Preparing For Allah's Gaze On The First Night of Ramadhan -- Pardon People

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Make due preparation for the first night of the blessed month of Ramadhan as this is the night that Allah gazes upon His slaves.

Baihaqi relates,

“When it is the first night of the month of Ramadhan, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gazes to them and the one to whom Allah looks, He does not punish him, ever.”

Some people are cognizant of the Divine gaze and are affected by it whereas others remain unaware and unaffected.

The place to which Allah looks is the heart. So what will Allah see in your and my heart if He were to look to us on the first night of Ramadhan?

One of the qualities that would prevent us from this blessed gaze (and from many other opportunities for forgiveness) is malice. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) taught us of the Night of Power and the Half Night of Sha’ban that those who harbor rancor, mistreat parents, severe bonds of kinship or drink are prevented from Allah’s merciful gaze.

We can purify our hearts in preparation for this gaze from the Merciful, Forgiving Lord and also expose ourselves to an opportunity for His pardon when we need it most, by pardoning His servants.

Allah Most High says in Surah Ash-Shura,

وَجَزَ‌ٰٓؤُا۟ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثْلُهَا ۖ فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴿٤٠

And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers. [Quran, Ash-Shura 42:40]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A caller will call [on the Day of Rising], ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ Then he will call a second time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise’ It will be said, ‘Who is the one whose reward is upon Allah, Mighty and Majestic?’ He will say, ‘Those who pardon people.’ Then he will call a third time, ‘Let him stand whose reward is upon Allah and let him enter paradise.’ Then so and so many thousand will stand and enter paradise without reckoning." Imagine being among that fortunate group and having all of our many sins forgiven and receiving our reward directly from Allah!

In preparation for the blessed first night of Ramadhan and that day in which each of us will meet Allah, let us pardon one another and all of Allah's servants.

O Allah, if any of Your slaves have transgressed the rights You have prescribed to me, they are excused. I ask you to grant them and me Paradise, and that You make us among its dwellers whom You have described in the Quran,

وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَ‌ٰنًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَـٰبِلِينَ ﴿٤٧﴾ لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَجِينَ ﴿٤٨

And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other. (47) No fatigue will touch them therein, nor from it will they [ever] be removed. (48)[Quran, Al-Hijr 15:47]

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَ‌بَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ‌ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَ‌ٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَـٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَ‌بَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَ‌ءُوفٌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ

...Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful. [Qur'an, Al-Hashr 59:10]

May Allah not deprive us of any of the gifts that are bestowed on this great night. May He give us the ability to seek His pleasure by praying to Him and seeking His forgiveness in this night. We ask that Allah decrees for us all that is good and deflects from us all that is harmful.

Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam