Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalī On Bidding Farewell to Ramaḍān

غدا توفى النفوس ما كسبت     ويحصد الزارعون  ما زرعوا

Tomorrow, all will be given their earnings; Farmers will harvest their yield.

إن أَحسنوا أَحسنوا لأنفسهم     وإن أساؤوا فبئس ما صنـعوا

If they have performed good, they have done well to their own souls.
     And if they have performed evil, then how wretched is that which they have produced.

The Pious Predecessors (salaf) رضي الله عنهم would strive to perfect, complete, and refine their deeds in every way, and upon completing them, they would pine after their acceptance in front of the Lord, fearing that they may be rejected. They were those who “give charitably all that they give, with trembling hearts.”¹⁶

Our Master ‘Alī رضي الله عنه is reported to have said, “Have more concern for the acceptance of your deeds than the fervor by which you performed them, for have you not heard God say, “God only accepts the offering of the God-conscious (mutaqqīn).”¹⁷ It is also narrated from Fadālah bin ‘Ubayd¹⁸رضي الله عنه who is reported to have said, “To know with certainty that God has accepted from me a deed worth only the weight of a mustard seed is more beloved to me than the dunya and all that it contains, for God says, ‘God only accepts the offering of the God-conscious (mutaqqīn).’”

Malik bin Dinār¹⁹ رحمه الله said, “The fear that one’s deeds may not be accepted must be of a greater intensity than that with which the deed was performed.” ‘Atā’ al-Silīmī²⁰ رحمه الله said, “The meaning of cautiousness is to safeguard one’s deeds from not being for the sake of God.” ‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin Abī Ruwwād²¹ رحمه الله said, “I saw that the salaf would exert their utmost efforts in righteous deeds, but upon performing them, anxiety would befall them as to whether their deeds would be accepted or not.”

One of the Pious Predecessors (salaf) said, “The Companions of the Messenger of God ﷺ would regularly make du’ā to God six months prior to Ramaḍān that He permit them to reach the holy month, and once they had reached it, they would regularly make du’ā for six months afterwards for it to be accepted from them.”

The Caliph ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-‘Aziz رحمه الله went out on the Day of ‘Īd al-Fiṭr to give the khutbah, in which he said, “O men and women! You have indeed fasted for God’s sake for thirty days, you have prayed for thirty nights, and today you have emerged, beseeching God to accept it from you.” One of the salaf would exhibit visible sadness on the day of ‘Īd’ al-Fiṭr, to the point where it was said to him, “Today is a day of joy and delight!” To which he replied, “You have spoken truly, but I am nothing but a slave, and my Master has commanded me to perform deeds solely for His sake, and I know not whether they will be accepted from me or rejected.”

Wuhayb Ibn al-Ward²² رحمه الله once saw a group of people heedlessly laughing on the day of ‘Īd. He remarked, “If their fasting has been accepted from them, then they ought to express gratitude, rather than behave as such. And if their fasting has not been accepted from them, then they ought to express fear, rather than behave as such.” Hasan al-Basri رحمه الله said, “God has made the month of Ramaḍān an arena for His creation to compete in His worship and in attaining His pleasure. Some have come out ahead, emerging victorious, while others have fallen behind, failing the test. Amazing and wondrous, then, is that player who gets the last laugh on that Day when doers of good see the light of victory, and purveyors of falsehood find nothing but loss.”

لعلك غضبان وقلبي غافل       سلام على الدارين إن كنت راضيا

When my heart is heedless of You, perhaps You are angered;
                If You are pleased with me, I can leave both the dunya and ākhira behind.

It is narrated that ‘Alī bin Abī Tālib رضي الله عنه would cry out in the last night of Ramaḍān, “If only I knew! If only I knew who would be accepted so that we might congratulate them! And if only I knew who would be deprived of acceptance, so that we might console them!” It is also narrated that Ibn Ma’sūd رضي الله عنه would say, “Who among us has been accepted, so that we might congratulate them? And who among us has been deprived of acceptance, so that we might console them?”

O accepted one! Congratulations to you! And O rejected one! May God remedy that which has befallen you!

ليت شعري من فيه يقبل منا     فيهنا يا خيبة المردود

O disappointed and rejected one!

