Bismillahi ar Rahman ar Raheem,
Alhamdulillah, we’ve completed 16 full days of Ramadan as of now, which means that we’ve completed half of Ramadan. On the one hand, we all feel gratitude that Allah has allowed to witness another Ramadan. On the other hand, the epiphany that half of Ramadan is now over(!) should also evoke surprise and shock at how quickly the first half of the month has passed by. And just how the first half of the month ticked by so quickly, so will the second half come and go.
In a way, this is pretty similar to what we as students go through every single semester. The semester starts, and before you know it, it’s already time for midterms, and it is at that point that you really realize that you’re already done with half of the semester, subhanAllah! Sometimes, our midterm exams serve as a much needed reminder that a) half the semester is done, and that b) we need to pull our socks in the 2nd half! May Allah make midterms easy for us, Ameen.
So although we get a powerful reminder that marks the passing of one half the semester, sometimes we may feel we don’t have as powerful of a reminder marking the end of the first half of Ramadan. But in fact, Allah has indeed given all of us an incredibly powerful reminder that marks the midpoint of Ramadan.
As we all know, Ramadan begins with moon wars the new moon, not the full moon. That necessarily implies that the full moon occurs halfway through the lunar month. And subhanAllah, that is a reminder given to us that we all neglect too often. The massive celestial object that shines in all its glory halfway through the month should strike awe in us, and serve as the visible reminder we need.
Just how midterms are a great opportunity for us to reflect on our progress, learn from our mistakes, and make a game plan to make the most of whatever remains of the semester, the full moon should be an opportunity for reflection for us inshaAllah. Even though the moon is no longer full exactly, it will still look beautiful and majestic tonight inshaAllah. So I ask you to take a few minutes out of your busy schedule, and simple gaze at the moon tonight, enjoying the serenity and stillness of the night. And as you do so in solitude, take a trip down memory lane and think about everything you’ve done over the past two and a half weeks in Ramadan, for the sake of Allah. And then rejuvenate yourself, and make a game plan for how you want to push yourself to improve in the remaining half of Ramadan inshaAllah 
May Allah grant us His forgiveness, and allow us to make the most of the remainder of Ramadan, ameen!
BarakAllahu feekum
