What plans had you made for Ramadhaan?
Had you finally saved up enough to visit the house of your Lord for Umrah this year, yearning to respond to the call of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him?
Had you dreamed of spending your days in i’tikaf in Masjid Nabawi, reminiscing that many noble companions before you had worshiped on the same land?
Had you committed to seeking out a masjid, where the imam would complete the recitation of the Qur’aan meticulously in taraaweh, from alBaqarah to anNaas?
Had you spearheaded the tafseer program in your local masjid, put the logistics in motion so that the well-versed scholar would be there, every evening to inspire the congregation?
Had you signed up for the iftar fundraising campaign, to ensure that all the needy and not so needy in the neighborhood would get a hearty meal every iftar?
Have all these well laid, sincere plans suddenly gone up in smoke? I remember a time when my best laid plans went awry, nothing close to this magnitude but it did seem monumental to a young me back then.
وَإِنَّا بِفِرَاقِكَ يَا مدّثّر لَمَحْزُونُون
I was attending the KBC – Knowledge Builder Course in Lagos and Brother Niyi had kindly agreed to host me for its duration. So not only was I going to have the opportunity to learn my deen by the day, I was also going to be able to continue learning in the evening at his home and as it turned out, I also got to learn even in the depths of the night.
I remember waking up in the last third of the night. As I stepped out of the room in our (ladies and kids) side of the house, I could hear his voice reciting sonorously and meticulously from the living room. He had already started his tahajjud and I remember wishing that I’d marry a man who would remember His lord in the depths of the night like he did. May Allaah forgive him, widen his grave, grant an excellent abode in hereafter, accept all his good deeds and reward him with jannatul-firdaus, aamiin. He did go on to match me with my husband so… : )
Just as I was settling in and soaking up all the knowledge and practice of the deen as much as I could, my abdomen starting hurting badly and I’d wince in pain while laughing. I spoke to my mum on the phone about it and she asked that I come back home. I tried to convince her that I could bear it till the end of KBC but she insisted. And so my sojourn came to an abrupt end. Got home, did all the tests and abdominal scan, and I was just fine, nothing was wrong with me.
Had I given up the experience and lost out on the reward for a pain that was almost phantom? Have you lost out on the deeds and the reward from all the plans you have given up to comply with the restrictions?
No! Rather for you is the reward for that which you already put forth as Allaah assures us:
Verily! As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, certainly! We shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner.
And also, for you is the reward for that which you had intended but hadn’t even acted upon:
“Allah decreed good deeds and bad deeds, then He explained that. Whoever thinks of doing a good deed then does not do it, Allah will write it down as one complete good deed. If he thinks of doing a good deed and then does it, Allah will write it down between ten and seven hundred fold, or many more”. Al-Bukhari 6491
How generous is our Lord who magnifies the reward of His slaves. Verily our Lord is the Most Magnificent, The Most Generous, The Most Loving, The Rich, The Benefactor, The Bestower. Glory be to Him, for HE is the Best of those who give.
AnAayahAtATime 