 If only I knew who among us would be accepted in Ramaḍān, so that he might be made   joyous;

من تولى عنه بغير قبول        أرغم الله أنفه بخزي شديد

God will place an intense shame upon he who
turns away from Him without His acceptance.

What has the one lost who has missed the good that comes with Ramaḍān? And what has he who has been deprived of its good wrought for himself? How many are there whose reward will be acceptance and forgiveness, and how many are there whose reward will be disappointment and utter loss? Perhaps it is that one who stands in prayer all night but will not gain anything from itbut sleeplessness, or that one who fasts all day but will not gain anything from it but hunger and thirst.

ما أصنع؟ هكذا جرى المقدور       الجبر لغيري وأنا المكسور

What good have I earned for myself? This is just my lot,
Others find themselves mended, yet I remain broken.

أَسيرُ ذنب مقيد مهجور       هل يمكن أن يغير المقدور

The most trifling of sins has left me feeling constricted and empty.

Is it possible to change one’s fate?

سار القوم والشقا يقعدني      حازوا القرب والجفا يبعدني

People march on, but my wretchedness has crippled me.
They’ve all attained proximity, but my gruffness has distanced me from God.

حسبي حسبي إلى متى تطردني    أعادي دائي وكلهم يقصدني

O my God, o my reliance! Until when will you cease repelling me from your door?

My demons are an affliction, desiring to finish me for good.

أسباب هواك أوهنت أسبابي    من بعد جفاك فالضني أولى بي

In desiring You, I have been made enfeebled and emaciated.
Ever since You’ve turned away from me, pain has been my lot.

ضاقت حيلي وأنت تدري ما بي      ارحم، فالعبد واقف بالباب

All my stratagems are of no use, you know exactly who I am.
So, have mercy—the slave stands outside Your door.

In Ramaḍān, the means of attaining God’s forgiveness multiply, some of them are as follows:

●  Fasting

●  Standing the night in prayer, and standing on the Night of Power in worship, as was discussed earlier

●  Giving iftār to those fasting and going easy on the servants that one may own. These two acts are specifically mentioned in a hadīth from Salmān al-Farsī رضي الله عنه.

●  Remembering God (dhikr). In a marfū’ hadīth, it is said, “The one who remembers God frequently (dhākir) in Ramaḍān is forgiven.”²³

●  Seeking forgiveness (istighfār). Istighfār is to request forgiveness from God. The du’ā of the one fasting is answered during the fast as well as at the time of breaking his fast. It is for this reason that Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنه when he would break his fast, would say, “O my dear God, O Ye vast in forgiveness! Forgive me!” There is also a marfū’ hadīth from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه regarding the virtue of the month of Ramaḍān, that those fasting “are forgiven, except he who balks and refuses.” He was asked, “O Abu Hurayrah! Who are those who balk and refuse?” He replied, “The one who balks and refuses to seek God’s forgiveness.”

●  The angels’ seeking of forgiveness for those fasting until they break their fast.

Seeing as how the means to forgiveness markedly increase in Ramaḍān, the one who misses this opportunity has indeed been left supremely deprived.

Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrates in the Sahīh of Ibn Hibbān²⁴ رحمه الله that the Prophet ﷺ once ascended the pulpit and said, “Āmīn! Āmīn! Āmīn!” He ﷺ was asked, “O Messenger of God ﷺ, we see that you have ascended the minbar and begun saying āmīn? For what reason?” He ﷺ replied, “Indeed, Jibrīl came to me and said,‘Whoever witnesses the month of Ramaḍān and leaves it without being forgiven shall enter the Fire, and God will distance Himself from him, so say Āmīn!’ And so I said, Āmīn! ‘And whoever has one or both parents still alive and are not dutiful towards, and then dies, shall enter the Fire, and God will distance Himself from him, so say Āmīn!’ And so I said, Āmīn! ‘And whoever mentions you to someone else, and he refuses to send prayers and blessings upon you, and then dies, shall enter the Fire, and God will distance Himself from him, so say Āmīn!’ And so I said, Āmīn!” Imām Ahmad²⁵ رحمه الله and Tirmidhī رحمه الله have also reported this hadīth. Ibn Hibbān رحمه الله reports it again in a different chain with a slightly different wording, which Imām Tirmidhī رحمه الله ranks as being hasan. Sa’īd رحمه الله is reported as saying on the authority of Qatāda رحمه الله that, “Whoever is not forgiven in Ramaḍān will never be forgiven outside of it.”

