A Different Perspective

Bismillah, Ramadan has begun and we all know that:

“When the month of Ramadan (begins) the gates of mercy are opened, and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” (Muslim:2496)

All of us talk about Ramadan preparation and the bounties plus the reward of Ramadan which is good. But today, I want to share a different perspective. You see, whether we keep a 17 hour fast or an 18 hour one, it ends. Even when the month of Ramadan comes in June and July we get through the day and make it till the iftar. It seems hard, it looks difficult but we make it despite all the difficulties and hardships because the reward is immense.

We can learn a valuable lesson from this. In life, it seems as if hard times will not end. We will break down in the middle or lose strength because we are not powerful enough to endure all the toils and uphill battles. But whether it is a 17 hour fast or a 17 week’s affliction, it eventually ends. It does not last forever.

Charlie Chaplin said: Nothing is permanent in this wicked world-not even our troubles.

It is true, and when these hardships end, it is a beginning of beautiful serenity. All we have to do is take a deep breath, be patient and trust Allah that He will In sha Allah help us make it to the end. I heard it somewhere that life is like a fast. The Iftar time is death. After iftar is the beginning of sweet tranquility In sha Allah. We have to abstain from our wrong and twisted desires in this world just because it is our Lord’s wish. As in fast we do not eat anything out of God-consciousness; similarly, we have to abstain from every wrong thing. This is the sole purpose of fasting that Allah has told us in the Quran:

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint” (2:183)

Out of the fear of God as in fasting we have to abstain from all bad things, like wise this should be our behavior in real life. Our fast will break upon death. Till that time, we have to mould our desires according to Quran and Hadith In sha Allah.

Every Ramadan is important. Make it count especially this one because this might be the last one before we meet our Lord.

“Verily! Ramadan has come to you. This is the month of blessings” (Musnad Ahmed:7148)

It is not the years in our life that count, it is the life in our years that really matters!

Life is not a matter of milestones, but of moments. It all comes down to a few moments. This month is bunch of them.

Grasp every moment, value each second. Avail this opportunity to come closer to Allah. Good luck!