Ushering in Ramadhan

The Time of the Year is just around the corner and I am ushering it in.

I feel that my Ramadhan in Perth is much meaningful, much sweeter and impact me more than when I spend Ramadhan back home. Perhaps the culture there that always associate the coming of Ramadhan with the coming of Eid. Hence, the whole focus is directed towards Eid leaving the true meaning of Ramadhan unsavoured.

“There is a door to heaven called Al-Rayyan through which only fasting people are admitted. It will be asked; where are the fasting people? They stand up. No one is admitted through that door except them. When they have entered, the door will be closed and no one else can get through it.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).



The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying, "Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah].

I thank Allah for letting me "see" and "feel" this Ramadhan again. I thank Allah for guiding me from last the Ramadhan to this Ramadhan of His path of mercy. I pledge that this Ramadhan is going to be better than my last one. I pray for Him to let me learn the true meaning of gratitude.

"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them):I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way." (Q 2:188).

After all, what is there in Eid for me. I no longer feel the sweetness of Eid ever since dad went to meet his Creator.