Ramadan Kareem

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam,
 
Assalamu Alaikum! Once again we are blessed with the month of Ramadan, Alhamdulillah. I would like to take this opportunity to remind myself and everyone else that our efforts should be aimed at taking full advantage of this blessed month.

We must work at attaining taqwa, Allah consciousness, which is outlined by Allah (SWT) in the Holy Quran as the sole objective of our fast. Let us try our best to be worthy of His mercy, forgiveness and salvation from the Hellfire.
 
We should be particularly mindful of and attentive to strengthening our personal relationship with Allah (SWT). Allah has blessed us by giving us numerous outlets by which to garner his reward. We can study the Qur’an during this month more than ever before, observe our fast in a commendable manner, perform Salatut Taraweeh and Qiyamul Lail (and if possible Itikaf during the last ten days), share our wealth with the less fortunate servants of Allah and donate for al birr (righteous and worthy causes that multiply our reward) as much as we can. Let’s remember that piety and charity are two of Islam’s defining characteristics. Although they are mentioned separately, they are closely linked because piety cannot be attained if one ignores charity.
 
Let us be more careful and caring while dealing with people (both Muslim and non Muslim), cleanse our hearts and tongues and perfect our daily dealings; as we all know, fixing and improving ourselves in these areas is critical to attaining Allah’s pleasure.
 
Last but not the least, we will all strive to make improvements in our daily lives during this blessed month. Let us identify at least one positive habit or good deed that has become part of our routine this Ramadan and make a pledge to continue performing it for the rest of the year. When our beloved Prophet (peace be up on him) was asked, “What deeds are most pleasing to Allah?” he replied, “The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few.” (Bukhari)
 
May Allah (SWT) bless us all and our families with peace, tranquility, strong Iman, and healthy and active life, and also give us the best of this world and the Hereafter. Ameen.
 
Your brother in Islam,
 
Zahid H. Bukhari