Ibn Al-Jawzee: If it Were Said to the Inhabitants of the Graves: ‘Wish’ – They Would Wish for a Day From Ramadhaan

الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين، نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين أما بعد

 

Imaam Abul-Faraj ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Al-Jawzee (rahimahullaah) said:

 

O striver; this is the season of your diligence.

O seeker; these are the times of your share (portion).

Awaken O negligent one from the slumber of idleness.

Guard yourself O ignorant one from the doubts of misguidance.

Enrich your welfare in this month before you are interned within your grave.

That being before the gradual disappearance of your duration; and the lack of your own devices; and your determined expiration and the severance of your voice; and the stumbling of your feet along with the manifestation of your regret.

For indeed; the duration of life is but mere hours that come to pass, and moments that swiftly cover the distance.

All of it is limited in number against you – whilst death draws nearer to you at each moment.

Amazing; for if it were to be put before you to drink a mouthful of water in Ramadhaan; you would not drink – even if you were beaten, and yet you cheat within it in transactions and you bid a redundancy of measure in the scales (measurements). So once it (the month) ceases to be – you drink wine in Shawaal, is The One that prohibits this also not The One Who prohibits that?

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ

((So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part?)) (Al-Baqarah: 85)

By Allaah; if it were said to the inhabitants of the graves: ‘wish’ – they would indeed wish for a day from Ramadhaan.

Until when will you remain in the garments of carelessness?

Do you not know the outcome of fanciful supposition?

Amazement upon you – for you believe; and yet you feel safe from the vicissitudes (of time).

Does it not benefit you in that which you see from heed?

Is it the deafening of the hearing or the covering of the sight?

By Allaah; you are in danger.

The demise draws near; and the departure is imminent – and with death there will come to you the tidings; every time you exit from a sin you enter into yet another.

O one of scant purity; until what quantity will there remain this tarnished impurity?

You are in Ramadhaan – just as you were in (the month of) Safar.

If you lose out in this month; then when will you profit?

If you do not journey within it towards benefit; when then will you set out?

 

(Taken from: At-Tabsirah p.84-85)