Assalamu Alaykum...

When we look at the islamic date, 21st Ramadhaan, each of us think of one thing: ALREADY!!!
Allah alone knows where the time has flown. Each one of us look down deep in to our hearts and feel somewhat guilty for not making the most of the precious moments we have been blessed with.

Looking at the Qur'aan Shareef and Ahaadeeth-e-Mubaarakah, we learn that this month was granted to us for us to gain certain things.

*Taqwa
*Forgiveness from our Creator
*Entrance into Jannah
*Emancipation from the Hell-Fire.

Without going into much detail on each of them, I just want to highlight the second one. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said Ameen to the badd-dua of Jibra-eel that a person who finds this month and yet does not attain the forgiveness of Allah deserves nothing but doom and destruction!

We should bear in mind that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was Rahmatul-lil-'Alameen, a mercy unto mankind. His love for his Ummah exceeded all limits. Allah says in the Qur'aan itself, that even the tiniest amount of distress suffered by an Ummati was too difficult for him to tolerate. He did not lift his head from Sajdah for three days, during which he did not even speak to anyone who wished to see him, when he heard that a portion of his Ummah who will commit major sins and die without repenting will enter Jahannam. I would require a lot of time to mention all the various incidents that demonstrate the intense love and compassion that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had for his Ummah, but it being the month of Ramadhaan, time is limited so I'll just share the point of it all with you, which is to understand how wretched and unfortunate such a person must be, who is deprived of forgiveness even in this beautiful month. A month during which Allah's mercy is knows no bounds. If we fail to have our sins forgiven now, then there is little hope for us, as even the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw such people as worthy of his badd-dua)

So inshaAllah in the last few days we have, we should strive to ensure that before the end of this month we are sin-free. And we should bear in mind all the conditions that apply for the acceptance of Tawba:

*To refrain from the sin
*To sincerely regret upon committing it in the past
*To make a firm resolution to never do it again
*And if the sin involves the rights of people then to fulfill those rights.

Unfortunately very often it is seen that we are making Tawba, even crying and begging for forgiveness, but inside our pockets the mobile is beeping away, signaling text messages received from illicit beloveds. Or we have every intention to go out with the lads later on for entertainment of Haram nature. May Allah protect us all.

I leave u with a hadeeth i heard from Shaykh Zulfiqaar Ahmed, Naqshbandi (db) last night. The Shaykh was highlighting the importance of honouring Ramadhaan enough to abstain from all forms of sin in this month. He mentioned an incident that will take place on the day of Qiyaamah, where the Prophet (sallaahu alayhi wa sallam) will see a young lad from his Ummah being whipped severely by the angels. He will ask the angels why they are whipping him in this manner, to which they will reply that he did not refrain from sin in Ramadhaan, and then death came to him suddenly. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) will naturally not be able to bear looking at his Ummati being whipped, despite being very angry at him for dishonouring Ramadhaan. He will ask them to spare him, as the boy will be holding on to him for help, but they will not stop. So the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) will go with him to Allah to intercede on his behalf, although he will still be suppressing his anger. Allah will say, he has wronged Ramadhaan by committing sins during the blessed month, so there is nothing I can do. It is between him and Ramadhaan. Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) shall say, "then tell me, where is Ramadhaan?, so that i can intercede to Ramadhaan on the boy's behalf". Allah will reply, "Ramadhaan is gone, neither I nor you, nor anybody knows where Ramadhaan is". The boy will still cling on to the prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) while the angels will continuously lash him until eventually they will pull him free from the prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and fling him into the the fire of Jahannam.

May Allah bless is with the divine ability to honour this month and value it as it is ought to be honoured and valued. Ameen.