Another hadīth states, “If one is not forgiven in Ramaḍān, then when can such an unforgivable person ever be forgiven? How can one rejected on the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr) ever be accepted? How can one be rectified who fails to rectify himself in Ramaḍān? How can one be made healthy who carries within the dual diseases of ignorance and heedlessness? Any tree that does not bloom in Ramaḍān, the time when fruits are in full bloom, has indeed been cut off, and will soon become fuel for the Fire. Whoever neglects to sow seeds during planting season will not harvest anything on the Day of Harvest other than remorse and loss.

As the poet said:

ترحل الشهر وا لهفاه وانصرما         واختص بالفور في الجنات من خدما

The Month has departed, O how it breezed by and expired!

He who served and looked after Ramaḍān stands distinguished with the mark of victory, triumphant in the gardens of Paradise.

وأصبح الغافل المسكين منكسرا    مثلي فيا ويحه يا عظم ما حرما

The poor, heedless one awoke to find himself still broken, just like me. Woe is he, O how enormously deprived!

من فاته الزرع في وقت البذار فما    تراه يحصد إلا الهم والنداما

Whoever fails to sow seeds during planting season,

harvests nothing but anxiety and remorse.

The month of Ramaḍān is a month wherein the first third of it is characterized by mercy, the second third is characterized by forgiveness, and the last third is characterized by liberation from the Fire. This hadīth was narrated by the Prophet ﷺ through Salmān al-Farsī رضي الله. Ibn Khuzayma رحمه الله has reported it in his Sahīh.²⁶ The hadīth is also narrated through Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه. Ibn Abī Dunya رحمه الله and others have also reported it.

In reality, the entire month of Ramaḍān is characterized by mercy, forgiveness, and liberation. “Verily, the gates of mercy are flung open throughout Ramaḍān,” goes a sound hadīth.

Imām al-Tirmidhī²⁷ رحمه الله and others narrate another hadīth that, “Indeed, God has people whom he liberates from the Fire, and this he does on every night of Ramaḍān.” But in the first third of the month, mercy predominates, a type of mercy specifically for those who do good and those who have taqwa. For God says, “Indeed, the mercy of God is ever near to those who excel in doing good.”²⁸ And in other verse, God says, “And my mercy extends to everything. So, I shall write it for those who guard themselves against evil, and pay Zakāh.”²⁹

So, at the beginning of the month, the noble robes of mercy and Divine acceptance pour over those who have taqwa³⁰, and the People of Ihsān³¹ are treated with grace and beauty.

As for the middle of the month, forgiveness predominates it with those who fast being forgiven in the middle of the month even if they commit some minor sins; that does not prevent them from being forgiven, just as God has said; “Yet, indeed, your Lord has much forgiveness for people, in spite of their wrongdoing . . . .”³²

And as for the last of the month, those who are overcome with crimes and who have made the Fire obligatory on themselves through their wrongs and Greater Sins are freed from the Fire.

And as narrated in the marfū’ hadīth of Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه, “To God belong one thousand one thousand³³ freed ones from the Fire at sunset for each night in the month of Ramaḍān.”

And if it is the night of Jumu‘ah or the day of Jumu‘ah, a thousand thousand people are freed from the Fire each hour, all of whom had made the punishment obligatory on themselves through their actions.

And if it is the last night of the month of Ramaḍān, God frees in the following day a number of people equal to all the people He previously freed from the Fire from the start of the month until its end. Salamah bin Shabīb رحمه الله and others have reported this narration. And, indeed, the day of the breaking of the fast at the end of Ramaḍān is a celebration for the whole ummah because the People of Greater Sins from amongst those who fast are liberated from the Fire on that day, and the sinners join the ranks of the pious. This is just as the Day of Sacrifice³⁴ (Yawm al-Naḥr) is the greatest ‘Īd because the Day of ‘Arafah falls the day before, and the Day of ‘Arafah is a day unlike any other in this earthly life since the most people are freed from the Fire on the Day of ‘Arafah. So, whoever is freed from the Fire on those two days – the last day of Ramaḍān and the Day of ‘Arafah – has much to celebrate on the day of ‘Īd (the following day), and whoever misses the opportunity to be freed from the Fire on those two days has instead a day of reckoning.

