Salaar suddenly said “I saw the moon”. Then, the whole family saw the moon and they all recited the dua together upon seeing the new moon and congratulated each other on Ramadan.
Salaar rushed towards his friend Affan, who was living in the same building, and was engaged in playing a video game.
Salaar screamed with great joy: Affan! … Affan!
Affan said, What happened?
Salaar said, breathless with excitement: Friend, the moon of Ramadhan has appeared, Happy Ramadhan!
Affan said with great joy: Oh Really! Moon sighted? Congratulations to you too my friend.
Salaar: Thanks, So we have to go for Taraweeh, right?
Affan said very lazily: No man, I have to go shopping with mummy.
Affan’s mother enters: Affan, let’s hurry, we are going to be late.
Salaar: Assalamualaikum aunty, Ramadhan Mubarak.
Affan’s mother: Walaikum salam son, Mubarak to you too.
Salaar: Ok Affan, see you tomorrow, In Sha Allah.
Affan: Bye!
Salaar gets ready for Taraweeh and happily goes to the mosque with his father and brother for the first Taraweeh. After returning from Taraweeh, he eats food and falls asleep quickly, so that he can get up for the sehri.
The next day, Salaar and Affan meet at school at lunchtime.
Affan: Come on Salaar, let’s have lunch.
Salaar: No! I’m fasting, Aren’t you!
Affan: No man, Mummy doesn’t let me fast. She says,
“You’re too young now.”
Salaar: Good! This is also my first fast.
Affan: Oh nice! So how are you feeling?
Salaar: I’m feeling very peaceful and I am very happy.
Affan: I will also tell my mummy that I also have to fast.
Then we will both fast together.
Salaar: Ok.
After returning from school, Salaar rests for a while after performing Dhuhr prayer. Then he gets up and goes to the mosque to offer Salatul-Asr. Then he comes home and sits with his brother and sister and recites the Qur’an for a while.
At that time when all of them were having fun together for some time, Salaar’s mother came with many delicious dishes and she gave it to Salaar’s brother to give to Affan’s house.
Mummy: But son, today is your first fast.
Salaar: It doesn’t matter mummy.
Mummy: Alright.
Salar takes Iftar and reaches Affan’s house.
Affan’s mother: Hey Salar.
Salar said in a hurry while giving the dish: Assalamualaikum Aunty, where is Affan? Affan’s mother: Walaikumssalam son, he is sleeping.
Salaar said in a low voice: Ok.
Now Salaar goes back home.
Since today is Salaar’s first fast, Mummy has made Salaar’s favorite dishes.
The whole family is sitting at the table together, waiting for the Azaan of Maghrib.
After a while the Azaan is finished, they all recite the dua and have their Iftar (breaking the fast). Then Salaar goes to the mosque with his father and brother to offer Maghrib prayer.
Today Salaar was very happy because he had completed his first fast.
In the same way many fasts have passed. Salaar fasted some and left some and Affan also fasted some. About twenty days of Ramadhan had passed. Today both Affan and Salaar are fasting.
During lunch break at the school, the two were walking in the playground when Salaar saw two children who were fighting with each other, then Salaar went to them and reconciled them. Affan was happy to see this.
After returning from school, Salaar offered prayer as usual and after resting for some time, went to Affan’s house. Affan was playing a video game.
Affan put the video game aside and said with great pleasure: Yes man come on.
Now the two were playing cricket with all the children on the ground in front of their building. After a while, the Azaan of Asr is heard. Now it was Salaar’s batting, but Salaar leaves his batting and moves towards the mosque for prayer.
Children: Dude, that’s your batting!
Salaar: Yes, I know, but prayer is more important than 18 AURA eMagazine April 2023 batting. Prayer is obligatory upon me, upon you and all of us. We will be punished for not performing it. And in Ramadhan, the reward for every obligatory act of worship and every good deed is doubled.
Affan said hurriedly: So why don’t we all go to pray together?
All the children: Yes, let’s go.
All the children prayed together in the mosque and all returned home. Now often all the children would go to the mosque and pray in the same way.
One day Salaar and Affan were returning from school together with Salaar’s father. His car was stuck in traffic. They were both looking out of the window when a little boy was knocking at the glass of their car and gesturing to give them something.
Salaar’s father lowered the glass and gave some money to the boy.
Dad: Absolutely, son, not only Pocket Money, but if you have clothes, toys or food, you should share them with those in need. Allah will be pleased with you. And Allah will give you many more things and you will know that in Ramadhan Allah gives double reward for every good deed.
Affan said: I will also share all my things with the needy.
Salaar: Inshallah.
Dad: May Allah bless you.
Now both have reached home. Resting for a while after performing prayer as usual, Salaar was walking in the garden in front of the house when Affan also came there. Now the two were talking to each other while walking. Affan: You know, I fasted for ten days, I enjoyed it very much.
Salaar: MashaAllah, but you know we don’t just only have to fast in Ramadhan.
Affan said excitedly: So what else to do?
Salaar: We have to observe the five daily prayers, we have to recite the Qur’an, if we don’t know how to recite it, we have to learn and …..
uddenly Gardener Uncle saw them both and said: Salaar and Affan how are you?
Salaar: Assalamualaikum uncle.
Gardner Uncle: Walaikumssalam son.
Affan: Uncle, are you fasting too?
Gardner Uncle: Yes, son, Alhamdulillah.
Salaar: So you will be gardening in the hot sun?
Gardner Uncle: Yes, I have to.
Salaar: Uncle, we will help you. Right, Affan?
Affan: Yes, yes, why not?
Salaar said forcefully: No uncle, we will help you.
Gardner Uncle: Alight.
Then the three of them started gardening together. After the work was done, the uncle thanked them both and left. Salar and Affan began to walk again.
Affan recalled something and said: Oh yes Salaar, you were telling me to do something else in Ramadhan.
Salaar: Yes, we should help others as we have just helped Uncle. And one more thing is that we have not just the things to do but there is also something which we shouldn’t do.
Affan: Really? What are they?
Salaar: They are, we shouldn’t lie and waste our time on useless things like movies and video games etc, and we shouldn’t hurt others. And a lot of worship should be done.
Affan: Well, we have to do all these along with fasting.
Salaar: Yes, of course, Allah Almighty is very happy when we do that and when Allah Almighty is pleased with us, He will give us Paradise as a gift.
Affan said with excitement: Wow! So from now on I will do the same.
Salaar: InshaAllah, whenever we intend to do something, we must say InshaAllah.
Affan said quickly: InshaAllah.
Salaar: Yes, one more thing. One of the odd nights in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadhan is better than a thousand months. To worship in it is equivalent to worshipping for a thousand months. So we should do a lot of worship and donations on the odd nights of the last ten nights.
Affan: This is very good, so we will do a lot of worship together on these odd nights, InshaAllah.
Salaar: InshaAllah.
The two of them worshipped together in the last ten odd nights of Ramadhan.
Today is the last day of Ramadhan. Salaar’s family organized an Iftar party in the courtyard in front of the building. All the people of the building and all the children had Iftar together and also saw the Eid’s moon and greeted Eid Mubarak to each other. After that, everyone offered Maghrib prayer together. Salaar and Affan both did a lot of Eid shopping together.
They also bought some gifts from their savings and gave them to the needy children. Affan and Salaar also gave gifts to each other and to their siblings. And on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr they both went to the Eidgah with their family to perform Eid’s prayer. Salaar and Affan both are very happy because they had a fruitful Ramadhan.
Such a beautiful Narrative!!