The end of Ramadan is just around the corner and we bid farewell to this blessed month with mixed feelings. On the one hand, we don’t want to let go of the month because of what it promised us in terms of the immense spiritual rewards as well as the opportunity it offered for the self atonement of our souls. Those of us, on the other hand, who put in the extra effort and pushed ourselves to make the most of the month, are excited about the possibility of truly having earned Allah’s pleasure.
As we wrap up the observances of this month and get ready to celebrate the days of Eid Al-Fitr, we feel grateful to Allah for affording us the life, faith, and health to earn numerous Hasanat that most of us wouldn’t have worked for so eagerly during other times of the year. We hope and pray therefore that our efforts during this month would result in tilting the scales of Hasanat in our favor for our entry into paradise in the hereafter.
We also feel grateful because Ramadan showed us the true potential of adopting a lifestyle that is closer to our Islamic ideals. Living the days and nights of this month with a reoriented focus and closeness to Allah have provided us a standard by which to evaluate ourselves during other times of the year. None of us can deny that this month also nurtured an interesting dynamic that drove us to bond more strongly and meaningfully within our families and engaged us more intently and positively with the activities of the Muslim communities at large. That’s indeed something that we should hold on to even after Ramadan.
This month also helped us to realize that with proper determination we can stave off procrastination and laziness and instead adopt various positive behaviors required to accomplish more than what we usually settle for. We can thus carry forward these useful attitudes and behaviors and display them in other aspects of our lives as well and thereby live a life of excellence and get ready for the life to come.
Let’s, therefore, welcome Eid Al-Fitr with an attitude of gratitude and a renewed spirit of Taqwa in our hearts. During our celebrations, let’s also ensure that we avoid any haraam practices and activities that may potentially nullify our hard earned credits.
Remember, all our hard work in Ramadan was to earn His pleasure and doing anything to lose that will be tantamount to throwing away all that hard work.