The clock is ticking
By Dr Laila Abdel Aal
Alghalban
Professor of
linguistics & Chairperson of the Department of English
Faculty of Arts
Kafrelsheikh University
How does it feel like
when you come to realize that Ramadan is going by so fast and you vehemently
struggle to catch its last gifts?
It was the third Friday
in Ramadan. The Quran was being recited in the nearby mosques. The smoldering
heat over the previous two days and the weather warnings had fanned the flames
of overheating and chained people indoors. " Oh my God," I said to my
overwhelmed self. "Ramadan is going by so fast. How come! It has
just begun. The clock is ticking and what can I do to save the day?"
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 pay the necessary physical and mental
price. But what if you know that the incentives and rewards for worship in
Ramadan and 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 Quran 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 realize
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 yourself 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 the Qur'an, remembering Allah, and 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, 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 agonizing 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.
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. The zone where I can
stay happy while battling life tests.
It's time to stop
writing! You and I, hurry up because the clock is ticking.
Have blessed last ten
days of Ramadan!
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