By Bushrah R. Bakhsh

"InshaAllah I hope this finds everyone in the best of health and happiness.

This is it.  We've reached the greatest nights we could ever encounter in a year, and who knows if this is our last time witnessing them?  We've reached the GREATEST opportunities any soul could ever hope for.  We've reached the last ten days and nights of the most blessed month of Ramadan.

Don't dwell over what you didn't accomplish in the past twenty days.  Start now.  Say a simple subhanAllah or Alhamdulillah or AllahuAkbar.  But just say something.  Leave the computer for two minutes and pray a nafl.  Find someone you should seek forgiveness from, no matter how much pride you have to overcome and forgive another, no matter how bad it hurts.  Smile at your little brother.  Look with love in your parents eyes.  Send peace and blessing on the Prophet (S).  All it takes is for you to move your lips.  Repent to Allah.  TALK to Allah.  Just do SOMETHING.  No matter how small.  Because these very seconds we are passing by will be returned to us on the Day of Judgement exactly as we are passing them now.  One word of praise to Allah and we will be elated on that Day for even a small good deed.

Contemplate.  Who are you right now that you aren't during the rest of the year? Look at yourself becuase you're staring at the real deal.  Theres been no Shaitan to corrupt you in the past twenty days so every deed, every word, is a direct representative of who you are.  Find something to fix and ask Allah to help you in it.  Find a deed you started in these past twenty days and make them habit for the rest of your life. 

This is it, our guest is about to leave.  BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF TIME.  Leave everything in the world and spend time with your guest.  You will not regret it.  Before it leaves, the doors to heaven ARE STILL OPEN.  Allah is still taking our souls out of the fire we have created for it.  Realize this.  All we have to do is ask Him with sincerity.  Take advantage of every second for the rewards of any deed done in these days and nights is MOMENTOUS.

May Allah accept our measly deeds and help us become better as each day passes and save us from His wrath and His Roaring Fire.

I ask that every single one from among you look deep into your heart and if I have ever, unknowingly or knowingly hurt any single person, I sincerely ask forgiveness.  As the khateeb said yesterday, we will be faced on the Day of Judgment with deeds we did not know existed.  So if it was someone I harmed while praying next to or walking down the hall or whatever, I ask that you please find it in your very big heart to forgive me.  And May Allah forgive us for our sins and shortcomings.

Get up now and do something.  The clock is ticking..."

Sent and most likely also written by Bushrah R. Bakhsh in a UIC MSA email.