Shiblī رحمه الله recites:

ليس عيد المحب قصد المصلي    وانتظار الأمير والسلطان

“The ‘Īd of the lover is not reaching the musallah³⁵

and waiting on the prince or ruler.

إنما العيد أن تكون لدى الله       كريما مقربا في أمان

Rather, the ‘Īd is for you to be in the presence of God,
ennobled, brought close in proximity to Him, in a state of peace.”

And one of the Knowers of God³⁶ was seen on the night of ‘Īd in an inconsolable state, crying over himself and reciting:

بحرمتي غربتي كم ذا صدود    ألا تعط على ألا تجود

By my inviolable estrangement, full of resistance;

will You not have pity on me and be generous.

سرور العيد قد عم النواحي     وحزني في ازدياد لا يبيد

The joy of ‘Īd has spread in the near environs;

yet my sorrow increases and will not go.

فإن كنت اقترفت خلال سوء    فعذري في الهوى أن لا يعود

For if I committed wrongs during Ramaḍān,

my loving apology is that I will not return to them.

And because forgiveness and freedom from the Fire are both based on fasting and praying at night during Ramaḍān, God commanded that we magnify Him and thank Him at Ramaḍān’s completion and said, “Rather, He wills, for you to complete the number of prescribed days – and that you shall extol God for the blessing of faith to which He has guided you, so that you may give thanks to Him alone for easing its way and establishing you therein.”³⁷ So, thanking the One who blessed his servants; by facilitating their fast, by helping them to fast, and by forgiving them for the fast, and by their liberation from the Fire—is accomplished by remembering Him, thanking Him, and heeding Him and giving Him due regard as befits Him. And, Ibn Mas’ūd رضي الله عنه explained that taqwa³⁸ of God is that He should be obeyed and not disobeyed, that He be remembered and not forgotten, and that He be thanked and not be shown ingratitude.

Therefore, O possessors of great sins,³⁹ take note of the spoils, the spoils in these generous days,⁴⁰ for there is no substitute to these priceless days. Behold how many of those who are guilty of outrages and crimes are freed from the Fire during these days; and whoever is freed from the Fire during these days has attained an all-encompassing prize and a vast gift.

O you who has been freed from the Fire by your Master! Do not dare return to the bondage of sins after you were freed. Do you draw close to the Fire as your Master distances you from it? And He saves you from the Fire while you land yourself in the Fire and do not swerve from it?

وإن امرءا ينجو من النار بعدما    تزود عن أعمالها لسعيد

And a man who escapes from the Fire after
provisioning himself with actions warranting it is felicitous.

If rahmah⁴¹ is for the muhsinīn,⁴² still the wrongdoer does not despair of it; and if forgiveness is written for those who have taqwa, still the one who oppresses his nafs⁴³ is not veiled from it.⁴⁴

إن كان عفوك لا يرجوه ذو خطأ       فمن يجود على العاصين بالكرم

If one with wrongs cannot hope for Your total forgiveness
who will be open-handed with generosity toward the transgressors

Another poet says:

إن كان لا يرجوك إلا محسن      فمن الذي يرجو ويدعو المذنب

If only the muhsin⁴⁵ can have hope in You
Then who will the sinner ask of and call upon?

And another poet says:

ثم لا يرجى العفو من ربنا     وكيف لا يطمع في حلمه

Why is total forgiveness⁴⁶ from our Lord not hoped for

and how could His forbearance not be coveted?

وفي الصحيحين أتى إنه    بعبده أرحم من أمه

In the Sahīhayn,⁴⁷ it is reported that God is
more merciful toward His servant than the servant’s own mother [is to the servant].⁴⁸

God says in the Qur’ān, “Say, O Prophet: God declares to humanity, ‘O My servants!
Those of you who have committed sins in great excess against their own souls, never despond of the mercy of God! For, indeed, God forgives sins, one and all…’”⁴⁹

So, O disobedient one – and we are all such – do not despair of God’s mercy because of the ill nature of your deeds; for many like you are freed from the Fire in these days. So, think well of your Master and repent to Him. For indeed no one is irretrievably lost before God except one who is truly damned.⁵⁰

إذا أوجعتك الذنوب فداوها    برفع يد في الليل والليل مظلم

If your sins pain you, treat them
by lifting a hand in the darkness of night⁵¹

ولا تقنعن من رحمة الله إنما     قنوطك منها من ذنوبك أعظم

And do not despair from God’s mercy for
that despair is itself a sin greater than your sins

فرحمته للمحسنين كرامة      ورحمته للمذنبين تكرم

For His mercy to the muhsinīn is a mark of honor for them
while His mercy to the mudhnibīn⁵² is a show of His generosity.

