorseful sinners. The Prophet, , said: “Allah has opened a door of repentance in the west the breadth of which is seventy years and it will not close as long as the sun does not rise from the west.” [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi] [At-Tirmithi: Hasan Saheeh]
We all commit sins, yet Allah The Exalted is The All-Forgiving. The doors of repentance to Allah are always open. He stretches out His hand at night for those who sinned during the day to repent, and stretches out His hand during the day for those who sinned at night to repent until the time the sun shall rise from where it normally sets. Allah The Exalted rejoices at the repentance of the remorseful sinners. The Prophet, , said: “Allah has opened a door of repentance in the west the breadth of which is seventy years and it will not close as long as the sun does not rise from the west.” [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi] [At-Tirmithi: Hasan Saheeh]
Repentance is an easy and simple act that involves no suffering or hard work. It is a simple three-step process. The sinner should refrain from committing the sin, show remorse for committing it in the past and resolve not to commit it again in the future.
If you regret your misdeeds in the past and abstain from sins in the future, then you should assign greater attention and care to cultivate your life and make full use of your present. If you lose your present, you lose your happiness and salvation, yet if you treasure it, you will attain happiness, salvation, comfort, pleasure, and bliss.
Imaam Ibn Al-Jawzi said,
If you regret your misdeeds in the past and abstain from sins in the future, then you should assign greater attention and care to cultivate your life and make full use of your present. If you lose your present, you lose your happiness and salvation, yet if you treasure it, you will attain happiness, salvation, comfort, pleasure, and bliss.
Imaam Ibn Al-Jawzi said,
The importance of time:
“I have seen most people waste their time in an extremely strange way. If the night is long, they spend it in idle conversation or in reading useless books. If the day is long, they sleep and spend part of their day on the banks of the Tigris or in markets. These people are like passengers on a ship who are talking to one another while the ship is running with them and they are unaware. A few people have understood the meaning of existence; therefore, they spend their lives preparing for their departure… So, one should hasten to work hard in the seasons of rewards before it is too late.”
He also said:
lethargy, provided that such diligence does not undermine his physical ability to do more good deeds.”
“A person should know the significance and worth of his time. He should not waste a moment of his life in doing anything that would not bring him closer to his Lord. He should carry out the best of deeds and utter the best of words. He should maintain his sincere intention to do good deeds without
The righteous predecessors were in a race against time in their lives. A man said to ‘Aamir ibn ‘Abd Qays “Come and chat with me for a while.” ‘Aamir ibn ‘Abd Qays answered, “Stop time first.”
A group of people visited one of the righteous predecessors while he was praying, although he was dying. They remonstrated with him for doing so, at which he said, “My record of deeds is being folded now.”
If a person knows that death will soon put an end to his life and that he would not be able to do any righteous deeds, he will work diligently in what is left of his life to benefit him in his afterlife.