Here we are bidding farewell to what seems like what we welcomed yesterday, and now the month of Ramadan is preparing for departure. Ramadan arrived as a generous guest, and now it is leaving us as it came—this is the decree of Allah in the universe. One month arrives, and another departs—such is the cycle of life.
As we bid farewell to Ramadan, let us pause for a moment and ask ourselves: What have we done during Ramadan? Did we fast as we should? Did we pray as we ought? Did we truly attain the purpose of fasting, as Allah says in the verse that means: “That you may attain piety” (Al-Baqarah:183)? Did our acts of worship increase in Ramadan, or did it pass by while we remained heedless and distracted?
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: <<What a great loss it is for one, upon whom Ramadan enters and then leaves, and yet one is not forgiven.>> (Narrated by at-Tirmidhiyy and Ahmad)
Are we among those who suffer great loss, or among those whose days have been blessed by Allah’s mercy? Or are we among those deceived by the false hope of a long life, wasting Ramadan in distraction and heedlessness?
O you who are preoccupied with worldly matters,
And deceived by the hope of a long life,
Death comes suddenly,
And the grave is but a repository of deeds.
Dear beloved ones, Allah has honoured us with Ramadan by multiplying rewards and giving us an opportunity to make up for our past shortcomings through good deeds. Have we taken advantage of Allah generosity and benevolence?
Good news to those who have repented in Ramadan! Good news to those who have devoted themselves to worship in Ramadan! Congratulations to those who have turned to the obedience of Allah in Ramadan! But the greatest loss, the true destruction, is for those who failed to invest in this blessed month, for they may not live to witness another. If one does not repent in Ramadan, then when? If one does not return to the obedience of Allah in Ramadan, then when? If one does not take his share of these blessed nights, then when will he obtain what he seeks?
And after Ramadan —what next?
Will we return to our old ways of sin and neglecting obligations? Many people are diligent in acts of worship during Ramadan —prayer, charity, and Qur’an recitation—but as soon as Ramadan ends, they abandon prayer, withhold charity, and desert the Qur’an, returning to their former state.
Allah, the Almighty, urged us to remain steadfast after Ramadan, just as we were during it. Ramadan was prescribed so that we may gain piety and train our souls to obey Allah.
But how do we bid farewell to Ramadan? Do we do so with tears and crying? No, rather, we bid it farewell through obedience, just as we welcomed it. We bid it farewell with gratitude to Allah for allowing us to witness it. We bid it farewell with the determination to keep the essence of fasting alive within us. We bid it farewell by increasing our acts of worship.
Do we not see that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his noble companions increased their worship in the last ten nights of Ramadan? In the last ten nights of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace be upon him), would exert his utmost effort, stay up at night performing acts of worship, and urge his wives to do the same (Bukhariyy & Muslim).
As we bid farewell to Ramadan, we pray that Allah accepts our fasting, our prayers, and our good deeds. We prepare to receive the first reward and joy that our Lord has promised:
<<The fasting person has two joys: one when he breaks his fast, and one when he is judged by his Lord.>> (Muslim)
Congratulations on attaining the first joy—the joy of ^Id. Let us remember that ^Id is an act of worship. Our festivals come after completing acts of worship: ^Id al-Fitr follows fasting, and ^Id al-Adha follows Hajj. Even the beginning of our celebrations is an act of worship—the ^Id Prayer—so our day begins with devotion.
Thus, it has been said:
“^Id is not about wearing new clothes; rather, ^Id is for those whose obedience increases.”
Let us also be wary, for on the night of ^Id, the devils are released from their chains. Let us guard ourselves and our families from ending our month of righteousness with acts of disobedience—such as forbidden gatherings and unlawful entertainment—lest we destroy what we have built, like the woman who unravels her thread after spinning it firmly. May Allah protect us from such a matter.
Peace be upon you, O month of Ramadan.
Peace be upon you, O month of fasting.
Peace be upon you, O month of the Qur’an.
Peace be upon you, O month of mercy and forgiveness.
Peace be upon you, O month of blessings and kindness.
Peace be upon you, O month of light.
Peace be upon you, O month of success for the believers.
O Allah, accept our fasting, our prayers, and our righteous deeds. Allow us to witness another Ramadan, and let our final deeds be the best of them.
May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his Al, and his companions.