It is necessary for one who hopes to be freed from the Fire during Ramaḍān to undertake actions that make freedom from the Fire obligatory. Such actions are easy to undertake in this month. During the last part of Ramaḍān, Abu Qilābah رحمه الله used to free a beautiful, well-adorned handmaiden⁵³ in the hope that he would be freed from the Fire due to freeing her. And, in the marfū’ hadīth of the companion Salman⁵⁴ رضي الله عنه, which is recorded in the Sahīh of Ibn Khuzaymah ⁵⁵ رحمه الله , “Whoever provides the food upon which a fasting person breaks his fast during Ramaḍān, that will be a freeing of the Fire for the one who provided the food, and whoever lightens the burden of his bondsman during Ramaḍān, that will be an emancipation from the Fire.”

And in the same section of the same collection is the narration, “Increase in four actions during Ramaḍān, two that will please your Lord and two that you absolutely need. The two with which you will please your Lord are:

1. Bearing witness that there is no God but God, and

2. Seeking forgiveness.⁵⁶

As for the two that that you cannot do without, they are:

1. That you ask God for the Garden, and

2. That you seek protection in God from the Fire.

So, these are the four actions mentioned in this hadīth, each of which is a means for freedom from the Fire and for forgiveness. As for the Profession of Divine Unicity (Kalimat al-Tawhid),⁵⁷ it destroys sins and erases them completely, with no sin remaining, and no actions come before it. And it is the equivalent of the freeing of the slaves, which obligates the freedom from the Fire.

And whoever utters the Kalimat ul-Tawhid four times when he awakens in the morning and when he goes to sleep at night, God will free him from the Fire. And whoever says it sincerely, from his heart, God forbids the Fire from him.

As for the Kalimat al-Istighfār (the Utterance of Seeking Forgiveness),⁵⁸ it is among the greatest causes of forgiveness. Istighfār is to pray for forgiveness, and the prayer of a fasting person is answered during his fasting state and when he breaks his fast.

The marfū’ hadīth of Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه states, “People are forgiven in it [meaning Ramaḍān] except he who balks and refuses.” He was asked, “O Abu Hurayrah! Who are those who balk and refuse?” He, Abu Hurayrah, answered, “Whoever refuses to seek forgiveness from God, mighty and majestic.”

Al-Hasan⁵⁹ رحمه الله said, “Increase in seeking forgiveness from God for you know not when God’s mercy will descend.” And, Luqman رضي الله عنه said to his son, “O my son, accustom your tongue to seek forgiveness, for God has certain hours during which no seeker will be rejected.”

And God has joined between tawhīd and istighfār in His saying, may He be exalted, “Know well, then, that there is no God but the One God. So steadfastly seek much forgiveness for your sin.”⁶⁰ It is also reported in some traditions that, “Satan said, ‘I have destroyed people with sins, and they have destroyed me with (saying) La ilāha illa Allāh and by making istighfār,” and istighfār is the seal of all righteous acts; you end your prayers, Hajj, and Qiyām al-Layl⁶¹ with it, and gatherings⁶² are concluded with it. If it is said in remembrance in the heart, it is like a stamp upon the heart, and, if it is said out loud, it is an expiation of sins for the action that was concluded with the utterance of seeking forgiveness. And, in the same vein, it is necessary that one’s Ramaḍān fasting be concluded with istighfār.

Umar ibn Abd al-‘Aziz⁶³ رحمه الله wrote to the various provinces under his rule, commanding them to conclude the month of Ramaḍān with istighfār and sadaqah,⁶⁴ sadaqat al-fiṭr,⁶⁵ for sadaqat al-fiṭr is a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and vulgarity. Istighfār mends what was depleted, by idle talk⁶⁶ and vulgarity, from one’s fasting. It is for this reason that one of the earlier scholars said, “Indeed, Sadaqat al-Fiṭr for the faster is analogous to the prostration of forgetfulness for the prayer.”

Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz رضي الله عنه, also instructed in his letter:

“Say what your father, our Master, Adam عليه السلام said, ‘Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves! And if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we shall most surely be among the losers of an everlasting Paradise.’⁶⁷ And say as our master Nūh عليه السلام said, ‘And if You do not forgive me and have mercy upon me, I shall be among the losers of an everlasting Paradise.’⁶⁸ And say as our master Ibrahīm عليه السلام said, ‘And He is the One who I hope shall forgive me my misdeeds on the Day of Judgment.’⁶⁹ And say as our Master Mūsa عليه سلام said, ‘My Lord! I have, indeed, wronged myself, so forgive me . . . .’⁷⁰ And say as our master Dhul-Nūn⁷¹ عليه السلام said, ‘There is no God but You! Highly exalted are You! Indeed, I was of the wrongdoers!’”⁷²

And it is reported that the Sahabi Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه said, “Ghība⁷³ rips apart one’s fast, and istighfār mends what was ripped from one’s fast.” So, whoever can present an undamaged fast should do so. Similarly, Ibn al-Munkadir رحمه الله states, “Fasting is a shield from the Fire so long as you do not damage it, and obscenity damages this shield. And istighfār mends the damage you have done.”

So, our fasting requires beneficial istighfār and righteous actions, which will intercede for our fast. How many times have we damaged our fasting through the (harmful) arrows of our words, then we mend our fasting despite the extent of the damage. How many times have we patched the tears in our fasting with the needle of good deeds, only to cut it again with the sharp sword of bad deeds. One of the righteous predecessors would ask God  for forgiveness upon finishing their salat⁷⁴ for the shortcomings therein, just as a sinner seeks forgiveness for his sins. If this is the state of the muhsinīn⁷⁵ regarding their worship, then how should the state of wrongdoers, such as us, regarding our worship be? Have mercy on the one whose good deeds are sins and whose obedience, all of it, consists of heedless acts.

أستغفر الله من صيامي    طول زماني ومن صلاتي

I seek forgiveness from God for the shortcomings in my fasting

and my prayers throughout my life.

صيامنا كله خروق    وصلاته أيما صلاتي

Our fasting and prayer, all of it, is tattered with holes
And my prayer – what can I even say about my prayer?

مستيقٌظ في الدجى ولكن   أحسن من يقظتي سباتي

Though I am awake in the darkness of the night (in prayer),

my sleep is better than my wakefulness.

The instruction of the Prophet ﷺ to ‘Ā’isha عليها السلام to ask for a total pardoning from one’s sins (‘afw) during Laylat al-Qadr⁷⁶ also indicates the need for istighfār and good deeds; so, we should be like the believer who exerts himself in fasting and prayer in the Month of Ramaḍān, and who, when the end of Ramaḍān draws near and he encounters Laylat al-Qadr, asks God for nothing except His ‘afw, as if he were a criminal or neglectful. Silah ibn Ashyam⁷⁷ رحمه الله used to enliven the night,⁷⁸ and he would say in his du’ā at the time of suhūr,⁷⁹ “Our Lord, I ask You to keep me from the Fire, and it would be audacious for one like me to ask you for the Garden.” Likewise, Mutarrif⁸⁰ رحمه الله used to say in his du’ā, “Our Lord, be pleased with us; and if you are not pleased with us, then pardon us.”

Yahya bin Mu’ādh رضي الله عنه said, “A gnostic is one who’s ultimate objective is to attain God’s pardon.”

إن كنت لا أصلح للقرب     فشأنك عفو من الذنب

Even if I did not mend my ways to draw near You,

Your affair is the complete pardon of sin

The most beneficial form of seeking forgiveness (istighfār) is that which is accompanied by repentance (tawba), and tawba is the solution to the problem of persistent sinning.⁸¹ But whoever seeks repentance with his tongue while his heart remains inclined to committing acts of disobedience, is determined to return to disobedience after Ramaḍān, and does, in fact, return to sin, then his fasting is rejected, and the gate of acceptance (by God of his fasting) is blocked.

