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Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. (Holy Quran 103:2)

How so true are these words of Allah! It seems almost unbelievable that we welcomed the blessed month of Ramadan only a few weeks ago and here we are, getting ready to bid goodbye to the month of glory.

The days that have passed are gone forever, irretrievably lost to man. Truly, anyone that has not utilised this holy month to earn the mercy of Allah is in total loss!

Man is a loser if he abstained from food, drink, and sex during day time, but still did not benefit from the discipline, piety and spirituality of the holy month of Ramadan. A real pitiable loser for the angel Jibraeel (Gabriel) prayed that "whoever reaches the month and does not have his sins forgiven and so enters the Hell fire, then may Allah distance him, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said "Aameen". (Sahi Al Bukhari)

Only that man has gained who has used the month to constantly remember Allah and to "do righteous deeds and (join together) in the mutual enjoining of truth and of patience and constancy." (Holy Quran 103:3)

Now is the time to ask ourselves which of the three categories we belong to: are you a sure loser - a kaafir (unbeliever) who has refused to obey Allah and fast in this glorious month? Or are you a loser still - the one who has observed the fast as a cultural habit without its lessons; or are you a winner - from among the pious (muttaqi) who observed all fasts with true imaan (faith) and by the will if Allah is hopeful of getting the full reward? It is an annual ritual; still we must ask again: Where do we stand on the piety indicator?

Our conduct between now and the next Ramadan will be a critical indicator of where we stand. If our self-restraint and consciousness (Taqwa) ends with Ramadan or there is a significant drop with our piety indicator; then the whole of this blessed month would have been wasted. If however, fasting, Taqwa and constant remembrance and love of Allah that comes with it becomes a way of our lives, then we belong to the class of the Al-Muttaqun (pious and righteous people) for whom there is neither fear nor grief. May Allah accept our fast as an act of worship (ibaadah) and admit us into His Paradise (Jannah) through the promised gate of paradise called Ar-Rayyaan.

It is true that Muslims bid farewell to the holy month of Ramadan with tearful eyes, because its blessings and bounties are so immense that to see it go becomes extremely painful. The joy of giving, the thrill of Quran recitation and a spiritual ecstasy in prayers and devotional exercises one finds during Ramadan cannot be experienced in any other month.

Similarly, the reward for all good acts done during this holy month, according to the Quran and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is much more compared to other months. The very thought that one may not live to see the holy month again in his lifetime is heart-rending.

As the blessed month draws to a close, it is important to remember one of our cardinal responsibilities this month called Zakat Al Fitr which is obligatory at this time we are bidding farewell to Ramadan. That is why the suffix Fitr is attached to it to commemorate the occasion of opening the fast.

A man has to pay on behalf of himself and his wife (even if she has money of her own), children, parents (if they are poor), his daughter (if she is married but the marriage has not yet been consummated. If his son is rich, he need not pay his Zakat Al Fitr. A husband has to give Zakat Al Fitr on behalf of a divorced wife, whose divorce period is not yet over).

When giving Zakat Al Fitr, one should start with the closest relation first, so he gives it on behalf of himself, then his wife, then his children, then the rest of his relatives in order of closeness, following the pattern laid out in the rules governing inheritance.

(The writer is a former Khaleej Times staffer)