Ramadan is like age; it is short and passes by quickly. A wise person spends Ramadan engaged in doing what benefits him in the Hereafter -- not in being preoccupied with something else until it ends, and then regretting his inaction when regret will not bring about any benefit. Sometimes, a person may reach middle age before he wakes up from his heedlessness and discovers that he has wasted long hours in useless things that will not benefit him before his Lord. In this case, what should he do?

Should he be afflicted with frustration and despair, lose all hope and kill the 100th man? (This refers to the Hadeeth (narration) of a man who killed 99 people and lost all hope of repentance due to a monk's words, so he killed him too and completed a set of 100 victims) Or should he persist in seeking repentance, so that when he shows truthfulness and sincerity to Allah The Almighty, He directs him to the most knowledgeable person on earth in order to give him hope and guides him to the right path?

One-third of Ramadan has passed and there are two-thirds remaining. Although people may differ regarding the third that has passed, there should be only one type of person in the remaining two-thirds: the person who is regretful of his negligence and conscious of his shortcomings.

Regardless of one's eagerness to do good deeds, each one of us is guilty of negligence to a certain extent, and thus, one should be determined to make up for the time he has wasted and strive harder.

Once, Al-Fudhayl ibn ‘Iyaadh admonished a man with such eloquence that the man’s heart sank, and he asked Al-Fudhayl "'What should I do, O Abu ‘Ali?' 'Pursue good deeds in what remains and your past negligence will be forgiven,'" replied Al-Fudhayl .

Yes, pursue good deeds in what remains of Ramadan, to make up for your past negligence. Do not despair because of breaching your covenants with Allah The Almighty repeatedly; instead, be bashful before your Lord, and regard this feeling of remorse as a fuel that pushes you to do acts of obedience and prevent you from committing violations.

Even though the first third may have been wasted, do not feel despair. Instead, wake up and say that what is to follow will be better, by the permission of Allah The Almighty.

Do not look back; look ahead. You should consider the part of Ramadan that has passed as something dead. Our great Lord wipes out misdeeds with the repentance of His slaves. You should not be disheartened due to your failure during the first ten days; rather, you should treat the remaining days of Ramadan as a fresh start, as if you are in the first nights of Ramadan again. You need only one night to be recorded among those who are freed from Hell. Just one night, one prostration, by means of which you cross the bridge to be on the other side, along with those who are saved.

If you vowed to your Lord to give up smoking but you still smoke, never mind. Make a new pledge and give up smoking. If you pledged to your Lord to give up watching TV serials but you continue to do so, never mind. You can give up this during the remaining part of Ramadan. Despite whatever you did in the past, it is what is possible now that is more important. You still have the last ten days of Ramadan. Do you realize the status of the last ten nights of Ramadan? You still have Laylat-ul-Qadr (the Night of Divine Decree). Then, why do you despair and give up hope?

You should wake up now and strive sincerely like the one who realizes the merits of the remaining part of the month of Ramadan. You should strive like the one who realizes that he would be ruined if the month passes and he does not receive the forgiveness of Allah The Almighty.

You should renew your intention, recharge the battery of your morale, wake up in the last third of this night, perform a perfect ablution, wear your best clothes, apply perfume and then stand before Allah The Almighty. You should stand up, bow, prostrate and supplicate Allah The Almighty as you have never done before. This is the key to salvation, the secret of happiness, the ultimate success and the only goal worth seeking.

Stand up and persistently entreat your Lord. If He helps you and grants you success, you will indeed be among the successful. You should stand up, for you will never succeed unless Allah The Almighty helps you and you will never be saved unless Allah The Almighty grants you succor. Stand up on the threshold of His door and say, "O Allah, You are the Beneficent, the Affectionate, the Merciful." Stand up and repent for your misdeeds and your past sins.

Address Allah The Almighty,

"Your servants other than me are many, but I have no other lord but You. Help me and reform me. My Lord, God and Sustainer, I combat my soul, but it defeats me, I struggle with it but it overcomes me. So, help me overcome it. My heart is completely controlled by You, make obedience beloved to it and disobedience hateful to it. My soul is owned by You, turn it to Your worship and help me to be like the ones You love and are pleased with during the remaining part of Ramadan.

O Allah, allow me to witness Laylat-ul-Qadr, save me from the Fire, grant me the sweetness of fasting, praying at night and reciting the Quran. If You will not help me, You will destroy me; and if You will entrust me to myself, You will entrust me to something weak, deficient and prone to evildoing. There is no power nor strength save in You. I entreat You in prayer, while I disobey You when I am alone. How grave is my sin but how great is Your tolerance! I supplicate You when I am in need of something, but I forget You when I am overcome by desires. How mean I am but how broad and comprehensive is Your mercy!"

Remember: what is possible now is better than what is past, by the permission of the Most Merciful.