By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban
How does it feel like when you come to realise that Ramadan is going by so fast and you vehemently struggle to catch its last gifts?
Resolutions, Resolutions
Do you remember how many times have you made resolutions like learning something, going on a diet, visiting a person or a place, or making significant accomplishments, but things turn sour?
I’m sure this is always happening to most of us. Sometimes you just give up. Maybe the incentives to achieve them have not been worthwhile for you to put the necessary physical and mental cost. But what if you know that the incentives and rewards for worship in Ramadan, especially the last ten days, are beyond our imagination?
A rescue plan
Before the holy month starts, we usually set plans for extensive and devoted worship, hoping to get the maximum gains of this blessed annual occasion. “We gonna, God willing, read the whole Qur’an several times,” we say to ourselves. “ We gonna pray a lot both solely and in congregation: day and night, give charity, have more self-control and self-discipline, be fully dedicated to worshipping the Almighty Allah, etc.” Time passes day after day after day. Sometimes, we do fairly well and feel so close to Allah. We talk to Him. We ask Him. We tearfully complain to Him. A feeling of powerlessness and worthlessness is hitting us hard. But we deeply realise that the spiritual link to our Creator, to whom you submit and surrender, empowers us and keeps us spiritually alive. And sometimes, life problems and affairs kidnap us, steal our time and energy and distract us, making it extremely difficult for us to stay focused and determined enough to go on with our plans.
Excavating the self
Hankering after repentance for year-long sinning and messing up, we try to pull ourselves out of minute, distracting issues that consume us and drain our energy. Ramadan is an opportunity to heal our scars, fix our broken, misguided hearts and quench the thirst of our souls for peace and mercy. So, what a gift! For many i’tikaf, which is to stay at a mosque during these days partially or completely until the end of Ramadan, enables them to cut off from the routines of daily life: work, business, shopping, entertainment, intimacy with spouse, etc. that clutter the space in our hearts designed for connecting to Allah. Others try hard to stay home and get the job done, staying up almost the whole nights praying, reading Qur’an, remembering Allah, asking Him to forgive their shortcomings.
The night of Al-Qadr
This is the night of decree or power. It means the so majestic, blessed night. Observed in the last days of Ramadan, worship during the night equals worship in one thousand months. This is the real Biggest prize, with the capital B. It is the night in which the Qur’an was revealed. It is the night in which angles come down carrying out orders of Allah, which have to do with everything to happen in the following year is destined, and showering worshippers with Allah’s peace and mercy
We relentlessly keep asking Him for favors and blessings beyond limits. We never feel that in so doing we lose face, nor do we grapple with a sense of embarrassment, disrespect or humiliation. On the contrary, we have a firm belief that He will not turn down our requests and supplications. We have a deeply-rooted conviction that sinning is an intrinsic part of human nature. We are not created angels and our Creator is always there by us forgiving and pouring mercy and gifts. Interestingly, the closer we get to Allah, the more supplications and the more requests we tirelessly make. We never feel that this is face threatening even during our utmost weakness. We stand in front of Him, fully aware that He is the Carer, the Forgiver, the Giver, the Merciful, the Powerful, the One with infinite blessings.
No more delay
And as I was writing this article, relaxing on the couch, I took a small nap, but the iconic song of Sherifa Fadel tamm ilbadr badri ( the moon cycle of Ramadan is complete too soon) was being broadcast. The heart- touching song awakened me with more agonising pain for witnessing the end of Ramadan hastily approaching. But, fortunately an adrenaline rush was instantly released in me. I literally jumped off the couch, full of energy, performed ablution and started praying. I felt that so much precious time has passed and I have a long list of things to do. Charity work I planned to do during the whole year must be put in action now. No more delay. I do not know whether I will be given other Ramadans. It’s time to get more connected to myself, my family, my neuighbors and my community. It’s time to break the chains that have locked me for so long in an endless spiral of heartache that consumes me and displaces me far away from my true comfort zone.
By Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban Professor of linguistics Faculty of Arts Kafr el-sheikh University
Email: laila.elghalban@art.kfs.edu.eg
