Ramadhan : have you registered?

 

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OK. Let’s look at it this way.

Your boss is ready to give you a raise worth three months pay, a six month bonus and a sponsored vacation to the Carribean Islands for you and ten people of your choice. Oh yes, and a Lamborghini on a romantic night-tour of Paris with your most beloved. All the before-mentioned, for attending a month-long Super Employee course.

Or maybe, from another perspective, let’s look at it like this.

Your lecturer promises you a sure-A in each subject you take, up until you graduate, with no assignments to submit, no presentations, no project and class attendance according to your liking. All that, for joining an intensive 30-days seminar with ample time to relax during the nights. Now, would you attend the seminar?

Would you spend a month of your life for a thousand months of pleasure? Or would you endure a month of test for a year of a brand-new you?

Name it all you want – a seminar, a program, an intensive course, a university – Ramadhan is coming and calling for early-bird registrations.

The coming of Ramadhan brings with it an act of ibaadah which indeed is unique, one we call as saum or fasting. Fasting is a duty prescribed by Allah swt in the Holy Quran;

O You who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for You as it was prescribed for those before you, that You may become Al-Muttaqûn  (Al-Baqarah : 183)

In laymen understanding of this verse, I am sure that we can agree that observing the act of fasting is an avenue one follows to become al-Muttaqun in the eyes of Allah. We also understand that the act of fasting is also compulsory, and it was also commanded on the generations of mu’mins before us.

Perhaps what we can also see is that, Allah really wants us to be al-Muttaqun, hence the obligatory command to fast throughout Ramadhan. Fasting is obligatory, and it is for the whole month.

Why, if we could ask ourselves, Allah wants us so badly to become  al-Muttaqun?

Al-Muttaqun, or people of Taqwa, aren’t they the people whom Allah declared as those who are the most honourable in His sight?

O mankind! We have created You from a male and a female, and made You into nations and tribes, that You may know one another. Verily, the Most honourable of You with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa .Verily, Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Al-Hujurat : 13)

At-Taqwa, isn’t it the thing mentioned by Allah as the best provision one should collect his whole life?

And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.). so fear Me, O men of understanding! (Al-Baqarah : 197)

Isn’t at-Taqwa a pre-requisite that guarantees you double of Allah’s mercy?

O you who believe! Have Taqwa (Fear) in Allah, and believe in His Messenger, and He will bestow on you a double portion of His mercy: He will provide for you a light by which ye shall walk (straight In your Path), and He will forgive you (your past): for Allah is Most- forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Hadid:28)

And don’t we all hear about at-Taqwa, as mentioned by Sayyidina Abu Bakr;

“Those who step into their grave without Taqwa is like braving the ocean without a ship”

And yes, don’t we all agree with what Prophet Muhammad mentioned, from Abu Sa’id r.a.;

“It is a must for you to have Taqwa in Allah for Taqwa is the collection of all good deeds. It is a must for you to commit jihad for jihad is an ibadah for Muslims and it is a must for you to always be in remembrance of Allah for remembrance of Allah is your guiding light”  (narrated by Ibn Al-Dharis)

I’ve registered for Ramadhan, and al-Muttaqun is the title I seek. It’s a month I will enjoy as it only comes once a year. It’s a month I will appreciate as my God wants me to be in it, and reap all the goodness I can get from it. I’m all set for Ramadhan, and craving for Taqwa.

 

Now, how about you?