Reviving the Soul in the Last Days of Ramadan

19/07/2014| IslamWeb

The days and nights of Ramadan pass by all too quickly, and before we are prepared to bid farewell, we find ourselves in the last few days of Ramadan.

These are some of the recommended actions that we should take up in order to reap the benefits of the remaining days of the month.

1-      Seeking forgiveness and repentance

2-      Meditating on the quick passage of life

 

1-Seeking forgiveness and repentance:

Having seen how the days of Ramadan have passed, and how it is about to come to an end, with only one or two days remaining, one must realize: "He has won who was destined to win, and he has lost who was destined to lose." The righteous believers look at this season of forgiveness coming to an end with grief over their shortcomings and over what they did, and how they failed to receive that noble month properly. They fear they may have done actions that would deprive them of the forgiveness and mercy of Allah The Almighty and to emancipation from Hell. Thus, they are sad for this state in which it is said: Who is expecting the reward of the Lord tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? Who has prepared himself in the expectation of this prize? Who has fulfilled its right? Who has spent for its sake as much as befits it?

Hence, they spend their last days in taking themselves to account for what has passed and for their negligence, in an attempt to make up for what they missed. They do so in the hope that Allah The Almighty, on this day, night or even next day, would see their severe grief, discomfort, sadness and weeping for their failure to do what makes them worthy of the reward of Allah The Almighty, would bestow upon them the blessings that gives life to their hearts. No doubt, such a heart has not felt yet the light that might fill it, or experienced those beautiful conditions and good characteristics acceptable to Allah The Almighty, or perceived that it has been filled with the love and light of Allah The Almighty. Such a person has been filled with solace with, longing for and drawing closer to Allah The Almighty, and has preferred reliance on his Lord and on the abode of eternity, and desertion of the abode of delusion, and has kept firm on the journey to and remembrance (of Allah The Almighty) and recitation of the Quran. Such people have an aversion to misdeeds and sins, are grieved over the moments of heedlessness, and are ready to bear the responsibility of adhering to the sound religion. Even if a person has not felt this, but has instead wasted the past days of Ramadan uselessly, instead of obtaining gifts of happiness from his Lord, self-reckoning and showing regret may cause their Lord to bestow mercy upon them and turn to them in repentance.

The last days of Ramadan offer the last opportunity by Allah The Almighty for the believers to make up for all their shortcomings, to stick to the Door of Allah The Almighty, persist in standing before Him, implore Him to teach them, turn in repentance to them, forgive them, pardon them, provide for them, purify their hearts and bodies and enable them to persist in remembering Him. Once this is achieved, you will turn into a new person in the sight of Allah The Exalted.

Beware lest these days pass by in vain such as the previous ones did! Beware lest you waste your own self and happiness! Beware lest you contribute to the misery of your own self and stay distant (from the Mercy of Allah)! Beware lest you should be driven away because of your bad deeds, indulgence, laziness, and giving priority to the perishable world and transient comfort over the abiding rest and permanent Hereafter in the company of {the Prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.} [Quran 4:69]

Hence, the last few days of Ramadan have special new obligations and different spiritual states that should regulate the believers. The first of these is to seek forgiveness after offering good deeds. The believers should seek forgiveness more frequently towards the conclusion of their actions, and make it the defining character of their actions, so that they would ascend to Allah The Almighty.