In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

 

 

Joy and Regret

Despite all its auspiciousness and happiness, Eid al-Fitr puts us in a feeling of eagerness and regret. On the one hand, we are proud of passing Divine exams and fulfilling His commandment, but on the other hand, we are so sorry for missing the period full of the blessings and assistance of Allah (SWT). By the arrival of Eid al-Fitr, Ramadan leaves us; however, we will be yearning its return until next year. Departing this noble month is well felt by those who experienced the pleasure of fasting, breathed in the blessing and forgiving atmosphere of this month, and were relieved of evil of the Satan.

 

All people, more or less, feel a sense of regret with departure of this Holy month; however, no one will be as regretful as Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT), who are the leading ones in the way of obeying Allah (SWT). Imam Sajjad (PBUH), the noble and great teacher of praises and supplications, has taught us the way of bidding farewell to this month in the 45^th supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiah. In this supplication, after praising Allah (SWT), the Imam thanks Allah (SWT) for assigning special duties in this precious period, which helped the Muslims to gain proximity to Him. Then the Imam continues as follows:

 

“This month stood among us in a standing place of praise and profited us with the most excellent profits 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…

 

Peace be upon you, O most noble of accompanying times… Peace be upon you, O companion who is great in worth when found and whose absence makes us unhappy when missed… Peace be upon you, O companion who brought comfort to our hearts with your arrival, thus making us happy, and peace be upon you, who left loneliness when going, thus giving anguish! Peace be upon you, O helper who fought against Satan, companion who made the paths of good-doing easy for us! Peace be upon you! How numerous the sins you have erased! How numerous the faults you have covered! Peace be upon you! How drawn out you were you for the sinners! How awesome were you in the hearts of the faithful! Peace be upon you! You has entered upon us with blessings and cleansed us of the defilement of offenses! Peace be upon you! How much we craved you yesterday! How intensely we shall yearn for you tomorrow!

 

[O Allah] please accept our apologies for being negligent about your rights in this month and grant us the pleasure of living to see the next Ramadan. O Allah, with the passing of this month make us pass get rid of our offenses; with its departure, make us depart from our evil deeds; and appoint us thereby among its most felicitous people, the most plentiful of them in portion, and the fullest of them in share. O Allah, any person who observed this month as it should be observed, safeguarded its inviolability as it should be safeguarded, attended to its bounds as they should be attended to, fear its misdeeds as they should be feared, or sought nearness to you with any act of nearness-seeking which makes incumbent upon him your good pleasure, give to us the like [of that which] You give these persons from Your wealth; bestow it upon us in multiples through Your bounty that Your bounty does not diminish and Your treasures do not decrease…

 

O Allah, we repent to you from every misdeed we did, ill work we sent ahead, or evil thought we secretly conceived; our repentance is that of one who does not harbor a return to sin and who afterwards will not go back to offense, an unswerving repentance rid of doubt and wavering. O Allah, we repent to You on Eid al-Ftr, which you have appointed for the faithful as a festival and a joy, for the believers as a time of assembly and gathering. So accept from us, be pleased with us, and fix us within avoiding sins." ⁽¹⁾

 

We hope that Allah (SWT) will lengthen the lives of ours and our friends with obedience so that we may witness the blessed month of Ramadan once more, and we hope that he will shower us with His blessings and kindness.

 

 

On behalf of the Roshd website, we congratulate all Muslims and especially you dear friend for the arrival of Eid al-Fitr, the day of happiness for righteous and faithful people.

 

 

Roshd Islamic Shia Website

Footnote:

1- A part of the 45th supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiah, translated by William Chittick with minor changes.