Secret of Ramadhan

Papa talked about it (referring to post title) today whilst walking home after Terawih today.
We both apparently wore green today(:
haha!
Yes I wore a jubah, man they're the most comfortable attire to Pray 23 rakaat-s in(:

Was late for Isya' so as soon as I set foot into the Masjid,
I prayed Isya' and Terawih started(:
Somehow I can't explain this feeling,
when I'm praying it's just really peaceful.

As usual,
I can't stand silence so started bombarding my Papa with questions.
Papa tells me that if I wanna drink at least stop to drink,
cause;
By right Sunnah Nabi S.A.W,
when we eat or drink we should sit.

After stopping to finish our water in the plastic cups,
papa just threw the cup into the bushes,
and I yelled "PAPA! You know I don't like it when someone litters!"

Then papa started talking about niat.
It was really interesting.

E.g. You have a one dollar coin, your niat is to donat it to the masjid whilst walking home you encounter a beggar. Do you give your coin?? By right you shouldn't cause you have already niat.
another good example would be, you have $5000, you have already niat to use it to go to Mecca when a desperate relative needs it. In event you gave that money away, an oppurtunity such as that would never come again.

Niat has it's many benefits, say what's the difference if I just drop a $1.oo coin on a beggar's palm or if instead I niat first to give this coin to the beggar and then i give. The difference is the pahala gained. It makes sense just like papa said everything revovles around one's niat, say then why would we have to niat before fasting ans niat before prayers 5 times a day.

Makes sense right?

And as we walked home I asked papa,
"Papa, do you feel sad when you're attending the last terawih of Bulan Ramadhan?"

Papa asked me,
" Why would you feel sad?"

I replied,
"Well, I'd be sad cause Ramadhan is the best month, the only month i get to devote everything."

Then Papa said,

"Let me tell you the Secret of Ramadhan. Take for example the Army, in the first few months they whack you, overtrain you so that you get used to it, it becomes something normal. It's the same for Ramadhan, In a month, you go all out and for the next 11 months you maintain your prayers and all; it may not be of the same standard but you still maintain. If you feel it, learned the secret you'd be happy when Ramadhan comes to an end because you know you have achieved something and you will be looking forward to the next month of Ramadhan. You're sad because you regret on how you have not made the best of Ramadhan, else you'd be happy."


I couldn't help but to agree with Papa even more, see papa said Islam is simple, therefore in a way our lack of knowledge in it makes us think it is difficult, "leceh" but truth is Islam has simplified everything for us,
for our convenience.

InsyaAllah this Ramadhan, it will be a fruitful one for My Family and I and for my friends too.

Amin.

~sabiruna.