Alhamdulillah every night during Ramadan we see children praying and playing in the masjid. Most of them are also fasting full time. I hope they keep this happy memory of Ramadan with them when they grow up. I am sure most of us also have a fond memory of Ramadan. For most children, all the hardships of fasting are usually gone and forgotten once they hear the azan for maghrib.
The prophet SAW said, the fasting person has two occasions for joy, one when he breaks his fast because of his breaking it and the other when he meets his Lord because of the reward for his fast.
لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ يَفْرَحُهُمَا إِذَا أَفْطَرَ فَرِحَ وَإِذَا لَقِيَ رَبَّهُ فَرِحَ بِصَوْمِهِ
There are at least 2 lessons we can draw about rewards. The first is about the timing of when the reward will come. We know when the first occasion of joy from fasting will come. Children and some grown-ups will count down to maghrib. That knowledge of when the reward will come, the reward of breaking the fast, makes the fasting easier. But, we don’t know when the other reward when we meet Allah will come. When we worship Allah SWT or do any good deeds we don’t know if we will get rewarded right away. This is actually mercy from Allah. Imagine if we are punished right away after every mistake, without a chance to ask for forgiveness or fix our mistake. This is why the belief in the hereafter is an important part of our aqidah. We believe that Allah SWT will give us a just and merciful accounting in the hereafter.
The second lesson is the form of the reward. When we break our fast, part of the joy comes from physical fullfillness. We were thirsty during fasting, but now we can drink. We were hungry, but now we can eat. But not every form of worship or good deed comes with a physical reward. Maybe it’s the other way around. After a long tarawih, we feel tired physically. We have to seek other forms of rewards. We have to develop a feeling of peace and closeness to Allah after sholah for example. We feel good when we give to charity and happy when we can help other people.
May Allah SWT make it easy for us and our children to fast for Him and to worship Him. May Allah accept and reward our fasting and worship in this life and in the hereafter. Jazakumullahu Khair. (Aria Novianto).