As the sun continued to descend before us as we waited for the adhaan of Maghrib, preparations were made around us for the breaking of the fast. It is an amazing sight to see thousands upon thousands of people be all accommodated with dates and water (and even more) for the breaking of the fast. And as the adhaan is called one cannot escape the sheer generosity of your fellow Muslims, offering their very food and water for you. It is said that Rasulallah (peace be upon him) was the most generous of people and he was most generous during the month of Ramadan. In his city of Madina, one will be greeted by a Madinan even before one enters the masjid. He places his arm around you affectionately and invites and guides you towards his serving area where dates, water and other food will be given to you.
On this day, one brother offered me his date to allow me to break his fast, yet afterwards he continued to offer me three more of his dates. �Tfaddal!� he exclaimed, to encourage me to take his dates. �Tfaddal!� I exclaimed to him, encouraging him to take it for himself, to which he responded �Tfaddal!� We went back and forth in saying �Tfaddal� to one another until I finally lost. Several days later, I would attempt to enact a pre-emptive strike on this immense display of generosity. I took my cup of dates and outstretched it towards those near to me offering them more dates. A brother then subsequently placed a bunch of dates in my cup for me!
The Maghrib prayer was performed under the leadership of the popular Imam Abdur-Rahman Sudais, most popular for the Qunoot that he performs in this very month of Ramadan. He recited short surahs, al-Inshiraah and ad-Duha and the prayer was completed rather quickly. This allows people to leave the masjid and eat if they choose to do so. Others choose to stay and prepare for Isha and the Taraweeh.
Not wanting to lose my spot in the first row, and not wanting to leave the masjid, I decided to stay, surrounded by other brothers who had decided to do the same. They were reciting the Qur�an or making dhikr.
�And if they ask you concerning Me, know that I am near� Al-Baqarah 2:186
The closeness one feels to Allah at certain times, when in dhikr, or salah or in recitation of the Qur�an can be an indescribable thing. But as I joined the others in making dhikr as night began to fall, I was further astounded at the magnitude of it all. We feel so close to Allah, we have such an intimate conversation with Him. When you looks around at others however, you realize they are in fact in that same state, they feel that same closeness as you do, that same intimacy. It is an amazing fact to reflect upon. Truly Allah is the Most High, the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing who hears every single one of His servants as all of creation glorifies him, closer to each one of His servants than their own jugular vein!