K’āb رحمه الله said, “Whoever fasts in Ramaḍān with a firm resolution that when Ramaḍān is complete he will not disobey God, will enter the Garden without any questioning or reckoning. And whoever fasts Ramaḍān firmly intent upon disobedience at its completion, his fast is rejected.” This was narrated by Salamah bin Shabīb⁸² رحمه الله.

ولولا التقى ثم النهى خشية الردى    لعاصيتك في وقت الصبا كل زاجر

Were it not for piety, then intellect and fear of ruin;
I would have defied every restriction as often as the breeze blows.

قضى ما قضي فيما مضي ثم لا ترى    له عودة أخرى الليالي اللغوابر

Yet, He decreed whatever He willed in what has come to pass;

Bygone nights will not be seen returning once more.

In the Sunan of Abu Dawūd رحمه الله and other (books of narration), it is reported on the authority of Abu Bakrah رضي الله عنه, that the Messenger ﷺ said, “None of you should say, ‘I fasted Ramaḍān’ or ‘I stood in worship throughout the whole month.’” Abu Bakrah رضي الله عنه comments, “I do not know if this was because he disliked ascribing piety to one’s self (tazkiyah) or that there was no way to avoid some degree of negligence in our acts of worship.”

Where is the one who when he fasts, safeguards the fast, and the one who when he stands in worship, is truly upright in establishing the qiyām? Such people have perfected their Islam and have departed from this world in peace; none now remain except those who, if they fast, boast and brag, and who, if they stand to pray at night, are enamored with themselves. What a difference exists between those free from worry and anxiety, between one conscious of life’s purpose and those unaware, and from those who conceal their good deeds and those who display them.

And what are from the most important du’ā concerning asking for paradise and refuge from Hellfire? The Prophet ﷺ said, “It is regarding those two (Jannah and Jahannam) that we are whispering.”⁸³

So, the one who fasts hoping for the acceptance of his du’ā, should not make a du’ā except for the most important of matters. Abu Muslim⁸⁴ رحمه الله said, “No opportunity for du’ā arose except that I used it to seek protection from the hellfire, and he said “The people of Hell and the people of Paradise are not equal. The people of Paradise are the successful.”⁸⁵

In the hadīth, “Seek the best of all of your time,⁸⁶ present yourself to the breezes of your Lord’s mercy because God has breezes from His mercy that are granted to whomsoever of His servants that He wills. And ask God that He hides your weaknesses and that He provides you security in states of fear. So, whoever is touched by the breeze of mercy, becomes successful and he will never become unsuccessful ever. And from the greatness of His breezes is the swiftness in the timing of acceptance when the servant asks for Paradise and protection from the Hellfire, and so his request is granted and he becomes victorious with eternal success.

God says, “So, whoever has been kept away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has really succeeded.”⁸⁷

And He also says, “As for those who are wretched, they shall be in the Fire. For them there is nothing but crying and howling.”⁸⁸
He also says, following that, “As for those who are blessed, they shall be in Paradise.”⁸⁹

ليس السعيد الذي دنياه تسعده     إن السعدي الذي ينجو من النار

He is not truly successful the one who succeeds in this worldly life;
Indeed, the truly successful one is the one who is protected from Hellfire’s flame.

O Servants of God! Indeed, the month of Ramaḍān has determined to depart, and nothing but a little of it remains. So, whoever from you spent it well should finish it the same way, and whoever is falling behind should finish it in the best manner, for the reward of actions are determined by their ending.

So, benefit from it what has remained of its passing days and nights, and bequeath to it good actions that will testify for you in the presence of the All-Knowing King, and bid farewell to it at the time of its departure with the purest greetings and with peace.

سلام من الرحمان كل أوان       على خير شهر قد مضي وزمان

Peace from the Merciful every time
upon the best month that has passed.

سلام على شهر الصيام فإنه     أمان من الرحمان أي أمان

Peace upon the month of fasting for it is
a sanctuary from the most Merciful for all the protection that you need.

لئن فنيت أيامك الغر بغتة    فما الحزن من قلبي عليك بفان

Even if your days of loftiness have passed quickly,
the sadness my heart has for you will not go away.

Indeed, its days have passed, and you did not take heed, and the sins of this month and what you lost have been written upon you, and you are just like the ones who busy themselves in disobedience, until they overreach and are cut off! Do you see yourself in this reproach? Have you not heard?!

