Ramadan… The beloved that passes
Saud Al-Shuraim
O Muslims, by this way the page of Ramadan gets folded, and the market that was rich with the goodness gets closed; whoever won has won, and whoever lost has lost, and whoever is deprived has been deprived.
- Categories: Fiqh of Fasting -
All praise is due to Allah, we praise Him Almighty for perfecting His Grace, and we praise Him as submissiveness to His High-Standing and as seeking refuge (with Him) from disobeying Him.
Indeed, he who is guided by Him will never get strayed. And he who is satisfied by Him will never feel fear.
And I testify that there is no God except Allah alone with no partner; a testimony we hold fast to it as long as He keeps us alive, and we save it to the horribleness that we will face. Indeed, it is the core of faith, the beginning of beneficence, the satisfaction of the Most Gracious, the dismay of Satan. And I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger has been sent by the well-known religion (i.e. Islam), the inherited knowledge, the written book, and the pure monotheism.
Prayers and peace of my Lord be upon him and his righteous pious family and his sincere companions and whoever sincerely follows them till the Day of Judgment.
O people, I recommend you (and myself as well) to fear Allah (the Exalted the Glorious), because it is a key of success, provisions for return, free from every bad habit, and safety from every evil deed; it is a reason for success of the seeker and safety to the escaper. Therefore, you should work, because the work elevates, the repentance benefits, the invocation gets heard. You should hasten to the good deeds, because the life is short, the diseases hold back, and the death snipes. Indeed, death is the kill joy; its darkness and causes are going to catch you. When it suddenly comes to you; it silences your speakers, takes away your nobles, demolishes your marks, evacuates your houses, and sends your heirs to divide your properties; although they include intimate relatives could not present good, sorrow relatives could not hold death back, and other relatives (gloat over this grief) do not feel panic. Actually, there are monitors with you to record your deeds and the count of your breaths; you cannot escape such monitors through the darkness of night, or a door with lock. Indeed, tomorrow is very close {Verily, the Promise of Allâh is true: let not then this (worldly) present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allâh} [Surat Luqman 31:33].
{إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ فَلا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَلا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الْغَرُورُ} لقمان: 33
Transliteration: ‘Inna Wa`da Al-Lahi Ĥaqqun Falā Taghurrannakumu Al-Ĥayā Atu Ad-Dunyā Wa Lā Yaghurrannakum Bil-Lahi Al-Gharūru
O servants of Allah, days pass like the clouds, a night passes and a morning follows, and the reckoning does not miss the weight of an atom. Indeed, there are lessons in the pass of days and nights. A wise man said: “The year is like a tree, and the months are its branches, and the days are its twigs, and the hours are its leaves, and the breaths are its fruits. Therefore, whoever invests his breath in obeying Allah, the fruits of his tree will be good; on the other hand, whoever wastes his breath in disobeying Allah, the fruits of his tree will be bitter. Actually, there will be a day of harvest, and in this day the sweet and bitter fruits will be discovered.”
Since the creation of people, they still in travel, and they will reach either to Paradise or Hellfire. And time passes in astonishing speed; it moves all the days and nights, confirming that the quickness of its pass is one of the signs of the Last Hour, as it is narrated about the Chosen Prophet (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him).
The person who is twenty or thirty years old wonders about the days that he lived and the nights that he spent; he sees them as past has gone and will never return again. Every human being feels that; whether he is young or old, righteous or dissolute: {He (Allâh) will say: “What number of years did you stay on earth?” They will say: “We stayed a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep account”} [Surat Al-Mu`minûn 23:112-113].
{قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ (112) قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَاسْأَلِ الْعَادِّينَ} المؤمنون: 112-113
Transliteration: Qāla Kam Labithtum Fī Al-’Arđi `Adada Sinīna (113) Qālū Labithnā Yawmāan ‘Aw Ba`đa Yawmin Fās’ali Al-`Āddīna
And the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) has told the truth, when he said: “Seize five before five; your life before your death, your health before your sickness, your leisure before your business, your youthfulness before your senility, and your richness before your poverty” [Declared authentic by Al-Albani 1077 in Al-Jami’ Al-Sahih].
