Two men who embraced Islam together - The one who lived through one more Ramadan will go to Jannah earlier! - Amazing hadith!
There were two men who embraced Islam together, one of whom was more diligent in piety and died a martyr, while the other died a year later of natural causes––and then a friend of theirs saw in a dream that the one who died later naturally was called into Paradise before the other one––upon which the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, ascribed this preference to the extra year of praying and Ramadan fasting that the latter had had. [Ahmad and Ibn Majah]
In other words, since the latter one had had a bit longer life and had the opportunity to witness one more year of fasting and praying than the other, he acquired more righteous deeds than the one who tried harder and died a martyr earlier. This narration reminds us of what a great blessing every single day of life is for a believer––and of what a great reward obtained from the obligatory acts of praying and fasting.
That is why the early Muslims would pray to Allah to extend their stay in this life such that they witness the following month of Ramadan. Mu’alla ibn Al-Fadhl, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that our righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them, would supplicate to Allah almost six months before Ramadan to make them reach it, and would supplicate six months after it asking Him to accept their hard work in it.
Yet, many a procrastinator wastes away this blessed month and hopes to repent, reform and fast in the future while wasting away the days and nights of this month in pursuit of the trivialities of this world.
Who is to say we will live a day longer? This is our only one opportunity to change our lives for the better forever!
We must get our priorities straight. Are we going to put everything into a short life which can end at any second? Or will we put more into the Hereafter which is everlasting?
Surely any logical person would then choose the Hereafter over this short temporary life.
Well this is our chance! So let us make the best of this blessed month and ask of Allah to extend our lives so that we can experience MANY more Ramadan and have more prayers in our accounts. So that we may be amongst the lucky ones to enter Jannah!
May Allah guide us and give us the realisation to change and turn our lives around so that we may obey and please him and refrain from that which may anger or displease him. Ameen