✨Lessons from Ramadan

Be conscious of Allah and obey Him. If you are missing Ramadan, know that your Lord is worshipped at all times and righteous deeds are not cut off except through death. Allah said:
Al Hijr (15) 99: And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty [i.e., death].

Ramadan was but a few days ago. We lived it day by day and night by night. And now it is finished with what people have accumulated of deeds. So there are the doers of good and those did otherwise. There are those who did a lot of good deeds and those who did little. And there are the accepted and the rejected. And in the hereafter, the doers will be given their recompense.

Ramadan filled our eyes and ears. The sounds of Ramadan resonated across the horizons. And its symbols were clearly visible. There was vast media coverage and there were programs and articles about it. And the Masjeds were illuminated during the night and resonated with Quran being recited and supplications ascending to the heavens. And the Muslims lived in the best moments that dazzled the hearts and relaxed the chests and pleased the eyes. After a year of occupation with the worldly life and its pleasures and neglectfulness of the remembrance of Allah.

Indeed Ramadan closely resembles a storehouse full of Iman (faith) and mindfulness of Allah. And the people take from it their supplies for the entire year. So there are those who take a large share from it. And there were those who saw the people taking and all they did was watch them.

In Ramadan, people repented from their misdeeds and made a pledge to Allah that they would not return to disobedience after they tasted the sweetness of repentance, turning to Allah Almighty, Quran, supplication and focus and humility.

And in Ramadan, the people maintained prayer in congregation and praying in the first row. And they did not miss the start of the prayer. So they resolved to continue in this manner for the rest of their lives. And coming early to prayer has a sweetness only known by those who have tasted it.

And in Ramadan many people knew the value of the Quran that they abandoned the rest of the year. They heard its verses being recited throughout the night. And they recited it throughout the day. So they found in the Quran the best companion. It awakened their heart and motivated them to do what benefits them and refrain from what harms them.

They found in the Quran a warning against sins that they were doing. So they pledged their Lord to leave them. And they read about the great reward for the righteous deeds that they had neglected. So they resolved to safeguard them.

They learned from the Quran what they did not know. And it alerted them to what they were unaware of. So they regretted the past years in which they abandoned this Great Book. And they resolved to have a daily portion from it that they would not leave no matter what.

And in Ramadan many of those who strived found the sweetness of the night prayer. And calling the Lord Most Majestic. And knocking on His door. And crying out of hope in and fear of Him. And they tasted the sweetness of seeking forgiveness in the early morning hours. And they realized that they had previously been heedless of this great door of goodness. And their staying up late in the first parts of the night and sleeping in the later part, denied them of this great sweetness. So they resolved that they would strive in performing the night prayers and take the required means to help them in doing so. So that they would not be denied the sweetness of calling the Lord in the best hours. And the Lord Most Blessed and Exalted:
Descends every night to the nearest heaven, until the last third of the night remains, then He says: ‘Who is calling upon Me so that I may answer him? Who is asking from Me so that I may give him? And who is seeking forgiveness from Me, so that I may forgive him.’ [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3498]

And in Ramadan, manifestations of benevolence spread through providing food for people to break their fast. And searching out the needs of the needy. And offering the mandatory zakat. And following it up with voluntary charity. And the fasting person felt the hunger of his poor brothers and learned of their needs. And he tasted a great sweetness in doing good towards them and bringing joy to them, their families and their children. And his joy increased with his increase of charity and doing good. And at the time of his spending he wished that he owned all that it is on the earth for no reason other than spending it on his brothers and bringing joy into their homes.

Before Ramadan, he basked in luxuries…fine clothing, cars and foods and he did not care about others. But when he saw the manifestations of charity in Ramadan, he refused to do anything except to join the ranks of the doers of good. For he found in benevolence to others what he did not find in his delicious food, luxurious clothing, vehicles and dwellings. So he resolved that he would not cut off the pleasure of benevolence towards people, and that the poor and needy would have a regular share of his money that his Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, bestowed him with. And especially with his knowledge of the Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
There is not day in which people wake up except that two angels descend. Then one of them says, O Allah! Give (more) to the person who gives (charity); while the other one says, O Allah! Give the one who withholds (charity) destruction. [Bukhari 1442, Muslim 1010]

And in Ramadan many people were keen to be dutiful to their parents. And bringing them joy by sitting with them and accompanying them. They saw their parents’ happiness that they had previously neglected due to their worldly preoccupations. So they resolved to give their parents a regular portion of their time and to not miss or postpone it at any cost. For their knowledge of the great rights that their parents have upon them. To the point that Allah Most Glorified mentioned their rights with His right because they are the reason after Allah Almighty for his existence in this worldly life. Allah said:
Al Isra (17) 23: And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him, and to parents, good treatment.