«اغتنم خمسًا قبل خمسٍ: حياتك قبل موتك، وصحتك قبل سقمك، و فراغك قبل شُغلك، وشبابك قبل هرمِك، و غناك قبل فقرِك» صحَّحه الألباني 1077 في صحيح الجامع
This Hadîth that gets out from the lantern of the prophet hood imagines the life of the man as if it is stretched line none knows when it will be cut. Therefore, it is obligatory for the believer, not to look at the past; because if he did, he may feel sadness leads to despair or laziness. Also, he should not look at the future in eagerness; he should not seek knowing it before its time. Indeed, he who lives in this way is real Sultan, even if he is actually slave; his wisdom will make him feel that nothing separates him from the greatest people in this life except one day. As for yesterday, they do not feel its pleasures, as he does not feel its hardships; and as for tomorrow, both of them doubt it and the death is ready never commits mistakes or leaves wounds that could be healed. It is just this day; so, what could happen! What has passed has passed, and the future is a Divine secret, and none has authority over anytime except the moment that he lives, and none could return yesterday back {And on the Day that the Hour will be established, the Mujrimûn (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) will swear that they stayed not but an hour - thus were they ever deluded [away from the truth (i.e. they used to tell lies and take false oaths, and turn away from the truth) in this life of the world)]} [Surat Ar-Rûm 30:55],
{وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقْسِمُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُوا غَيْرَ سَاعَةٍ كَذَلِكَ كَانُوا يُؤْفَكُونَ} الرُّوم: 55
Transliteration: Wa Yawma Taqūmu As-Sā`atu Yuqsimu Al-Mujrimūna Mā Labithū Ghayra Sā`atin Kadhālika Kānū Yu’ufakūna
{And on the Day when He shall gather (resurrect) them together, (it will be) as if they had not stayed (in the life of this world and graves) but an hour of a day. They will recognise each other. Ruined indeed will be those who denied the Meeting with Allâh, and were not guided} [Surat Yunus 10:45],
{وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ كَأَنْ لَمْ يَلْبَثُوا إِلا سَاعَةً مِنَ النَّهَارِ يَتَعَارَفُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ } يونس: 45
Transliteration: Wa Yawma Yaĥshuruhum Ka’an Lam Yalbathū ‘Illā Sā`atan Mina An-Nahāri Yata`ārafūna Baynahum
{The Day they see it, (it will be) as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon or a morning} [Surat An-Nazi’ât 79:46].
{كَأَنَّهُمْ يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَهَا لَمْ يَلْبَثُوا إِلا عَشِيَّةً أَوْ ضُحَاهَا} النَّازعات: 46
Transliteration: Ka’annahum Yawma Yarawnahā Lam Yalbathū ‘Illā `Ashīyatan ‘Aw Đuĥāhā
O servants of Allah, time is a great opportunity for awakening the prudent people to do the good, repent a sincere repentance, present benefits, and neglect every evil {And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession, for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude} [Surat Al-Furqan: 62].
{وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا} الفرقان: 62
Transliteration: Wa Huwa Al-Ladhī Ja`ala Al-Layla Wa An-Nahāra Khilfatan Liman ‘Arāda ‘An Yadhdhakkara ‘Aw ‘Arāda Shukūrāan
Verily, you should take lessons from the time, study history, follow the signs of Allah in the horizons, consider the nations (how they rise and how they vanish); how they get honor till the disease of laziness runs in their bodies, along with the souls of their children, causing them to fall in an abyss like stones had been casted from high position!
