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By
Imam Tajudeen Ibn Ibrahim
All praise is due to none but Allah, The Lord of the heavens and earth. He created Prophet Adam and taught him the names of everything, He commanded the Angels to prostate before Him, and made him live in Jannah, paradise the home of eternity. He equally warned him against the evil plots of Satan, the most vicious enemy.
It is He, Allah Who has made this world a place of work and struggles, not a place of reward or retribution, as our recompense will only come in the Hereafter. He says in the Holy Quran, in Surah Al-Imran, verse 185 : "Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful.The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).
So, you can see what true success is!
We are eternally grateful to Allah for His avalanche of bounties on us, and particularly for making us witness the Blessed Month Of Ramadan. I testify wholeheartedly that none is worthy of worship but Allah Alone and I testify that Prophet Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May an outpouring of Allah's peace and benediction be upon him, his household and companions and all believers in his doctrine till the last day.
O servants of Allah, be conscious of Allah in every move you make and every step you take, for verily, Taqwa, God consciousness is the most profitable asset of a believer.
O servants of Allah, true success is not determined by inordinate acquisition of mundane possessions; be it wealth, wives, children or position, true success however, is getting admitted into paradise and being shielded from the Hellfire. May Allah grant us Jannah and protect us from the fire.
O servants of Allah, as the blessed month of Ramadan draws the curtains, there abides with us it's last days, which are it's noblest. These days are a last chance for those who have misused the earlier days of this month, and also a graceful end for those who have been consistent in worship right from the first day.
As the blessed month announces it departure, it is important to carry out self introspection and evaluation. The importance of this is to make amends if we have fallen short, or increase our virtues if we have done well, as no one is guaranteed of witnessing another Ramadan.
Allah says in Surah Al-Hashr, verse 18 "O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow - and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is acquainted with what you do".
Shaykh Abdur Rahman As-Sa'di says with respect to this verse : " This verse speaks about the importance of self evaluation by a servant of Allah. If he finds himself sinful, he should hasten to sincere repentance, and If he finds himself falling short in carrying out Allah's commands, he should strive hard and seek Allah's assistance in fulfilling His obligation s."
Umar Ibn al-Khattab is authentically reported to have said: "Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable and weigh your deeds before they are weighed for you. It will be easy for you tomorrow (the day of judgement) should you evaluate yourself today, and be prepared for the great assembly on a Day when all things will be revealed and nothing will be hidden."
O servants of Allah as the blessed draws the curtains, do not forget Zakatul Fitr; fast-breaking zakaat. Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrated a traceable Hadith that, “The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has ordained the fast-breaking zakat as a purification for the fasting person from vain talk and obscenity and as a feeding for the needy.” [Reported by Abu Dawud and authenticated by Al-Albani]
Among the evidence that it is obligatory is
the Hadith of Abdullah Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, who said, “The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, ordained the fast-breaking zakat as a sâ’ (One Sâ’ = 3 Kilograms approx.) of dates or of barley upon Muslims, free men as well as on slaves, males and females and young and old people. He ordained it to be paid before people went out to offer the feast prayer.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari].
May Allah accept our fasts and other acts of worship. May He grant us Jannah, paradise, and protect us from the Hellfire.
IMAM TAJUDEEN IBN IBRAHIM is the Grand Chief Imam of Akoko-Edo. He writes from Akoko Edo Local Government Area, Edo State.
