Ramadan has signaled its departure. It came to us like a guest—just as we began to feel its beauty, to enjoy its spiritual breeze, it started to pack its bags and prepare to leave us. How painful the parting is, how bitter this separation feels. If only I knew, and who among us are the losers? Who among us will be accepted, who among us will be turned away? Oh Allah, we seek Your mercy. Oh Allah, heal the ache in our hearts as Ramadan and its days come to an end, as its blessed days and nights slip away. Yesterday, the people were looking for the crescent that marks its arrival, and today they are just moments away from searching for the crescent that marks its end.
This sacred month, a time of mercy, forgiveness, and liberation from the Fire, arrives with open gates of Paradise and departs with a quiet, poignant farewell. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month... In it is a night better than a thousand months; whoever is deprived of its goodness is truly deprived" (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Hadith 2106). As its final moments approach, we stand at a crossroads of reflection—did we seize its treasures, or did we let them slip through our fingers?
The great scholar Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) captured this sentiment perfectly in his timeless poem, written on the eve of Ramadan’s departure:
Oh you, who your Lord has freed from the Fire,
Beware of returning to sin’s dark mire.
The month has passed, its mercy so grand,
A guest now leaving, slipping from hand.
How swift its days, in jest and in loss,
What have we gained, what weight to toss?
The nights of grace, with light adorned,
Have faded now, their blessings mourned.
Did we not see the Rahman’s decree,
A month unlike all, with Night of Qadr free?
Angels descended, with peace to bestow,
Yet heedless we stood, in slumber’s glow.
Oh heart, awake, the end is near,
Regret won’t mend what’s lost, I fear.
The pious wept as Eid drew close,
Fearing their deeds might not repose.
So bid farewell with tears sincere,
Seek pardon vast, let hope draw near.
For Ramadan departs, but mercy stays,
If we tread firm in Allah’s ways.
These words echo the ache in our souls as we witness the departure of this noble guest. Ramadan arrives with a breeze of spirituality—its nights illuminated by prayer, its days sweetened by fasting, and its essence crowned by Laylat al-Qadr, a night of divine decree. Yet, as Ibn Rajab notes, “how swift its days” pass, leaving us to ponder: what have we gained? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intensified his worship in the last ten days, staying awake at night and waking his family (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2024), a reminder of the urgency to grasp Ramadan’s blessings before they fade.
Beyond its spiritual heights, Ramadan’s departure teaches us profound lessons of compassion, sympathy, love, brotherhood, charity, and helping those in need. Throughout this month, we open our hearts and hands—feeding the hungry, comforting the distressed, and strengthening the bonds of community. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was described as “more generous than a swift wind” in Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1902), setting an example of selflessness that we must carry forward. This spirit of giving and empathy should not fade with the crescent of Eid; rather, we should nurture it across all eleven months, ensuring that the poor, the orphaned, and the broken find solace in our care year-round.
Equally, we must maintain the same energy we carry in prayers, reading Qur’an, and other deeds as we do in Ramadan. The rows of worshippers in taraweeh, the melodic recitation of Allah’s words, and the quiet acts of kindness—these are not meant to be seasonal. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if they are small" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6464). Ramadan trains us in discipline and devotion; its departure challenges us to sustain that rhythm, making every day a step closer to Allah.
The pain of parting stems not just from the end of fasting, but from the uncertainty it brings. Who among us will be accepted, our sins washed away as promised: "Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 125)? And who among us will be turned away, having squandered this mercy? The pious, as Ibn Rajab observes, wept as Eid drew close—not out of disdain for celebration, but out of fear that their deeds might not suffice. This bittersweet separation is a call to awaken our hearts, for “regret won’t mend what’s lost.”
Yet, amidst the sorrow, there is hope. Ramadan departs, but Allah’s mercy stays for those who tread firm in His ways. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered a bridge beyond its end: "Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted perpetually" (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2614). This is a balm for the ache, a way to carry Ramadan’s light forward—both in worship and in the compassion we show to others.
As we stand on the threshold of Eid, searching for the crescent that marks its end, let us bid farewell with tears sincere. Let us seek pardon vast, turning to Allah with the du’a: Oh Allah, we seek Your mercy. Oh Allah, heal the ache in our hearts as Ramadan and its days come to an end. For though its blessed days and nights slip away, the lessons of discipline, devotion, love, and charity remain—if only we hold fast to them, making every month a reflection of Ramadan’s grace.

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