Actually, wandering here and there for taking lessons brings great lessons increase servant’s knowledge about the Lord and increase the certainty about Allah’s ability and greatness. Indeed, he who lives ages, and whoever gets ages dies, and death does not care when he comes, and every meeting will surely come to an end, and the time presents and holds back. How many nations will be replaced by others and its good and evil will vanish!
Otherwise; where are Thamûd people, who hewed out rocks in the valley (to make dwellings)? Where is Pharaoh who had the stakes (to torture men by binding them to the stakes) who did transgress beyond bounds in the lands (in the disobedience of Allah)? Where are ‘Acircd people of Iram (who were very tall) like (lofty) pillars, the like of which were not created in the land? Where is Abrahah? Where is Qarun? Where are the kings of Persia? Where are the emperors of Rome? Where are the tyrants and heroes?
They have been folded inside the earth; they took the dust as bed and the soil as cover and they became just history and past!
It seems that we remember now, in this Blessed House, Ibrâhîm with his son Ismâîl (peace be upon them) rise the foundations of the House; and it seems that we imagine the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) entering the Holy House in tranquility while repeating {And say: “Truth (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism or this Qur’ân or Jihâd against polytheists) has come and Bâtil (falsehood, i.e. Satan or polytheism) has vanished. Surely Bâtil is ever bound to vanish.”} [Surat Al-Isrâ` 17:81].
{وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا} الإسراء: 81
Transliteration: Wa Qul Jā’a Al-Ĥaqqu Wa Zahaqa Al-Bāţilu ‘Inna Al-Bāţila Kāna Zahūqāan
O servants of Allah, you should know that time will take its turn, and there will be a time in which this Old Lofty House will be demolished a stone by stone. The Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) describes this scene by his saying: “Dhus-Suwaiqatain (the thin legged man) from Ethiopia will demolish the Ka’ba” [Reported by Al-Bukhari 1591]
«يخرب الكعبة ذو السّويقتين من الحبشة» رواه البخاري 1591
“I see him black bowlegged man plucks it stone by stone” [Reported by Al-Bukhari 1595].
«كأني به أسود أفحج، يقلعها حجرًا حجرًا» رواه البخاري 1595
O servants of Allah, in this Hadith, there is news about the vanishing of the mortal life and standing between the Hands of the Creator of the heavens and earth, together, shoeless and naked with the foreskin; none of us but his Lord will talk to him in person without a translator in the middle. No person, young or old, prince or minister, free or slave, just or unjust, will be exempted.
Yes, I swear, by the Lord of the Ka’ba, that we all will stand {And truly you have come unto Us alone (without wealth, companions or anything else) as We created you the first time} [Surat Al-`A’nâm 6:94].
{وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَى كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ} الأنعام: 94
Transliteration: Wa Laqad Ji’tumūnā Furāda Kamā Khalaqnākum ‘Awwala Marratin
O servants of Allah, we all will stand between the Hands of the King, the Compeller. Therefore; o unjust person, did you care for that? Would you fear and relief the wrong that you wronged, before neither dinar nor dirham would benefit? Return to your Lord before it is too late.
O Muslims, indeed, we all will stand between the Hands of the Compeller (Glorified and Exalted). Therefore, o cheater and deceiver, would you care for that?
Indeed, we all will stand between the Hands of the Only God. So would you (who admire your job and medal) imagine your feelings when you miss what you have? Would not you be as the same as the naked poor people?!
O servants of Allah, verily, we all will stand between the Hands of the Creator.
Therefore, would you (o Muslim girl) care for that? How will you be in this horrifying situation? What will you do in its horribleness and severity?
How will you be when your private parts get exposed and your records get spread? Would not you repent? Would not you refrain disobeying Allah and seducing his servants by your charms and displaying your adorned eyelashes and eyebrows? Actually, your influence on the minds is like the influence of wine; you stir by your perfume the evil inside men and raise the lust that is hidden in them, causing it to be like fire in the chest runs in all the limbs of the body.