ما ضاع من أيامنا هم يغرم   هيهات  الأزمان كيف تقوم

What can be ransomed from what has been lost from our days,

how far-fetched! How can the times be regained?

يوم بأرواح يباع ويشتري   وأخوه ليس يسام فيه درهم

That Day in which the souls are sold and bought
That Day when one’s own brother will refuse to give a single dirham towards bail.

The hearts of the muttaqīn in this month are happy; and from the pain of its separation, they feel hurt.

دهاك الفراق فما تصنع     أتصبر للبين أم تجزع

Separation from one’s beloveds has overwhelmed you, but what can do you do now? Can you endure this distance, or will you be engulfed in anguish?

إذ كنت تبكي وهم جيرة    فكيف تكون إذا ودعوا

If you cry over their leaving while they remain your neighbors,

What will be your state when they finally bid you farewell?

How do the tears not run down for the believer upon its separation, and he does not know if he has years left for him to return to it (the month of Ramaḍān)?

تذكرت أياما مضت ولياليا    خلت فجرى من ذكرهن الدموع

Tears flowed from my eyes when I remembered those days and nights that have now passed.

ألا هل لها يوما من الدهر عودة    وهل لي إلى وقت الوصال رجوع

Will there come another day in time when those days and nights return?

And will I have a chance to return to them to?

وهل بعد إعراض الحبيب تواصل    وهل لبدور قد أفلن طلوع

And will there be a connection after the Beloved has turned away?

And will full moons, having set, ever rise again?

Where is the burning of the strivers (mujtahidīn) in its day? Where is the restlessness of the prayers of tahajjud in its dawn?

اسمع أنين العاشقين       إن استطعت له سماعا

Hear the wailings of the lovers
if you are able to hear it.

راح الحبيب فشيعته        مدامعي  تهمي سراعا

The beloved has gone away,
so my tears have come down quickly and forcefully.

لو كلف الجبال الأصم     فراق إلف ما الستطاعا

If the deaf and mighty mountain was burdened with tolerating such, it would not be able to bear the pangs of separation.

If there is regret for the one who benefited from it, then what will be the condition of the one who lost out on its days and its nights? What will benefit the one who cried excessively, and his ordeal magnified in it and his grief increased? How much was the miskīn⁹⁰ advised but did not accept the advice? How much was he invited to reform but he did not respond? How many people he witnessed reaching their objectives while he stayed away from it. How many times he passed by the group of those who were walking while he was sitting, until the time became short and anger came between him. He became remorseful over his negligence at the time when remorse does not benefit him, and he sought to reach it in the time where it was no longer there.

أتترك من تحب وأنت جار     وتطلبهم إذا بعد المزار

Did you leave those you claim to love while they resided near you as neighbors,
but you seek them out now, when traveling to visit them has become a journey?

وتبكي بعد نأيهم اشتياقا    وتسأل في المنازل أين ساروا

And you cry out in longing after they have gone, seeking to meet them

asking the entire town, ‘Where have they left to?!’

تركت سؤالهم وهم حضور     وترجو أن تخبرك الديار

You yourself ignored their petition while they were present nearby,
Yet now you regretfully hope after them, asking for details of their whereabouts.

فنفسك لم ولا تلم المطايا    ومت كمدا فليس لك اعتذار

So, blame yourself, blame not those camels that carried them away. Die heartbroken, for you have no excuse.

O month of Ramaḍān, show us affection, the tears of the lovers flow, their hearts split from the pain of separation. Perhaps pausing a bit to bid farewell to you will help put out what the fire of passion has kindled, perhaps a moment of repentance and restraint will mend all that was torn from the fast; perhaps one cut off from the caravan of the maqbulīn (those whom God accepts) will be able to follow them; perhaps the prisoner of burdens will be relieved; perhaps the one for whom the Fire is obligatory will be liberated from its torment; perhaps the mercy of the Master will be facilitated for the sinner.

عسى عسى من قبل وقت التفرق        إلا كل ما ترجو من الخير ترتقي

And perhaps, perhaps, before the time comes to part

you will attain all the good for which you hoped

فيجبر المكسور ويقبل التائب         ويعتق خطاء ويسعد من شقي

Such that the broken will be repaired, and the one who repents from sin will be accepted, and the sinner will be relieved, and the unfortunate will be become fortunate.