Ramadan reflections

Life in this world is said to be narrow and short. We live in it as strangers and we'll leave it as strangers. We explore many opportunities in this life.

We succeed in some and fail in many others. We are in this world journeying like a traveller going on a pilgrimage to an unknown strange land. We don't know what we will encounter be it positive or negative.

Many a time, we are faced with numerous challenges and setbacks. Some crush us to our very last limit. We try to get ways to get out of those challenges but we unfortunately can't get a way. We then become despondent, despaired and depressed. Many a negative thoughts gets into our minds. We begin to assess ourselves and ask, where did we go wrong? What led to our unfortunate difficulties? What at all can we do to get out of the challenges we find ourselves in? These and many other questions push us to one source, THE RELIANCE IN ALMIGHTY ALLAH.

Our challenges and weaknesses as humans push us to not only believe in Allah but also give our all to HIM. We trust HIM, we obey HIM and we love HIM. And by so doing, we follow HIS laws and guidance. These our love for Allah then open numerous opportunities for us and guides us to various successful paths. Our despondency and pessimism give way to optimism.

In this our new path of entrusting our hopes to Allah, the Magnificent, we analyse our weaknesses in the light of our faith and realise that those weaknesses are rather another door opened for us to get closer to Allah. We pray to Allah and equally repent to HIM. We look for more opportunities to repent to HIM and get more closer to HIM. It is at this time that we realise the coming of the Blessed Ramadan is opportune to us.

Ramadan has come to us with limitless opportunities and widely opened success doors. It has come to ask us to think, reflect, ponder over and question ourselves on the purpose of our existence. It has come to ask us to assess ourselves and our actions from the last Ramadan to the current one. When we do that, then the doors of forgiveness, mercy and entrance to paradise are opened to us. We are then given the chance to fast and pray for Allah's forgiveness. We're given the opportunity to give charity for Allah's Blessings and Mercy. We're further given an opportunity to eschew hate, jealousy, backbiting and lies for the betterment of ourselves in this life and the hereafter.

Ramadan has come with his Tahajjud, Taraweeh, Iti'kaf, numerous Qur'anic recitations, numerous nawafils and numerous other acts of worship that are all meant to cleanse us, purify us and push us to paradise. Ramadan is a special mercy from the mercies of Allah, the very splendid creator. Ramadan has come to remind us of the good manners we have abandoned, the love we have thrown away, the family unity and togetherness we neglected and the selflessness and humility we eschewed.

Ramadan has come and we pray that Allah give us the rewards of this Ramadan, forgive us our sins, make us to love one another and let us die at the time that, HE, Allah, is well-pleased with us. We also pray for the Peace and Blessings of Allah on the Last and Final Prophet and Messenger of Allah, Muhammad the son of Abdallah(S.A.W)