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It is time to say farewell… أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ… “the numbered days” reach their end with the profound feeling that despite all our efforts and striving, in reality, we were unable to do justice to this month as it rightfully deserved. What should our feelings be at this time? Is my heart quivering in the same way that as described in the Qur’an?
[The Way of the Believers after Ramadan]
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوا وَّقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ
“And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord.” [Al-Muminoon 23: 60]
In other words, do we have the kind of actions in our Book of Deeds that will save us from humiliation and punishment on the Day of Judgment? The heart cries out:
O our Lord! Look not at our actions but at Your All-Encompassing Mercy. Grant us closeness
to Yourself not because of our worship but because of Your endless Bounty. Make worship the coolness of our eyes. Bless us with sincerity. Forgive us without reckoning because Your Mercy is Vast…What little we managed to do during this Ramadan was only due to Your special favor upon us and what we couldn’t do was due to our own negligence and fault.
We submit our meager investments unto You
And You are All-Knowing of our deficiencies and excesses.
O our Lord, make us steadfast on the straight path for the rest of our life and do not deprive us of any opportunity to do good. Aameen.
[Ramadan, My Dear Guest, I’m Sorry]
Self-Analysis
Did this Ramadan bring about any change in me?