By Abdullahi Jamaa
Glad tidings to noble believers, just as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said of them in a number of authentic narrations. Glad tidings to those who walk to Masjid in the dark, to those who sought forgiveness in the record of their deeds, to those who conduct their Salah in utmost humility, to those who do good deeds, to those who extend their hand in sincere charity and above all to the ones who worship Allah with love, loyalty and attestation.
To the above group of honorable believers, the graceful entry of Ramadan is an extension of endless spiritual opportunities, a dedication to their deen and unwavering fidelity to their creator. For them, the holy month is a harvest season that comes once in a year; having cultivated their land, they procure brimming blessings from their Lord in an awe-inspiring state of delight.
Believers have owned their religion with love and passion. The Masjid has been their stomping ground, the Quran a boon companion and now Ramadan comes in as a heavenly sanctuary. That is why during this noble month dedicated worshippers already feel at home, taking stock of their time while leaving nothing to chance.
Religious ritual
Yet for the overwhelming majority of us, Ramadan is but a religious ritual; it comes and goes and again comes back without toting any meaningful value to our lives. Perhaps it is the only time we attend the Masjid or listen to weekly lectures, as though the rest of the months are for twiddling our fingers in downright vagueness.
We all know that we are not doing well in our deen. We are strangers in our own religion, acting like visitors either due to negligence or as a result of outright overconfidence; sometimes we give ourselves baseless excuses; and many times we utterly disregard the very fundamental tenets of our deen. This is a potent manifestation of our lack of spiritual discipline.
For a moment, think about the emptiness of our Masjids during non-fasting months. It tells a lot about our sheer slackness. It is only during this fasting month that one feels a sense of unity and brotherhood; the rest of the months are boring, with few people attending the house of Allah, the taste and value of our congregational prayer is indeed wanting.
One can validly ask where all these Muslims were before Ramadan. It points to two things; either many of us are not praying or we don’t have time to attend the Masjid. Given the very authentic hadith of Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that praying in the Masjid is more rewarding as compared to praying at home, our Masjids should be full with or without Ramadan.
It is not about prayer only; we are religiously lagging behind in all facets of Ibadah. In our world of fantasy and forgetfulness, we have absconded our religious duties. Our true value as Muslims is lost because we have failed to practice and adore our blessed religion.
Our Ramadan spiritual respite is a consolation of knowing our weaknesses; a time to reflect and make corrections and spiritual amendments. We have no option but to take this month as a suitable bout for us to come back to where we belong.
Just how long shall we continue to dream that we are too young to be a better Muslim? Taking the deen too lightly and excusing ourselves from Ibadah is a spiritual tragedy. Our righteous predecessors said once you approach age 40, retreat to ibadah and repentance. It means your days are almost up and you don’t have enough time to make the most out of your life.
While we struggle to earn a livelihood, we must not forget about our provision for the hereafter. When we sit at our work stations we must remember about our purpose in life, the untimely death, and the sod that will be our transient abode.
Come back to where you belong!
