Post Ramadhan Gratitude

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

So quickly thirty days of Ramadhan have gone by. Allah says, 

وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

... 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]

These takbiraat that we said during Eid are meant to be the culmination of a month long of fasting. When we say Allahu Akbar and praising Allah, are we truly understanding that we are testifying there is nothing more important to me than Allah? It means Allah is greater, Allah is more significant than anything in my life, there is nothing worthy of me sacrificing or worshipping except for Allah and to Allah, my life and my death, my fasting, my charity and everything that I have is for Allah and from Allah. 

There is so much to show gratitude (shukr) for especially on Eid. The most important shukr, every single shukr that we do is dependent upon this, is the shukr that we owe to Allah for having guided us to the religion of Islam and faith, for being Muslims, for being in the Ummah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, for being in the nation that the Quran has come down upon.

The biggest blessing Allah has given us is the blessing of Iman (Faith in the Oneness of Allah). It is Iman and the religion that give meaning to our lives, that give us a sense of purpose, and that makes us noble. There is no purpose of living without religion. Religion tells us why we are here, what is going to happen after we die, who created us. We thank Allah for being guided us to Islam and were it not for Allah, we will not have this guidance. So we do shukr to Allah and we show thanks to Allah especially in our times when religion is on the decline and more and more people are embracing no faith, it becomes so important that people of faith remind others of the beauty of Islam.

Everyone of us Muslims is a role model and ambassador, not only of the religion of Allah but of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Your friends, your family and people around you look to you and they will see in you, whether you take this position or not, in their eyes you are a representative of Islam. So live up to Islam and show thanks to Allah for being a Muslim.

The other shukr that we have to remind ourselves of especially during these days of Eid, is the shukr that we owe to Allah of having gone through the last two years of being in one of the greatest, if not the greatest tragedies of our times, which is the Covid crisis. Never forget two Eids ago, we prayed Eid at home. There was no Eid and there were empty masjids. Now, Alhamdulillah, things are returning to normalcy but never forget and do not take what you have for granted. There are people who are no longer with us because they have gone in the last two years during the Covid crisis. So show our shukr that Allah has chosen us to come out of the Covid crisis and able to pray at the masjid, enjoyed Taraweeh, and celebrate Eid. Let us demonstrate that shukr in our actions.

There is another shukr that everyone of us should appreciate for the blessings that we have especially in the times and  place where Allah has allowed us to live in. There are people around the world who are being persecuted for their religion. There are people who are not able to pray Eid, there are people who are in mass incarceration of Muslims in places around the world. There are people who live under governments who are increasingly anti-Islamic. Should we not show shukr to Allah for having given us the luxuries, the freedom, the life and the wealth and peace? We are the position to worship Allah without fear, without retaliation. When Allah has shown us this bounty and others do not have it, how could anyone of us be ashamed to be a Muslim. How could anyone of us not take a legitimate pride in the sense of the testimony La ilaha illallah Muhammadar Rasulullah (There is no diety worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). How can we not avail ourselves to the freedoms that we have and so many other people don't have. The least that we can do, given that all that we have, is to show shukr to Allah and shukr is shown not just by the tongue, but shukr is shown in our actions, rituals, interaction with others, charities and our entire lives can be centered around shukr. 

Take the lessons and spirituality of Ramadhan, take the Iman that was increased in Ramadhan and use it to propel us forward until the next Ramadhan. For those who are going to be here next Ramadhan make sure that every Ramadhan is your best Ramadhan and continue to raise the bar every single year. Enjoy Eid but be careful that you do not destroy the good deeds of Ramadhan by the sins of one day and do not go beyond the bounds.

May Allah accept all of our good deeds, forgive our sins, secure our Faith, save us from calamities, conceal our faults, increase our wealth, protect our health, preserve our children, perfect our manners, guide our progeny, accept our repentance, ease the pangs of death, fortify us in the graves, resurrect us with the righteous, make heavy our Scales, ease our judgment, give us the books in the right hand, shelter uswith His Shade in the Day of Judgment, allow the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam to intercede for us and causes us to be the people of Jannah with the Mercy of Allah. May Allah bless Islam and its people, protect the ummah from those who desire evil. Allah is the Al Mighty. Aameen.

Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.