Post Ramadhan Blues

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Ramadhan is over. Are you feeling blue? Are you feeling sad because you didn't get to do all that you wanted to do in Ramadhan?

How to deal with it?

--Focus on quality, not quantity. Praying a few rakat of taraweeh with tranquillity, peacefulness, and consciousness of the greatness of the act, is a thousand times better than praying twenty units of marathon race. Reciting Quran with reflection and acting upon the guidance is a thousand times better than simply reading without any effort to understand what you are reading.

--Don’t compare yourself with others. Compare yourself with:
Yourself a year ago
Yourself before Ramadhan

That will show you, not how you rank in certain deeds among your peers, but how much you have grown and matured over time.

--Focus on the real goal and not on the means to that goal.

The point is not praying twenty rakat taraweeh or doing two or three khatams; rather it is to get closer to Allah this Ramadhan than you were before.

This is done through:

Connecting with Allah through prayers and remembrance (emphasis on connecting)

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ ﴿١٨٦

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. [Quran, Al Baqarah 2:186]

Attaining gratefulness

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿١٨٥

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
[Quran, Al Baqarah 2:185]

Attaining consciousness of Allah

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٣

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous - [Quran, Al Baqarah 2:183]

--Don't fall back. We have left behind the blessed month of Ramadhan, the month of mercy, forgiveness and freedom from the Hellfire, but we have challenged our nafs (lower self) and our desires and we made progress. The progress came from our internal commitment, special prayers, fasting, charity and avoiding sins.

We must continue that progress and don't fall back.

Fasting may continue with sunnah fasting. Allah has spread other blessed times throughout the year for fasting. It is a shield from falling into sin and giving in to our own nafs. Abu Hurayrah reported, Allah’s Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Fasting is a shield.” [Muslim] Also, remember the tremendous rewards of fasting. Allah Almighty said: The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it. [Bukhari & Muslim].

Our first opportunity for Sunnah fasting is fasting 6 days in Shawwal, the month following Ramadhan. It is the practice of many Muslims to fast for 6 consecutive days starting the 2nd Shawwal. Strive to start on 2nd Shawwal and delay any open houses to the evening or after 7th Shawwal.

Continue the taraweeh night prayers with a few raka'ats tahajjud prayer every night.

Continue reading a portion of the Quran every day, consistently (same place, same time), and invite your family, friends and neighbors for khatam and food once a month, and at regular interval. Take your reading to the next level--learn and understand what you read, teach the Quran, and apply what you read.

Continue giving charity everyday even with a smile.

Take one or two bad habits (like procrastination, sleep after fajr, etc) each month and work on removing it that month.

May Allah accept our Ramadhan worship and good deeds, and grant us a sound understanding of His Book and tawfiq in following the teachings. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.

Wassalaam