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All praise is due to Allah who has blessed us with the opportunity to reap the harvest from yet another month of Ramadhan. May His choicest salutations continue to shower over our Master and Leader Muhamad (saw) who taught fulfillment through abstention.

“… And it is better for you that you fast, if ye only knew.”

(2:184)

Ramadhan is the month in which Allah Almighty opens His doors of mercy, forgiveness and blessings upon Muslims. It is an annual opportunity for Muslims to physically and spiritually revive themselves. Ramadhan softens the heart, helps us realign our purpose of existence and makes us better and stronger individuals. It is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer and good deeds. It is a time to learn generosity, charity, sympathy and humility. .

Nabi (saw) has said: “Your example and the example of the people of the two Scriptures (i.e., Jews and Christians) is like the example of a man who employed some labourers and asked them: ‘Who will work for me from morning till midday for one Qirat?’ The Jews accepted and carried out the work. He then asked: “Who will work for me from midday up to the `Asr Salah for on Qirat?’ The Christians accepted and fulfilled the work. He then said: ‘Who will work for me from `Asr till sunset for two Qirats?’ You, Muslims have accepted the offer. The Jews and the Christians got angry and said: ‘Why should we work more and get lesser wages?’ (Allah) said: ‘Have I withheld part of your right?’ They replied in the negative. He said: ‘It is My Blessing, I bestow upon whomever I wish” (Bukhari)

We have been blessed with occasions like Laylatul Qadr and Ramadhan to complement our relatively short period of existence between ‘asr and maghrib’ so that we earn manifold rewards for our limited labour. We can achieve in one Ramadhan what took a lifetime for previous nations to accomplish. The lifespan of this ummah will be much shorter than previous nations but rewards accrued in their short life span will outstrip those who lived very much longer. This is month for us to reap the harvest and to invest for our future. Ramadhan affords us the opportunity to:

• Secure the key to the Door of Rayyan:

Jannah has eight gates which can only be accessed by people with certain unique characteristics. Nabi (saw) has said: “There is a gate to Paradise that is called Rayyan. On the Day of Resurrection it will say: ‘Where are those who fasted?’ When the last [one] has passed through the gate, it will be locked.” (Bukhari & Muslim). Ramadhan offers us the opportunity to earn our ‘entry passes’ to paradise.

• Secure the intercession of the Quran and the Fast

Abdullah ibn `Amr reported that the Messenger of Allah (saw), said: “The fast and the Qur’an are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.’ The Qur’an will say: ‘I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.’ And their intercession will be accepted.” [Imam Ahmad] On that Day no one will be allowed to intercede accept those that Allah permits. What greater ally can we hope for on that Day other than the fast and the Quran?

• Seek forgiveness of past sins

Abu Huraira (ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:”… whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Imam Bukhari). The condition for earning divine forgiveness is based on ‘faith’ and ‘hoping to attain Allah’s reward”. If we fast only to gain social acceptance or if we believe that fasting is a cruel imposition meant to make us suffer, we will only attain hunger and deprivation of sleep through our fasting and prayers.

• Experience the joy of meeting our Creator

“The fasting person has two occasions for joy, one when he breaks his fast and the other when he meets his Rabb.” (Bukhari) When the rest of humanity will be overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, the fasting person will eagerly wait to meet his Rabb. The following dua should be read regularly:  “O Allah, I ask You for the delight of gazing at Your Countenance and the eagerness of meeting You.” (Nasa ee)

• Earn the ‘Furqan’

“O ye who believe! If you develop the conscious awareness of Allah (Taqwa) He will grant you the Furqan – (a criterion to judge between right and wrong), remove from you (all) evil (that may afflict) you, and forgive you: for Allah is the Lord of grace unbounded.” (8:29)

Allah will bless us with the spiritual & mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, virtue and vice. This is further corroborated in a hadith that says: “No slave adheres to abstinence except that Allah will germinate wisdom in his heart, make him articulate it – and Allah will reveal to him the trappings of this world; both its diseases and cures and Allah will take him from this world safely to the abode of peace. “ (Bayhaqi)

Our challenge is to maximize the use of our time by setting goals and targets for ourselves. We may not live to see another Ramadan! May Allah make us of those who are able to make the best of these precious days.