A few days ago, I came across a video featuring a brother who yearned for the arrival of Ramadan and had been preparing diligently for it. However, before he could witness this sacred month, he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and passed away; his companions then offered the funeral prayer for him. What a sobering lesson! We often entertain grand aspirations and make meticulous plans, yet when the moment ordained by Allah arrives, it neither hastens nor delays. This serves as a profound reminder of our fleeting existence in this world—and that no matter how long we live, the grave is inevitable. Indeed, life is but a brief hour; let us fill it with obedience.

As the poet observes:
“Though one may live in safety for a time,
The day will come when he is borne upon a slanted bier.”

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (may Allah have mercy on him) poignantly said:

“You are nothing but a collection of days; whenever one day passes, part of you passes away.”
(Hilyat al-Awliyāʾ by Abū Nuʿaym al-Aṣbahānī)

He also remarked:

“The best day for a believer is the one in which his righteous deeds increase, and the worst day is when they diminish.”
(As cited in certain works on asceticism and ethics)

From this, two essential insights emerge:

1. Every Second of Our Lives Is a Priceless, Irreplaceable Opportunity

Time is not exclusively valuable during Ramadan; each day is an asset that must never be squandered. When our righteous deeds increase, we gain immeasurably—but if we let these precious moments slip away in heedlessness, we are truly the losers.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) highlighted the urgency of using every moment and constantly preparing for our meeting with Allah. In an authentic narration, he said:

“Remember death during your prayer. For if a person remembers death while praying, he is more likely to perfect his prayer. Pray like a man who thinks he will not perform another prayer.”
(Reported by al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr)

He (peace be upon him) also stated:

“Pray a farewell prayer.”
(Reported by Ibn Mājah)
Meaning: Perform each prayer as if it were your last.

A commonly quoted saying—though not traced back with an authentic chain to the Prophet (peace be upon him)—adds:

“Pray now before the funeral prayer is performed over you.”
An admonition to hasten to prayer and devotion before we ourselves are carried to our final abode.

2. Embrace Every Ramadan (Indeed, Every Moment) as Though It Were Your Last

No one can guarantee witnessing another Ramadan; life is in the Hands of Allah. He declares:

“For every nation, there is a set term. When their time comes, they can neither delay it for a single moment nor bring it forward.”
(Sūrat al-Aʿrāf: 34)

Underscoring the immense virtues of this month, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are shut, and the devils are chained.”
(Agreed upon—reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

In a sacred (qudsī) ḥadīth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) narrates from his Lord:

“All the deeds of the son of Adam belong to him—except fasting. Indeed, it is Mine, and I (alone) reward for it.”
(Agreed upon—reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

This month also contains a night better than a thousand months:

“The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.”
(Sūrat al-Qadr: 3)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) further stated:

“This month has come to you, and within it there is a night better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its blessings has indeed been deprived of all good.”
(Reported by al-Nasāʾī in al-Sunan al-Ṣughrā and Aḥmad in al-Musnad)

Finally

We now stand on the threshold of a remarkable season of grace, generosity, and spiritual renewal. Let our motto this Ramadan transform every moment into a step closer to Allah—through prayer, supplication, recitation of the Qur’an, charity, and acts of kindness. Always remember: our days in this world are numbered. The finest of our days is when our good deeds increase, while the worst is when they decline.

Yet the lessons we speak of will have little impact unless we bring them to life in our daily actions. Let us turn Ramadan into a school of devotion and wholehearted return to Allah all year round, rather than a brief season of zeal followed by neglect.

We beseech Allah Most High to bless our remaining days, to make us among those who revere His sanctities and seek His mercy, and to grant us His forgiveness during this blessed month. May He seal our lives with righteousness, for He alone has power over all affairs.

Abu Ahmad Farid
Dakwah Corner Bookstore