Issue No: 130
3rd August 2012
13th Shahru Ramadhan 1433 A.H.
Salamun alaykum,
It’s that time of the year again:
It’s the month of Ramadhan. The very special moments for us, as muslims, to seek Divine mercy and draw closer to His servitude is with us again. Once again we have been blessed with life to be honoured as guests to the Divine banquet laid out by Allah SWT. The excellencies of this month surpass the merits of the other months in the year. The merits of this blessed month have been eloquently described to us by the noble Prophet in the famous sermon - Khutbatu Sh’abaniya - which he delivered at the advent of holy Ramadhan.
'O People! The month of Allah has come to you with His blessings, mercies and forgiveness. This is the month that is the best of all months to Allah. Its days are the best of days, its nights are the best of nights, its hours are the best of hours. This is a month in which you have been invited by Him to be the guest of Allah. You have been made in it to receive the honors from Allah. Every breath you take (in this month) has the reward of tasbih. Your sleep in it is an act of worship. Your good deeds are accepted and your invocations are answered. Therefore ask your Lord with sincere intentions and pure hearts (free from sin and evil) that Allah may help you keep the fasts, and to recite the Holy Qur'an. Surely the person who in this month does not receive the forgiveness of Allah is most unfortunate………..
The foregoing message is part of the Khutbatu Sh’abaniya where we are being advised on the protocol to observe as guests partaking from the Divine Banquet.
Today is the 13th day of the month Shahru Ramadhan and the clock is ticking away. Soon we shall be completing half of this blessed month and later without realizing we will be bidding farewell to this blessed month.
Like we undertake mid-term reviews in our personal occupations, be it at work or in education, is it not in order for one to undertake a review as to find out how one has fared as a guest and profited from the Divine hospitality?
Have the load of sins that have been heavy on ones back been identified?
Is the needful remedial action and the devotions of seeking forgiveness / repentance– Istighfar and Tawba – being practiced?
In responding positively to these queries one avoids from being among the unfortunate and wretched ones denied of Divine mercy in this shahru Ramadhan. Let us make haste.
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat