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What does Ramadhaan mean to YOU?

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

I know, I know. It’s one of those oh-so-common questions, something you’re bound to get at least once every year.  They look you straight in the face, all deep and meaningful, and they say somethin to the effect of, ‘So, what does Ramadhaan mean to you?’ And you jus think ah damn! Now I gotta say something intelligent!

It’s a pivotal question though, isn’t it? Think about it, what does Ramadhaan mean to you? Most of y’all are probably gonna mentally race thorough the various scholarly snippets you’ve read about the benefits of the month, the merits of good deeds, increasing in worship, etc etc. Yay or nay? Nobody really stops and thinks about it on a personal level, do they? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sayin there’s anything wrong with taking scholarly advice and applying it, not at all. But at the end of the day, you’re your own person, right? When you go to bed every night, it’s you; an individual with your own personality, your own preferences, strengths and weaknesses. You have your own implementation of Islaam, and ultimately, you’re heading to your own grave, preparing for your own standing before Allah. So doesn’t it make sense that you should stop for a second, and really ask yourself, what does Ramadhaan mean to me?

Get this, I was at this thingamajig sometime back, and the brother [rahimahullah], he says [words to the effect of];

“The first 10 days of Ramadhaan are for the muhsineen. Those who, although they haven’t done that many good deeds, because of their ihsaan [excellence], their deeds are most beloved to Allah.

The middle 10 days are to seek the maghfirah [forgiveness] of Allah. They are for those who try to stick to the straight path, people who strive hard in doing good deeds, but sometimes they go astray, they fall short and wrong themselves. It’s their time to seek forgiveness and appeal to Allah’s mercy.

And the last 10 days? The last 10 days of Ramadhaan are for those upon whom Jahannum had become waajib [necessary].”

It’s one of those moments when suddenly, the ordinary humdrum of rustling papers, furious scribbling of pens, low murmur of voices, it all comes to an abrupt halt. Everything just stops, and his words hang in the air. It’s like everything in existence suddenly ceases to exist, and it’s you, on your own, and those words echo and resound within you. “The last 10 days of Ramadhaan are for those upon whom Jahannum had become waajib [necessary].” The last 10 days of Ramadhaan, full of abundant mercy, when Allah’s forgiveness, blessings and generosity are greater than ever, when – according to the majority - the Night of Decree falls; it’s for those upon whom the Fire has become necessary because of the extent of their transgressions. Subhan’Allah. That’s when you stop and think. Damn. Those last 10 days, they’re for me.

I s’pose that’s when I realised what Ramadhaan means to me. It means I’ve made myself a very comfortable seat in the Fire, and here’s my chance to climb out. It means that Allah has granted me another precious opportunity to mend what’s broken – my relationship with Him. Don’t get it twisted. It’s not piety, thinking like that. It’s called being for real. Because if you kick back and think, really think, then you realise that in reality, any one, tiny, insignificant misdeed that you thought so little of; it’s enough to destroy you. So what about the mountains of sins you’ve enumerated against yourself? How you gonna explain them? What excuse will you make?

I dunno how to stress this enough; Ramadhaan is precious. Here’s an analogy that might work for y’all: Ramadhaan is to your Hereafter, what extra time is to, I dunno, Tottenham or Liverpool, when they’re up against Chelsea [under the Special One’s guidance of course]. It’s those few, decisive moments that are make or break for the underdogs, and they go out there and they give it their best shot…and fall flat on the their faces! [Aren’t you lucky that analogy doesn’t completely apply to Ramadhaan?!]

For real though, Ramadhaan is the Muslim’s bonus. It’s those few, precious moments where your deeds accumulate tremendously by the mercy of Allah [swt]. So don’t waste it. Find out what it means to you - you, personally - and give it all you’ve got. Doesn’t have to be nothing spectacular. Revive a sunnah maybe. Read Surah Mulk every night. Make salaah in congregation. Make the taraweeh in congregation. Regulate your dhikr. Learn a new du’aa, or a new surah. Something small, but something consistent. Something that, when you stand before Allah, you can attempt to present. Like the poor beggar, caught out in the freezing cold with no shelter, possessing nothing but a few pennies. He offers you those pennies, and with them his heart, and he pleads that you grant him refuge. Now you, the one destitute before Allah, you go to Him, and you offer your humble attempts, the few deeds that you have, and you plead with Him for His shelter. You ask Him to grant you refuge in His Paradise.

Ramadhaan is Allah’s gift to you. Here’s your chance to show Him how much you appreciate it.

^^^ Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing hadeeth narration guys. Check. It. Out. !!!

We ask Allah [swt] to accept this meagre attempt of ours. We ask Allah [swt] to aid us in employing what we’ve said; to make us of those who are steadfast before Ramadhaan, during Ramadhaan, and after Ramadhaan. We ask Allah [swt] to make this Ramadhaan the best ever, an expiation for all our sins, the first of them and the last of them, the small ones and grave ones. We ask Allah to keep us from the depths of the Fire, instead making us of those that come before Him twice in every day. Indeed Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful. And Allah is the Possessor of great bounties. Ameen ya Rabbil ‘alameen.

Any good wrought from this is from Allah alone, and all praise is due to Him, Most High. The mistakes are solely mine, a reflection of my ignorance.  We ask Allah [swt] to grant us truth on our tongues, sincerity in our hearts, and Paradise by His Mercy.

Indeed Allah is a witness over us, and Allah knows best.

In the care of Allah [swt],

Wassalaamu’alaikum wa rahmatullah

P.S - Sorry, but I feel a real need to say this. If, for some ridiculous reason, you begin to think I’m you know, one of those ‘deep thinking’ types? Leme quash any misunderstandings you have: I’m as shallow as a kids swimming pool. For real.

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