The Sacred Nights: Ramadan, Heedlessness, and the Afterlife

Cure for blackness of heart

It is absolutely vital to treat this blackness of heart. An extremely effective treatment is to become the disciple of a perfect Murshid. In other words, one should become the disciple of a pious and righteous man who abides by Sunnah, whose vision makes his disciples remember Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and His Beloved Rasūl صَلَّى اللہُ عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم, whose speech motivates his followers to offer Ṣalāh and act upon the blessed Sunnah and whose company inspires others to prepare for death and the afterlife. If one is fortunate enough to find such a competent Murshid then this blackness of heart will certainly be cured, إِن شَاءَ اللہ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

Remember! We are not allowed to pass such comments about any particular Muslim sinner as his heart is black or it has been sealed, due to which he does not accept my call to righteousness. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has the power to make him repent and come onto the straight path. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ remove the blackness of our hearts!

آمِيْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِيِّ الْأَمِيْن صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالَٰی عَلَيْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Here is an admonitory parable, please read it and tremble with fear of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Those who play cards, chess, video games, watch films and dramas, listen to music etc. despite fasting should particularly listen to it attentively.

Horrific scene of grave!

Once Amīr-ul-Muminīn, Sayyidunā ‘Alī رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ went to a cemetery in Kufa to visit graves. Seeing a newly prepared grave, he رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ desired to get to know of its internal state, so he رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ implored Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ humbly, ‘Yā Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ reveal to me the condition of the deceased buried in this grave.’ Immediately, all the veils between him and the deceased were lifted. What he saw was a horrific scene; the deceased was being burnt in fire and screaming out for help from Sayyidunā ‘Alī رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ:

يَا عَلِيُّ! أَنَا غَرِيقُ فِي النَّارِ وَحَرِيقُ فِي النَّارِ

O ‘Alī کَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْہَہُ الْکَرِیْم! I am drowned in fire, and I am burning in fire.

The dreadful scene of the grave and the screams of the deceased person saddened Sayyidunā ‘Alī کَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْہَہُ الْکَرِیْم. He lifted his hands in the court of his Merciful Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and began to pray with utmost humility for the forgiveness of the deceased. A voice from Ghayb echoed, ‘O ‘Alī کَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْہَہُ الْکَرِیْم! Do not intercede for him as he used to disrespect Ramadan in spite of fasting, he did not refrain from committing sins even in Ramadan, he used to fast during the day but would indulge in sins at night.’

Listening to this voice, Sayyidunā ‘Alī کَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْہَہُ الْکَرِیْم became even more sad; he رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ prostrated and began to cry. (With tears in his eyes) he said, ‘Yā Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! Please accept my supplication, this man has called out to me for help with high hopes, O Creator عَزَّوَجَلَّ do not disappoint me in front of him, have mercy on him and forgive this helpless man.’ Sayyidunā ‘Alī کَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی وَجْہَہُ الْکَرِیْم continued to pray in the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. He then heard a voice say, ‘O ‘Alī رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ! We have forgiven him for the sake of your grieved heart.’ The man was then relieved of punishment. (Anīs-ul-Wā‘iẓīn, pp. 25)

Conversation with the deceased

Dear Islamic brothers! Amīr-ul-Muminīn Sayyidunā ‘Alī رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ was blessed with a high spiritual status. By the grace of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ he رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ was able to talk with the dead.

Here is another parable: ‘Allāmah Jalāluddin Suyūṭī Shāfi‘ī رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ has narrated that Sayyidunā Sa‘īd Bin Musayyab رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ has said, ‘We passed by a cemetery in the company of Amīr-ul-Muminīn, Sayyidunā ‘Alī رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ. He رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ said, اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْکُمْ یَا اَہْلَ الْقُبُورِ وَرَحْمَۃُ اللّٰہِ وَبَرَکَاتُہٗ. Will you tell us about your state or shall we tell you about ours?’ The narrator said, ‘We heard a voice from inside one of the graves, وَعَلَیْکُمُ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَۃُ اللّٰہِ وَبَرَکَاتُہٗ O Amir-ul-Muminīn رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ! Please, tell us what happened in the world after we left.’ He رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ replied, ‘Your wives have remarried, your wealth has been distributed, your children have become orphans and your enemies are now living in the strong houses you built. Now tell us about your state.’

A voice from within one of the graves said, ‘Our shrouds are torn, our hair is messy, our flesh has torn to pieces, our eyes have fallen out onto our cheeks, our nostrils are full of pus, we reaped what we sowed, we suffered loss in what we left behind, and now we are with our deeds. (In other words, the one with righteous deeds will find peace in Heaven, and the evil doer will suffer the consequences of his deeds).’ (Sharḥ-uṣ-Ṣudūr, pp. 209)

Amusement in nights of Ramadan

Dear Islamic brothers! These two parables should serve as an eye-opener for us. Man makes merry so long as he is alive, but when he dies, his eyes do not close, in actual fact, they open. Righteous deeds and the wealth spent in the path of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ benefit the deceased, but it is unlikely that the wealth the deceased leaves behind will be spent wisely. There is just a little hope that the heirs of the deceased will spend his wealth in the path of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ for the betterment of his afterlife. If the deceased left unlawful (Ḥarām) wealth and instruments of sins such as musical instruments, a game shop, a music centre, a cinema, a pub, a casino, an illegal business etc. he would face severe and unimaginable suffering in his grave.

In the parable ‘Horrific Scene of Grave’ we can imagine the horrible punishment given to the deceased who disrespects Ramadan. All of us should take some lesson from it. Unfortunately, during the sacred nights of Ramadan many youngsters play cricket, football etc. in streets. They not only waste these precious moments by depriving themselves of worshipping but disturb other people as well. They neither worship themselves nor let others do. These amusements make a Muslim heedless of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, therefore righteous Muslims always stay away from them. Let alone playing, the pious Muslims avoid even watching and listening to commentaries of such useless activities. Therefore, we must avoid these things, especially in the sacred moments of Ramadan.