Ramadan: the Greatest Opportunity

The greatest month is almost upon us, a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is a protection from the fire.
Abu Hurairah (raa) relates the Messenger of Allah (saws) said when one Ramadan came: “A blessed month has arrived. Observing it in fasting is mandated on you. During this month, the gates of Paradise will be opened and the gates of Hellfire will be closed. The evil ones (Shayaatin) will be handcuffed. In it there is one night during which worship is better than worship in a thousand months. Whoever is denied its blessings has been denied the biggest blessing.” (Related by Ahmed, Nasaae and Bayhaqi)
All praise is due to Allah for guiding us to Islam, and for allowing us to witness another Ramadan. Let us use this month as an opportunity to perfect our prayers, beg forgiveness for our sins, and purify our souls from our mistakes and flaws.
Let us also thank Allah for all of His favors upon us, which are too many to count. There is so much we take for granted, so much we forget to thank Allah for. If we have security from violence, a roof over our head, and food on our table, then we already have more than many people in the world. Let us take stock of our lives and try to number our blessings: we will see they are limitless.
This is a month when prayers are answered, so all of you out there reading this, always remember to call upon Allah on behalf of our Muslim brothers and sisters who are struggling all over the world:
• Call upon Allah to help the Muslims of China, who are being terribly persecuted by the Communist government.
• Call upon Allah on behalf of your brothers and sisters in Syria and Palestine, who are struggling in the cause of Allah for freedom and dignity.
• Ask Allah to relieve the suffering of the Rohingya people; they are being targeted for genocide by the government of Myanmar (Burma).
• Remember in your du’aa the Muslims of Somalia, the Congo, and every place where the Muslims are struggling for their deen, their freedom, and their lives.
Ramadan is an opportunity for us to help our brothers and sisters through the power of dua’.
Finally, when you are fasting and you feel the pangs in your stomach, and later when you break your fast, remember:
• If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep … you are richer than 75% of this world.
• If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace … you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
• If you woke up this morning with more health than illness … you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
• If you can attend an Islamic meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death … you are more blessed than many of the people in the world.
May Allah accept this Ramadan from us, and may He make this Ramadan a time of purification, growth and strength for all of us.