And in Ramadan, people joined their kinship to congratulate them upon reaching Ramadan or the last ten nights. They saw what they did not expect of their joy. And they welcomed them in a fashion that they did not expect. So they learned the extent of their past shortcomings with their relatives and their distance from them and cutting them off. And they heard in Ramadan the verses of Allah commanded doing good towards the relatives. Allah said:
An Nisa (4) 36: Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives

And they read the warning of Allah Almighty for those who cut off their relatives. Allah said:
Ar Rad (13) 25: But those who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth – for them is the curse, and they will have the worst home.

So they resolved to allocate a portion of their time to their relatives, and allocate a portion of their visits and calls; out of obedience to Allah Almighty and in fulfillment of their rights.

And in Ramadan, some people checked up on their neighbors by visiting them or asking about them. So they found among them the sick and those incapable of going to the mosque. So they resolved to give their neighbors their rights and to ask about them and check up on them throughout the year.

Indeed, Ramadan was a source of Iman (faith) and taqwa (consciousness of Allah), and a resource for the purification of souls, and correcting behaviors, and knowing the rights. And the successful are those who are faithful to their covenants with Allah Almighty. And do good in the remaining months as they did good in Ramadan. Because he worships Allah Almighty and does not worship Ramadan. And Allah Almighty must be worshipped in every time, place and situation.

Allah Almighty said:
Al Hashr 18-19: (18) O you who have believed, be conscious of Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow – and be conscious of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Aware of what you do. (19) And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient.

Oh Muslims: Be conscious of Allah and know His rights upon you. And be grateful to Him as He guided you, provided for you and sufficed you your needs. For being grateful for the bounties increases them, while being ungrateful removes them.

Ibrahim (14) 7: And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'”

Even though we miss Ramadan…fasting it days, praying its nights, adhering to the Quran, remembrance and supplication, fulfilling the rights and obligations, and doing good towards people, we learned from Ramadan that we are able to offer these acts of worship regardless of how busy we are and how many responsibilities we have. And Allah’s right upon us is the greatest right that we must fulfill. For He is our Creator, our Provider, the One Who commands us, the One Who forbids us. He is the One Who recompenses us. And we are His servants and we in no case are we freed from His servitude. And He ordained for us the voluntary fasting and voluntary night prayers. And confirmed to us that we should perform witr prayer before we go to sleep, except for those who are accustomed to getting up at the end of the night, and that is better. And He commanded us to read the Quran and to reflect upon it and act upon it. Allah said:
Sad (38) 29: [This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.

And He commanded us to do good to people, those of whom are distant and close to us. And the rights of those who are close to us are greater such as the parents, relatives and neighbors.

And after Ramadan, it is recommended to fast six days from Shawwal as was related by Abu Ayoob Al Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for the entire year. [Muslim 1164a]

And in the Hadith of Thawban, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Fasting Ramadan is the equivalent of fasting ten months, and fasting the six days (of Shawwal) is equivalent to two months. So that is the fasting of a year.[Shoab Al Arnaot 2348]

Allah Almighty said:
Al Anam (6) 160: Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit]

And it is possible to fast them at the beginning, middle or end of the month. They can be fasted sequentially or separately. All of that is valid. And whoever has to make up days from Ramadan, those days should be fasted before fasting the six days for the apparent meaning of the Prophet’s ﷺ words: Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwal. That is fasting Ramadan in its entirety. And the one who has days to make up from Ramadan is not considered to have fasted the whole of Ramadan until he has fasted those days.

We ask Allah to fill our hearts with Iman, grant us steadfastness and diligence in performing all types of righteous deeds. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Answering.

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