BIDDING FAREWELL TO HOLY RAMADHAN

AN EXTRACT FROM THE SUPPLICATION OF IMAM ALI BIN HUSAYN (AS)

This month stood among us in a standing place of praise, accompanied us with the companionship of one approved, and profited us with the most excellent profit of the world's creatures. Then it parted from us at the completion of its time, the end of its term, and the fulfillment of its number.

So we bid farewell to it with the farewell of one whose parting pains us, whose leaving fills us with gloom and loneliness, and to whom we have come to owe a safeguarded claim, an observed inviolability, and a discharged right. We say: Peace be upon thee, O greatest month of God! O festival of His friends!

Peace be upon thee, O most noble of accompanying times! O best of months in days and hours!

Peace be upon thee, month in which expectations come near and good works are scattered about!

Peace be upon thee, comrade who is great in worth when found and who torments through absence when lost, anticipated friend whose parting gives pain!

Peace be upon thee, familiar who brought comfort in coming, thus making happy, who left loneliness in going, thus giving anguish!

Peace be upon thee, neighbor in whom hearts became tender and sins became few!

Peace be upon thee, helper who aided against Satan, companion who made easy the paths of good-doing!

Peace be upon thee - How many became freedmen of God within thee! How happy those who observed the respect due to thee!

Peace be upon thee - How many the sins thou erased! How many the kinds of faults thou covered over!

Peace be upon thee - How drawn out wert thou for the sinners! How awesome wert thou in the hearts of the faithful!

Peace be upon thee, month with which no days compete!

Peace be upon thee, month which is peace in all affairs!

Peace be upon thee, thou whose companionship is not disliked, thou whose friendly mixing is not blamed!

Peace be upon thee, just as thou hast entered upon us with blessings and cleansed us of the defilement of offenses!

Peace be upon thee - Thou art not bid farewell in annoyance nor is thy fasting left in weariness!

Peace be upon thee, object of seeking before thy time, object of sorrow before thy passing!

Peace be upon thee - How much evil was turned away from us through thee! How much good flowed upon us because of thee!

Peace be upon thee and upon the Night of Decree which is better than a thousand months! [97:3.]

Peace be upon thee - How much we craved thee yesterday! How intensely we shall yearn for thee tomorrow!

Peace be upon thee and upon thy bounty which has now been made unlawful to us and upon thy blessings gone by which have now been stripped away from us!

Mulla Mujahidali Sheriff

mulla@almahdi.org.uk