Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem

I mourn the passing of last year's Ramadhan.

Last year was the first time in a long time that the month of mercy found me completely unprepared, preoccupied, knee-deep in writing, editting and making difficult business decisions.
I just couldn't focus.
Normally, a few weeks before Ramadhan, we start thinking about it, reading up on it, sending out and receiving beneficial email reminders; planning how we are going to get every ounce of goodness out of the coming days.

But last year, I was one of those who 'didn't have time' to do any of that. Ironically, I was too busy preparing articles on the virtues of Ramadhan to contemplate them myself; too busy thinking of ways busy women could avoid being stuck in the kitchen all month to stock up on groceries; too busy researching hadith on the beauty of the night prayer to get enough sleep and wake up myself - so busy trying to help others to prepare that I forgot to prepare myself.
Allah (SWT) reminds us all in the Qur'an, " O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones"(At-Tahrim: 6).

So, Ramadhan came and, in a heartbeat, was gone again. And I mourned her passing.

Looking back, I can't believe that I allowed myself to be 'too busy'; I can't believe that I actually thought to myself, 'Insha Allah, I'll do better next year - things will have calmed down.' How many of us have fallen prey to this type of mentality? If it’s not work, it's family or studies or something else: life getting in the way of what is really important.

Because we are never guaranteed another a 'next year', are we? We aren't guaranteed another month, another week or even another day on this earth. Even as I write this, in May, I remind myself that I might not live to see Ramadhan 2008.

That's why I'm being selfish now. From today, I refuse to waste my time. I want to start cultivating my faith, my iman, tending to it, nurturing it, so that I may taste its fruits.

Tasting the fruits of faith...

Let us all take this time to contemplate our lives, to reflect on our faith, so that this month, and every month thereafter, we can truly taste that sweetness, that sweetness that breaks your heart, that brings tears to your eyes, that revitalises your soul: the sweet, sweet fruits of faith.

May you be blessed and strong in faith.

Wasalaam
Na'ima B. Robert