We see the suffering of Muslims nowadays. We see the shedding of the innocent blood of the Ummah worldwide. We see the injustice and invasion of the Muslim countries through the unbelievers, and we see the hypocritical leaders of the Islamic world selling their Ummah and their Deen for a worthless price. We are hearing about the torture, suffering, starvation and weeping of Muslim women and children! But many of us are doing nothing and they are passively watching the whole horror! This is the case if there is no Taqwa in the heart of the Muslims.
Ramadan is a month where Allah (swt) makes it possible for each soul to reboot and where the son of Adam has the opportunity that Allah (swt) forgives his sins and to become one of the Muttaqeen. فَمَنۡ تَابَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ظُلۡمِهٖ وَاَصۡلَحَ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَتُوۡبُ عَلَيۡهِؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ “But whoever repents after his wrongdoing and reforms, indeed, Allah will turn to him in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Al-Maida: 39]
The Prophet ﷺ said, «مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ» “Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to obtain Allah’s rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by Abu Huraira)
Allah (swt) is merciful to His servants and accepts the repentance of a repentant who does not continue his error. Allah says in the Quran: وَاللّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ “And Allah indeed wants to turn graciously towards you.” [An-Nisaa: 27]
The Prophet ﷺ stated that between Ramadan to next Ramadan is a forgiveness.
Abu Hurairah said that the Prophet ﷺ said: «الصَّلَوَاتُ الْخَمْسُ، وَالْجُمْعَةُ إِلَى الْجُمْعَةِ، وَرَمَضَانُ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ، مُكَفِّرَاتٌ مَا بَيْنَهُنَّ إِذَا اجْتَنَبَ الْكَبَائِرَ» “The time between the five prayers, two consecutive Friday Prayers, and two consecutive Ramadan are expiations for that has happened during that period, that one has avoided the grave (major) sins.” [Muslim]
The Prophet ﷺ used to supplicate «اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ» “May Allah bless Rajab and Sha’aban and allow us to live until Ramadan.”
The Sahaba (ra) prepare for Ramadan six months in advance and they pray to Allah for forgiveness, and that Ramadan arrive in a time where they were at the peak of Iman. For 6 months after the completion of Ramadan, the Sahaba (ra) ask Allah to accept their deeds.
We see in these examples that the Prophet ﷺ and his companions understood the real meaning of Taqwa. Someone who has already been promised Paradise, and yet he asks forgiveness with the Fearing Allah (swt), is a true Muttaqeen. So the month of Ramadan is for every Muslim who wants to be a Muttaqeen who seeks Allah’s nearness and longs for the Paradise, it is a way to let go of his mistakes, to face his fears, desires and un-Islamic dreams and perhaps exploit correctly the last Ramadan of his life. وَاِذَا سَاَلَـكَ عِبَادِىۡ عَنِّىۡ فَاِنِّىۡ قَرِيۡبٌؕ اُجِيۡبُ دَعۡوَةَ الدَّاعِ اِذَا دَعَانِ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيۡبُوۡا لِىۡ وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِىۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُوۡنَ “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.” [Al-Baqara: 186]
So we should ask Allah (swt) for forgiveness as the Muttaqeen did before. We should refrain from using this dunya as our benchmark and we should finally have the courage and speak out against injustice. The Muslim is not only responsible for himself but for his entire Ummah. There is only one path to liberation for the Ummah and this is the Khilafah. Therefore, let us follow the right path and work for the re-establishment of the Caliphate according to the method of the Prophethood, and hope that Allah (swt) forgives us and we bear the shield of the inhabitants of Paradise in YamulQiyama!
Amanah Abed