“O the Seeker of Good, Go Ahead! O the Seeker of Evil, Go Away!!”

بسم الله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله

As Ramadhaan comes, a Caller from Allah announces: يا باغي الخير أقبل، ويا باغي الشَّرِّ أقصر

Let us try to understand this beautiful hadeeth in some detail. 

First and foremost, let’s read the full text of this hadeeth, inshaaAllah.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم

‏ “‏ إِذَا كَانَ أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ صُفِّدَتِ الشَّيَاطِينُ وَمَرَدَةُ الْجِنِّ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ فَلَمْ يُفْتَحْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ. وَفُتِّحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ فَلَمْ يُغْلَقْ مِنْهَا بَابٌ

وَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ وَلِلَّهِ عُتَقَاءُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَذَلِكَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ ‏”‏

Abu Hurairah (R.A) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:

“On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the Shayaateen are shackled, the Jinn are restrained, the gates of the Fires are shut such that no gate among them would be opened. The gates of Paradise are opened such that no gate among them would be closed, and a Caller calls: ‘O seeker of the good; come near!’ and ‘O seeker of evil; stop! For there are those whom Allah frees from the Fire.’ And that is every night.” Tirmidhi

Let us focus on the wordings of the Caller who calls out saying: يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ وَيَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ

This Call, by all means, is of immense significance.

It’s an official formal public announcement by the Angel appointed by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala. 

A loud and resounding proclamation. A call to respond, a call awakening the soul, a call towards infinite blessings, and indeed a call to heed to the warning!

Yaa – يَا – O (used in Arabic, as a form of address)

Baaghi – باغي – To seek, To desire

Al Khair – الخير – Good, better, excellence

Aqbil – أَقْبِلْ – Advance, Proceed, Go ahead, Come Near, Get Close. 

Ash-Shar – الشَّرِّ – Bad, Evil

Aqsir – أَقْصِرْ – Stop, Retreat, Desist, Refrain Go Away. 

يَا بَاغِيَ الْخَيْرِ أَقْبِلْ – O the Seeker of Excellence! Advance, Come, Get Close, Go ahead!! 

يَا بَاغِيَ الشَّرِّ أَقْصِرْ – O the Seeker of Evil! Stop. Desist. Go away!!

This hadeeth clearly tells us that this proclamation, among other things, continues to take place every day and night from the beginning of Ramadhaan till its end.

The Angel is calling upon all those believers who seek excellence and are desirous of doing good deeds to speed up their energies, accelerate their performance, go an extra mile in the blessed month of Ramadhaan. Seeking goodness, sowing as many spiritual seeds as possible!

It is also a Call to Compete with one another, rejuvenating your spiritual health with renewed vigour, zeal and enthusiasm – to do as much as possible, and to the best of one’s capacity.

Who knows whether one will be alive next Ramadhaan!!

At the same time, the Angel is seen addressing those sinful who are active in doing bad, to stop and desist. To look back and reform. To respect the month and its glory by keeping away from sin and evil.

May Allah Bless Us All in the upcoming month, firstly by keeping us alive to find Ramadhaan and get blessed, and secondly by inspiring us with His Tawfeeque and Hidayah to double up our energies so that we heed to the call of the Angel by responding with loads of good deeds, to the best of one’s capacity, InshaaAllah.

Sal-lal-laahu ‘Ala Muhammad, Sal-lal-laahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam.

Baarakallaahu Feekum.