by: Masroof Manzoor
The blessed month of Ramadan has come to an end, and Eid ul-Fitr festivities are over. We, as Muslims, must be grateful to Allah (SWT) for sparing our lives to witness yet another Ramadan. During Ramadan, Allah (SWT) is notably merciful and munificent, renewing the enthusiasm and determination of His believers. Apart from fasting, we worship with greater devotion and draw closer to Him (SWT). This 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, which, in turn, instills piety and righteousness in our hearts and souls, leading us to feel spiritually elevated.
But unfortunately, once Ramadan comes to an end, not all, but most of us, let the good habits and manners we built up during this month slowly begin to wither away. Our carefully constructed self-discipline and spiritual growth during this month begin to crumble as we grow lazy toward worship. Bishr al-Hafi (the famous ascetic) was once asked about people who only become industrious during the month of Ramadan. He (RA) replied, “They are abominable people, because they only know Allah, the Almighty, during the month of Ramadan. The truly righteous people are those who worship Allah, the Almighty, diligently throughout the year.” This is revealed in the Quran: “And worship your Lord until there comes to you that which is certain (death)” [15:99]. In the exposition of this verse, Hasan Al-Basari (RA) said, “Allah has not set an end for the believer’s work other than death.” Hence, it entails that righteousness is not confined to the month of Ramadan only; rather, it is a continuous and recurring process.
In Ramadan, since we strive to spend our days fasting, our nights in prayer, and accustom ourselves to doing good deeds to devote ourselves to Allah, we must spare no effort to maintain that spirit of Ramadan throughout the other months of the year. In fact, steadfastness after Ramadan is the greatest sign that one has gained benefit from Ramadan and is the real sign of Ramadan being accepted by Allah (SWT), and vice versa.
How to retain a spiritual high after Ramadan?
Do not be like one who earns an amount of money by working extremely hard throughout the day, and then, when the night comes, throws away all that he earned, rupee by rupee. The same is the state of one who returns to sinning and evildoing after Ramadan and leaves obedience and righteous actions. If we aspire to know how not to fall into this trap and how to keep the momentum going after Ramadan, the following are two main practices. As long as we hold onto these two practices, we are sure not to fall short in our commitment to piety (spirituality) we attained in Ramadan.
Now that Ramadan is over, most of us fall back into old habits, abandoning salah (prayer), especially Fajr (the dawn prayer) and Isha (the night prayer). The moment we begin to do this, we are most likely to procrastinate on everything else. Salah is supreme among all acts of worship and keeps one away from committing evils and indecent acts. “Whoever performs it (salah) sincerely, it restrains him from shamelessness and evils” (Al-Quran; 45:29). This means there is no better way to retain the powerful connection with Allah, the Almighty, and the good deeds we endeavored in Ramadan than by being sincerely and strongly determined to offer the five daily prayers in congregation.
Ramadan is ultimately the month of the Quran. Recitation, contemplation, and reflection upon the Quran during this month is a common practice for Muslims to adopt a strong relationship with the speech of Allah, to purify their souls, and to seek divine guidance. However, reading, contemplating, and reflecting on the Quran is not only for Ramadan; it is for all times. After Ramadan, we must dedicate some time daily for reciting and contemplating the Quran to keep that relationship alive, which will help us hold onto the spiritual feeling we experienced during Ramadan. Remember, the Quran is the food for our soul. When a person turns away from the Quran, the soul starts to starve, just as the body does when it is not fed.
A brief but comprehensive formula (the above-mentioned two practices) for retaining the spiritual high acquired during Ramadan: Acting upon these will surely help us stay steadfast even after Ramadan, because through sincere salah and the relationship with the Quran, we will gain divine aid against all those activities that distract us from righteousness and degrade our spiritual growth. Observe this, stay firm, and experience how the same opens the avenues leading to practicing religion with all its precepts.
The author can be mailed at masroof950@gmail.com
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