What did you prepare for Ramadan?

Since 2012-11-23

The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: 'May his nose be put in sand (in remorse), a man lived till the month of Ramadan approaches and then passed without having his sins forgiven.' [Reported by At-Tirmidhi, and authenticated by Al-Alb

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 
All Praise is due to Allah alone. And prayers and peace of Allah be upon His chosen Prophet and Messenger.
 
Dear brother, here is Ramadan. It came with its glad tidings, lights and fragrance. So, dear brother, what did you prepare for it?
 
Did you prepare for it true repentance?
 
Did you prepare for it strong determination and strong will?
 
Did you prepare for it a submissive heart, remembering tongue and a body patient during upon the acts of worship?
 
Did you prepare for it good manners, good face and exalted behaviors?
 
Did you prepare for it caring for the times and investing the hours in performing the acts of worship?
 
Dear brother, beware of staying till Ramadan in your current case of inattentiveness and loss. Actually, this is the case of the losers who have no mind or religion.
 
The Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “May his nose be put in sand (in remorse), a man lived till the month of Ramadan approaches and then passed without having his sins forgiven.” [Reported by At-Tirmidhi, and authenticated by Al-Albani]
 
«رغم أنف رجل دخل عليه رمضان، ثم انسلخ قبل أن يغفر له» رواه الترمذي وصححه الألباني
 
If your sins had not been forgiven to you in Ramadan, then when would they be forgiven? If you had attained mercy in Ramadan, then when would you attain it?
 
If you had not been released free from the hellfire in Ramadan, then when would you be released from it?
 
This month is a very valuable chance many people had been deprived from after fasting in the previous year with us; they are now in their graves and each one of them desires returning back to the worldly life to utter a single Tasbeeha (i.e. saying Subhan Allah) or a single Tahlela (i.e. saying La Illaha Illa Allah) even if it costs him the whole world, but it is a cry to the moon! The time of working had passed and now there is nothing but reckoning their deeds!
 
Dear beloved brother, you still have the opportunities; therefore, you should make your deeds good in this month, do your best in worship, obedience and invest the times of this month in whatever makes you close to your Lord (i.e. prayer, fasting, charity, reciting to the Holy Quran, remembrance, invocation, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, obeying parents, uniting the ties of kinship, spreading peace, beneficence to the orphans and poor and weak people … etc.)
 
Beware, may Allah mercy you, from whatever enrages the Lord of the worlds, and do not nullify your fasting by the sins, because the Prophet (peace and prayers of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not give up forged speech, evil actions and ignorance, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
 
«من لم يدع قول الزور والعمل به والجهل، فليس لله حاجة أن يدع طعامه وشرابه» رواه البخاري
 
Dear brother, the Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) used to exert effort in Ramadan more than any other time. He used to exert his ultimate power in prayer, reciting the Holy Quran, remembrance and charity.
 
Also, the righteous forefathers used to follow their Prophet. Some of them used to recite the whole Quran in three nights of praying in Ramadan, others used to recite it in the prayers of seven nights and others in ten nights.
 
As-Sâib bin Yazîd narrated: “They used to recite hundreds of verses until they lean on the sticks from the long period of standing, and they don’t finish until it is dawn (i.e. moments before it).”

 

Therefore, dear brother, you should care for obeying Allah in this month, and follow the example of your righteous ancestors. It may be that your sins are forgiven by Allah and your position is exalted by Him and your name is written in the records of the happy winners.