There was once a trader who rented a shop in the busiest marketplace of the city. The terms were clear: the rent was high, but the foot traffic was unmatched. For one month only, the crowds would pour in like never before. Other traders prepared weeks in advance — stocking shelves, arranging displays and planning every hour. This trader, however, opened his shop late, closed early, argued with customers and spent long stretches sitting idly while people passed by his door.
One afternoon, as he sat behind the counter scrolling aimlessly on his phone while crowds moved past his door, his brother stopped by. Watching customers walk away unattended, he said, “You have been given a shop in the busiest month of the year. How can you sit here wasting your time like this?” The trader barely looked up and replied, “I cannot cut out everything. I need some entertainment. I will focus properly later.” His brother shook his head and left, knowing that later often never comes. When the month ended and the crowds disappeared, he sat staring at his empty shop, wondering how such a rare opportunity had slipped through his hands.
It may seem strange, even slightly amusing, to watch someone waste such a rare opportunity so casually. Yet, this is the condition of many when Ramadhaan arrives. Ramadhaan comes like that marketplace — crowded with opportunity, rich in potential and limited in time — yet many enter it unprepared, distracted and careless. Only once it has passed do they sense a loss, while the true reality of what was squandered remains hidden.
One of the greatest losses in Ramadhaan is caused by the tongue. A person may be fasting, yet careless with his words — snapping at family, speaking harshly to colleagues or indulging in gossip. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) clearly warned: “Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of him leaving his food and drink.” (Saheeh Bukhaari #1903)
Mulla ‘Ali Qaari (rahimahullah) explains that false speech refers to any form of sinful speech, whether it be words of disbelief, false testimony, fabrication, backbiting, slander, accusations, swearing, insulting or cursing etc. (Mirqaatul Mafaateeh vol. 4, pg. 491)
Rudeness, anger and foul speech drain the reward of fasting, leaving behind nothing but exhaustion.
Another silent thief of Ramadhaan is conflict. With hunger and fatigue, small issues escalate, and matters that should have been ignored turns into unnecessary arguments. In this regard, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) advised that when a person is fasting, he should neither use obscene language nor behave ignorantly. If anyone insults him or quarrels with him, he should simply say, “I am fasting.” (i.e. he should not retaliate or behave in the same manner; rather, he should suffice by saying that he is fasting.) (Saheeh Bukhaari #1894 and Fat-hul Baari)
Then there is time — the most expensive currency of Ramadhaan. Hours slip away scrolling endlessly, hopping from one video to the next or drowning in entertainment that leaves the heart empty. A person may feel “busy” all day, yet reach iftaar having accomplished nothing for the soul.
Ramadhaan magnifies reward, but it also magnifies loss. Time wasted here is not like time wasted elsewhere; it is opportunity permanently forfeited.
This month arrives generously, opens its doors wide and then departs silently, leaving each person with exactly what he invested.
When Ramadhaan ends, the question is not how hungry we were, but what we guarded, what we restrained, what we prioritised and what we allowed to slip away. Some leave the month lighter in sin and richer in reward; others leave it unchanged, carrying nothing but fatigue.
The trader, at least, recognises his loss when the marketplace empties. He closes his shop, counts his earnings and realises what negligence cost him. But the one who wasted Ramadhaan may feel nothing at all. Life continues and another year begins, yet the loss remains hidden. Only on the Day when deeds are placed upon the scales will that loss be fully understood.
On that Day, moments wasted, tongues left unrestrained and opportunities ignored will no longer be abstract ideas; they will have weight. And Ramadhaan — once so close and accessible — will be seen for what it truly was: a marketplace that returned year after year… until it did not.