Do not you remember Hellfire? Do not you understand the saying of the Chosen Prophet: “And I looked at Hellfire and found that the majority of its people are women” [Agreed upon].
«واطلعت في النَّار فرأيت أكثر أهلها النِّساء» متفقٌ عليه
O servants of Allah, verily, we all will stand between the Hands of our Lord and Creator in a day as long as one thousand years; the Day of Recompense. And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?
O servants of Allah, the month of Ramadan is going to its end after twenty nine days of gaining the graces of the Lord; how fast the pass of days is! How fast the going of memories is! They seem as if they are just leaves in autumn had been blown by the wind of destiny!
The month of Ramadan! Where is the month of Ramadan? Was not it between our hands? Was not it filling our ears and eyes? Actually, the season of fearing Allah passed in a flicker of an eye! The nightingales of the soul stopped warbling, and to Allah we will return!
O sinner, shift you interest to yourself and steal from yourself to yourself, because the life span is short. Seek refuge with Allah from yourself and ask Him support over yourself; do you want harvest in this blessed month although you did not plant yet?
{But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode} [Surat An-Nazi’ât 79:40-41].
{وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَى (40) فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَى} النَّازعات: 40-41
Transliteration: Wa ‘Ammā Man Khāfa Maqāma Rabbihi Wa Naha An-Nafsa `Ani Al-Hawa (41) Fa’inna Al-Jannata Hiya Al-Ma’wa
O sinner, would you think in yourself and consider sins if you are punished because of some of them you would be demolished quickly; and if some of these sins are exposed to people, you will feel shame because of its evilness. Indeed, if sins had scents, none of us could sit in this mosque. Pshaw to an evil soul Ramadan left it and it did not leave its evil habits!
Actually, not gaining success is a result to not confessing the sins.
And may Allah mercy Ibn Sirin. He became debtor, and when he was asked about that he said: “I know the sin that caused my being debtor. From forty years ago, I said to a man ‘o bankrupt!’”
Allah is Great, and there is no God except Allah… O Muslims… their sins became little, so they knew the reasons of their afflictions. On the other hand, our sins became much, so we are no longer able to know because of which sin we are punished! Indeed, the punishment is always similar to the sin itself. Those people gave Allah’s satisfaction priority over their whims, so they submitted to every order, whether it is major or minor.
Among them, the ruler felt sympathy towards people than the mother to its child; the scholar did not save effort in guiding the public to the righteous path, to be excused when meeting Allah; and the woman (among them) was chaste and pure never commits adultery.
Those people considered the life trust they have to care for till returning it back to the One Who entrusted it to them.
Indeed, praising the worldly life is dispraise to Hereafter! And none hates meeting Allah except the one who continues displeasing Allah.
And may Allah be pleased with Ibn Mas’ûd who said: “the ascetic person among you is desirous, the diligent person among you is negligent, and the scholar among you is ignorant.”
O you who delay repentance; till when you delay your repentance? You used to say; when I get old I will repent… when Ramadan comes I will repent…
These are the days of Ramadan have gone quickly. You used to set the foundations of your repentance on the brink of an undetermined precipice ready to crumble down… Woe to you! Put on the perfume of repentance and seeking forgiveness, because the smell of the sins covered you. And do not satisfy in your repentance by something less than the sadness of Ya’qub or the patience of Yusuf, or, at least, the humiliation of his brothers when they said: {indeed we have been sinners} [Surat Yusuf 12: 97].
{إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ} يوسف: 97
Transliteration: ‘Innā Kunnā Khāţi’īna
Then; you (may Allah guard you) should know that the repentant will be loved and enlivened by Allah, if he is sincere in his repentance {Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men - like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?} [Surat Al-`A’nâm 6:122].
{أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَا} الأنعام: 122
Transliteration: ‘Awaman Kāna Maytāan Fa’aĥyaynāhu Wa Ja`alnā Lahu Nūrāan Yamshī Bihi Fī An-Nāsi Kaman Mathaluhu Fī Až-Žulumāti Laysa Bikhārijin MinhāKadhālika Zuyyina Lilkāfirīna Mā Kānū Ya`malūna
Indeed, he who fears Allah, Allah makes everything fears him; on the other hand, he who fears people, Allah makes him fears everything.
O Muslims, by this way the page of Ramadan gets folded, and the market that was rich with the goodness gets closed; whoever won has won, and whoever lost has lost, and whoever is deprived has been deprived. Actually, we have nothing to do but tolerating the pain of its pass. We pay farewell to it although we still have eagerness to it and our tears fill our eyes. Indeed, we shed tears, have our hearts broken and feel sad for your departure; Ramadan. May Allah grant you patience and compensate you and accept our and your deeds.
O Muslims, fear Allah and know that there are just two ‘Eids for Muslims every year, according to the Shari’ah. Actually, every day the servant does not disobey his Lord in it is a ‘Eid, as Ali ibn Abu Talib said.
O servants of Allah, the ‘Eid is a theater for the innocent play that is free from noisiness and evilness in the house, community and media. Actually, when people transgress the boundaries of Allah in their ‘Eid, by indulging in the forbidden play and listening to the music and songs, they do not honor Allah with honor that befits Him or thank Him for His grace. When one of the righteous forefathers saw people do in a ‘Eid what displeases Allah, he said: “If they have their fasting accepted, this is not the doing of the people who thank! And if their fasting is not accepted, this is not the doing of the people who fear!”
How strange those are! Their days are dark and their nights are noisy. What they admire most is the nightly chat or being occupied by leisure! Their worship is rare while their sins are much! They do not know the virtue of fasting the six days of Shawwal, the virtue of the last hour in Friday, or the virtue of the last third of night. They seem to miss the shudder that brings the blessings of the heaven.
Before ‘Eid, they hold unblessed meetings for deciding where they will go on ‘Eid. They go to the banks of rivers and shores of seas in the countries of the infidels, or countries resemble them, to indulge in frivolous journeys, the most trivial evil in these journeys is wasting and extravagance, apart from the evil that is seen there. And the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) told the truth when he said: “I am not responsible for any Muslim who stays among polytheists.” They asked: “O Messenger of Allah, why?” Whereupon he said: “their fires should not be visible to one another” [Reported by Abu Dawud 2654 and At-Tirmithi 1604 and declared authentic by Al-Albani].
«أنا بريءٌ من كلِّ مسلمٍ يقيم بين أظهر المشركين، قالوا يا رسول الله: ولم؟ قال: لا تراءى ناراهما» رواه أبو داود 2645 والتِّرمذي 1604 وصحَّحه الألباني
O servants of Allah, fear Allah and know that He enjoined the charity of Fitr upon the male and female, the free and slave, and the young and old; one Sa’ of wheat, butter, date, raisins or barley. Verily, some people (may Allah guide them) give money as charity of Fitr. Such people should know that spending the value of the food, which should be given, is not correct; according to the most authentic opinion.
And the Messenger of Allah (prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) used to give it before getting out for ‘Eid prayer, and the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to give it a day or two before the ‘Eid. Therefore, you (may Allah mercy you) should spend it pleasantly and pray upon the best of humankind, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul-Muttalib, the owner of the Basin and intercession. Indeed Allah ordered you to pray upon him in His saying: {Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him), and also His angels (ask Allâh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salâmu ‘Alaikum )} [Surat Al-Ahzab 33:56].
{إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا} الأحزاب: 56
Transliteration: ‘Inna Al-Laha Wa Malā’ikatahu Yuşallūna `Ala An-Nabīyi Yā ‘Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna ‘Āmanū Şallū `Alayhi Wa Sallimū Taslīmāan
And prayers and peace of Allah be upon our prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Sheikh, Dr. Sa’oud ibn Ibrahim Ash-Shuraim
The imam and preacher of the Sacred Mosque