Ramadan: Reflecting on the Great Opportunity – Ustadh Amjad Tarsin
Ustadh Amjad Tarsin highlights the great opportunity to draw closer to Allah in Ramadan and gain salvation. He urges us to increase our aspirations for the good.
One of the things that scholars often say about Ramadan is that Ramadan is a school. It’s like an intensive course. And it’s really important whenever we engage in something of benefit or something that has long-term repercussions that we come prepared.
That we come in having that intention and having that drive to make the most of this Ramadan. And one of the ways that we make the most of Ramadan is through learning about the blessings and benefits that Allah bestows in Ramadan, because Ramadan is very unique. What we get from Allah and the opportunities that we have in Ramadan are something that we will not get outside of it.
Although there are other opportunities, obviously, it’s not quite the same. Another thing is having some sort of plan. Having some sort of schedule. Having goals that you implement or that you plan within yourself so that you come out on the other side in a better state.
And lastly, preparing for it in a way that’s pleasing to Allah: making sure that we properly fulfill this important pillar of Islam.
The Look of Forgiveness
Allah Most High looks upon His servants in the month of Ramadan. That means that on the first night of Ramadan and throughout the month of Ramadan that Allah looks at certain servants and whoever Allah looks at it is a look of mercy. It is a look of forgiveness, meaning that Allah will not punish them after that.
Human beings are funny creatures when we have these opportunities. People buy lotto tickets every day. That’s obviously haram, but people do it all the time because it’s just like that one chance that I might hit it big. I’m gonna keep buying this, you know? As Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad says: “It’s a tax on stupidity.”
I don’t want to be mean to people who buy a lot of tickets but human beings are like that. We want to pay one dollar and to get a million dollars. We want these kinds of like get-rich-quick things. But the amazing thing is that Allah, time and time and time again, gives us opportunities for great rewards and we sleep on it because we don’t see the immediate benefits.
Greater Than a Thousand Months
But Allah Most High has has made Ramadan so special that within it there is a night that we’re all aware of that is greater than a thousand months. It’s not greater than a thousand nights, it’s greater than a thousand months. That’s 83 years.
You pray one nafila. It’s as if you prayed that nafila for 83 years. You give one dollar in charity. It’s as if you’ve given that charity for 83 years. You read Qur’an on that day. It’s as if you’ve been rewarded for that recitation for 83 years.
So look at the the blessing that Allah has bestowed upon the Umma of His beloved Prophet Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. That’s one of the secrets as to why the lifespan of the Umma is so short. Whereas previous people’s lifespans were much longer.
The Best of All Ummas
How can we be the best Umma when we don’t live long enough and achieve the accomplishments that people who worshiped Allah for hundreds of years achieved? Because we have things like Layla al Qadr. We have things like the day of Arafa. Days like the days of Ashura.
Allah has given us so many opportunities. It’s a sign of Allah’s generosity and mercy. But one of the dangers is that when Allah is generous, if we don’t honor that generosity, we put ourselves in a very precarious position. It’s as if someone says: Here I’m giving you something. You say: Oh, thanks. And you throw it to the side. The person says: I just gave you that. Why do you throw it aside like that?
That’s not the way you should value it. When Allah gives us this opportunity, we have to value it. We have to take advantage of it. Maybe our salvation depends on it. Maybe Allah has decreed for us that this Ramadan will be that Ramadan our names are recorded in the record books of those who will be freed from the Fire. Maybe. Insha Allah. So we have to expose ourselves.
True Hope in Allah
The scholars say: What does it mean to have hope in Allah? Nowadays people have a lot of false hope. – Allah is merciful. He’ll forgive me. — That’s not hope. That is not what is meant by having hope in Allah.
True hope in Allah is that you exert yourself to the utmost hoping that Allah will reward you generously. That you seek Allah’s forgiveness hoping that you will be of those that He forgives. That’s what hope is. You hope for the greatest of what Allah gives and you strive for it.
It’s like someone wants to make money. “I have all these hopes and dreams. I want to make money. I want to get a job. I want to get married.” But they sit at home all day playing video games. How do you expect to achieve that?
Well, you work at it and see what doors Allah opens and strive to implement those hopes. And make those hopes into a reality through having a plan, through working hard. That’s how it’s done. That’s how we enter into the month of Ramadan.
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