Lo, Ramadan has come, O my friend!
Peace be upon you, O my friend!
Lo, Ramadan has arrived, and you are burdened with sins and wounds.
Fill the holes in your heart, mend the broken parts of your soul,
Set the ride of your desires at the door of the Lord,
And say to Him:
O my Lord! Your sinful servant has returned to you,
Your distance has made him restless, the separation has broken his back.
O Allah! You have other servants, but I have no Lord but You.
You are my support, You are my direction, You are the Qibla of my soul.
Open the doors of knowledge for me,
Accept me among those who repent,
Write me among those who stand in prayer,
And raise me with those who fast.

Lo, Ramadan has come, O my friend!
This is the month in which throats are thirsty but hearts are quenched,
Stomachs are empty but souls are filled,
The body is weak but faith becomes strong,
Movement decreases but belief becomes firm.
So, O my friend! Renew your faith,
Allah does not need us to give up eating and drinking,
He sends Ramadan to purify us,
So that He may wash us and make us worthy again.
Lest your share be only hunger and thirst!
Ramadan is not a diet plan,
Following the way of the Prophet (PBUH) is your rest and refuge,
And you who are wounded by the hardship of the journey,
Lay your burden down with Allah!
Because you are from Allah, with Allah, and to Allah you shall return.

Lo, Ramadan has come, O my friend!
If hunger tires you and thirst weakens you,
Then take comfort by remembering those
Who, despite their hunger and thirst, raised their swords,
Held their lives in their palms,
And gave their blood for Allah,
So that Ramadan may remain for us.

Ramadan is the Battle of Badr; when Islam first drew its sword in defense of the Quran, and this sword will remain unsheathed until the last Dajjal of this Ummah is slain.
Ramadan is the Conquest of Mecca; when the city regained its identity, became the capital of monotheism, and it was announced: Go, you are all free!
And Bilal (RA) stood on the roof of the Kaaba and cried out: Allahu Akbar!!
Ramadan is Qadisiyah; where Saad bin Abi Waqas and Abu Mihjan were, and when the good news of victory reached, Umar ibn al-Khattab asked: How long did the battle last?
People said: From dawn to Asr.
So he said: Glory be to Allah! How could falsehood stand before truth for so long?
Perhaps this is the effect of a sin committed by you or me.
Ramadan is Balat al-Shuhada; where Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi stands 70 kilometers from Paris and prays:
O Allah! Be pleased with my blood.
Ramadan is the Conquest of Amorium; when Al-Mu'tasim Billah set out with an army full of anger for the sake of the honor of an oppressed woman, praying:
O Allah! Restore our honor to us.
Ramadan is Ain Jalut; where Al-Muzaffar Qutuz and the Tatars faced each other, where the Mujahideen fasted on earth and broke their fast in Paradise.
Ramadan is the Battle of Shaqhab; where Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim were present in the front row, where it became clear that the pen alone cannot replace blood, and jurisprudence alone cannot replace Jihad.

Lo, Ramadan has come, O my friend!
This is the month of sifting hearts,
So purify your heart,
And beware! Lest you come out of it with the same heart with which you entered it.
And peace be upon your heart.

﴿Arabic writing: Adham Sharkawi﴾
﴿Published in the Qatari newspaper Sahifat al-Watan al-Qatariya﴾
Translator - Ubaid Waseem
Student of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama Lucknow
February 22, 2026 AD corresponding to 4th Ramadan al-Mubarak 1447 AH