In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
It feels like yesterday we were celebrating the first day of Ramadhan and now it is almost over. Whether you love Ramadhan so much and want it to stay; whether you fell short in Ramadhan and want it to stay so you can do more, Ramadhan got to go. You cannot stop Ramadhan from leaving. It was only here for a limited number of days -- 29 or 30. And you have to wait till next year to see Ramadhan again, that if Allah had decreed that you live long enough.
Allah Almighty says,
... يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٣﴾ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:183-184]
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous - (183) [Fasting for] a limited number of days. ...
The very purpose of fasting is so we may become people of taqwa (righteousness, piety, God-fearingness). It is meant to transform us into a better human being, a slave of Allah. Have we accomplished this purpose even a little?
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said Ameen to the du'a of Angel Jibril (alayhissalaam), 'Destruction to him who found the blessed month of Ramadhan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness.'
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said,
Ramadhan, a blessed month, has come to you during which Allah the Most High has made it obligatory for you to fast. In it the doors of Heaven are opened, the doors of Hell are closed, and the rebellious shaytan are chained. In it there is a night (worshiping in it) which is better than (worshiping for) a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good (and blessing) has indeed been deprived of all good.[Nasa’i]
People who have lost out in Ramadhan were those who had busied themselves with things that did not concern them -- those things that they cannot take with them to their graves, i.e. things that cannot help them succeed in the Hereafter. Our concern in this life should be Allah alone, our standing with Him, and our next life to come. And this is the concern that we trained ourselves in Ramadhan and should have from now and until we breathe our last.
Ramadhan was our training ground. Don't let that training go to waste.
You stood many hours for Taraweeh and qiyamu lail in Ramadhan, and that was a good month long practice indeed. So you should not have much problem doing extra prayers and waking up for tahajjud every night from now on.
You recited and listened to a lot of Qur'an in Ramadhan. Don't stop doing this. Recite the Qur'an regularly and listen attentively to Qur'an everyday. We should strive to complete reciting the entire Qur'an at least every 30 or 40 days. If you haven't studied the Qur'an with a qualified teacher, you should plan to do so as soon as possible. Reciting Qur'an the correct way is the way of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). It is incumbent upon every Muslim to learn how to recite the Qur'an properly in order to recite the verses correctly, especially during prayer. It is also important that we memorize the Qur'an and understand the meanings. Imagine the connection you would have with the Qur'an by next taraweeh if you do this -- when the imam and a few of the people in congregation are crying while the Qur'an is being recited during prayers, we won't be just listening to the crying anymore. You have to learn Arabic.
You had self restraint in Ramadhan. You held yourself from food and drink during the day and you eat little at night because your stomach has shrunk. Don't expand it by eating beyond your fill during this Eid celebration and forward. Some of you quit smoking in Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah. You have more patience in Ramadhan. Don't let your nafs take you back to your bad old habits before Ramadhan and avoid the unlawful.
You were very generous and charitable, not just with your money but also with your heart. You gave sadaqatul fitr, zakat and extra charity, and you forgave a lot of people. Continue to give charity all throughout the year and before you go to sleep, forgive those who have wronged you and ask Allah for their forgiveness.
You made a lot of du'as in Ramadhan. Continue making those du'as and ask Allah to forgive the Muslims in your prayers. Allah loves your asking Him.
It is Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), to fast six days in Shawwal, Mondays, Thursdays, three white/black days of each lunar month, the day of Arafah, the first 10 days of Zulhijjah, Ashura, and most of Sha'ban and Muharram. People who maintain the sunnah fasting throughout the year would have found this year's Ramadhan quite easy despite the long hours.
Fast regularly throughout the year and that will keep you in training, starting with fasting the six days Shawwal fasting (beginning second day of Eid). Yes, all those Eid food and many Eid open houses and invitations sound like it is going to be difficult to fast when everyone is celebrating, but try it. Allah will make it easy for you. You can always accept evening invitations.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, “Fasting Ramadan and following it with six days from Shawwal is like continual fasting.” [Muslim, on the authority of Abu Ayyub (Allah be pleased with him)]
This is because the reward of actions is multiplied (at least) ten-fold. So Ramadhan is like fasting 300 days, and the six days of Shawwal like fasting 60 days. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) himself stated this explicitly: “Fasting Ramadhan is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days [of Shawwal] is like fasting two months. That is like fasting a full year.” [Ahmad & Nasa’i]
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said: "The most beloved action to Allah is that which is most consistent."
We don't limit our fasting and certain acts of good deed in Ramadhan only. If we are consistent with our fasting and doing other good deed, not only this is a sign of the acceptance of one’s Ramadan fasts and good deed because a sign of Allah’s acceptance of a good deed is to be granted the success to perform similar good deeds, with consistency, this is a sign of one's commitment to continue in worship and submission to Allah, willingly, and not merely out of duty and obligation.
The recipe to gain Allah's love is to perform the obligatory religious duties and add supererogatory works.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:
Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.[Bukhari]
Good deeds raise one's rank and erase the person's sins (except major sins which require sincere repentance for forgiveness).
One of the signs of the righteous is patience and restraint. If we fasted correctly, then we would have benefited from one of the effects of Ramadhan--an increase in patience. One can never have too much patience. Lack of patience can cause lots of problems--to oneself as well as to others. Patience is an acquired trait which many people don't have or many lose it very easily. If you have patience, nothing befalls you disturbs or bothers you. You will go through challenges, difficulties, uneasiness and discomfort in stride. The pious and the righteous people, who are not free from trials and tribulations of this life, are the happiest people because they have patience and restraint.
You made much remembrance of Allah (dhikr) in Ramadhan. Keep that up. If you did not, strive to do that.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Prophet, صلى الله عليه و سلم, said: Allah the Almighty said:
I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.
May Allah grant us forgiveness and acceptance of our fasting, prayers, charity, du'a and good deeds in Ramadhan, and make us of those He decreed salvation from Hellfire. Ameen.
Please forgive me for any shortcomings.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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