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What After Ramadan?
We leave the blessed month
of Ramadan, its beautiful days and its fragrant nights. We
leave the month of the Qur’an, Taqwa, patience, jihad,
mercy, forgiveness and freedom from hellfire…
Have we fulfilled the
requirements of Taqwa and graduated from the Ramadan
school with the diploma of the god-fearing?
Have we fought our souls and
desires and defeated them, or have we been overtaken by
our customs and blind imitations?
Have we performed our
actions in a way that fulfills the conditions for
receiving mercy, forgiveness and release from the Fire?
Many questions and numerous
thoughts come to the heart of the sincere Muslim, who asks
and answers with truthfulness.
What Have We Gained From Ramadan?
Ramadan is a school of
Iman and a 'stop to recharge one's spiritual
batteries' - to acquire one's provision for the rest of
the year...
For when will one take a
lesson and change for better if not in the month of
Ramadan?
The noble month is a true
school of transformation in which we change our actions,
habits and manners that are in variance with the Law of
Allah. {Verily, Allah does not change the condition
of a people until they change what is in themselves}.
[Ar-Ra`d: 11]
If you are from those who
benefited from Ramadan, fulfilled the requirements of
Taqwa, truly fasted the month, prayed in it with
truthfulness, and strove against you soul, then praise and
thank Allah, and ask Him for steadfastness upon it until
you meet your death.
Be not like one who has sewn
a shirt and then destroyed it... Have you seen one who
sewed a shirt or Thawb, so when she looked at it, she
liked it. Then she destroyed it pulling a thread by thread
for no reason. What would people say about such a person?!
Or have you seen one who earns a fortune trading
throughout the day, then when the night comes, he throws
away all that he earned, dirham by dirham. What would
people say about such a person?!
This is the condition of one
who returns to sinning and evildoing after Ramadan and
leaves obedience and righteous actions. So after he was
favored with the blessing of obedience and enjoyment of
communicating with Allah he returned to the blaze of sins
and evil actions. How evil are the people who know Allah
only in Ramadan!
My
Dear Ones,
Falling short in one's
commitment to Islam after Ramadan is manifested in many
ways, including:
1. Men leaving the five
prayers in congregation, after they filled mosques for
Taraweeh prayers, thus going to the Masjid for recommended
prayers and leaving obligatory ones.
2. Return to musical
entertainment, forbidden films, women displaying their
adornment beyond that which ordinarily appears thereof,
free mixing etc.
This is not thankfulness for
blessings and favors, nor is it the sign of acceptance of
one's actions, rather this is opposition to favors and
absence of thankfulness.
These are from signs of
one's deeds not being accepted – and Allah's refuge is
sought – for one who truly fasts rejoices on the occasion
of `Eid, praises his Lord for helping him complete the
fast, and remains fearful that Allah may not accept his
fasting, just as the Salaf would continue asking for
acceptance of their actions in Ramadan for six months
after it.
From signs that one's deeds
are accepted is that he or she has improved in his or her
obedience to Allah. {And remember when your Lord
proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase
you [in favor]…}. [Ibrahim: 7] Increase you in
good, faith and righteous actions. So if the servant is
truly thankful to his Lord, you will see him guided to
more obedience and distanced from sinfulness. Thankfulness
is leaving sins, as the early Muslims said.
{And worship
your Lord until there comes you to the certainty [i.e.
death]}. [Al-Hijr: 99]
The Muslim must continuously
be in the state of obedience of Allah, firm upon His
Shari`ah, steadfast upon His Deen, so that he
or she is not of those who worship Allah only during one
month or only in one place. Rather, the believer knows
that the Lord of Ramadan is also the Lord of other months,
and that He is the Lord of all times and places, so he is
steadfast upon the Shari`ah of Allah until he meets
Him while He is pleased with him. Allah Ta`ala said,
{So remain on a right course as you have been
commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you
[to Allah]}. [Hud: 112] And, {So take a
straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness}.
[Fussilat: 6] And the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon
him, said, “Say 'I believe in Allah', then be
steadfast.” [Sahih Muslim]
If the fasting in Ramadan
has ended, then there remains voluntary fasting, such as
fasting six days in Shawwal, on Mondays and Thursdays, the
three days in the middle of the month, the days of `Ashura’
and `Arafat, and others.
If standing in prayer at
night during Ramadan has ended, then there remains
voluntary night prayer throughout the year. {They
used to sleep but little of the night}. [Adh-Dhariyat:
17]
If the charity in Ramadan
and Zakat ul-Fitr have ended, then there is the obligatory
Zakat, and also there are many other open doors to
charity, voluntary actions and Jihad.
Reading of the Qur'an and
contemplating it is not only for Ramadan, rather it is for
all times.
Righteous actions are for
all times and all places, so strive – O my brother and
sister – and beware of laziness. And remember that it is
not allowed for us to leave the obligatory actions or
delay them, such as the five daily prayers on time, in
congregation etc.
And do not fall into
forbidden actions, such as forbidden sayings, food and
drinks, or by looking at or listening to what is
forbidden.
Be steadfast and upright
upon the Deen of Allah at all times, for you do not
know when you'll meet the Angel of Death. Beware of him
taking you while you are in a state of sin. “O Allah, Who
turns the hearts, keep our hearts steadfast upon Your
Deen.”
I ask Allah to accept from
us and you our fasting, our prayers and other righteous
actions, that our condition after Ramadan be a better one,
that the state of our Ummah improves, that we are
granted honor and that we truly turn to our Lord…Ameen
Excerpted from
www.islaam.com
with slight modifications.
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