What after Ramadan?!

By Sheikh Abdul Bari Al-Thubaiti

All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Our hearts were full of happiness, hope for the mercy of Allaah and the fear of His retribution at the beginning of this great month. We invoke Allaah to accept our fasting and prayers, to accept from us our past deeds and to bless us the remaining part of our live. Blessed is he whose sins were forgiven and his repentance accepted.

At the end of this great month, we thank Allaah for His blessings of giving us Muslims the opportunity to fast and observe night prayers during this month, for making that easy for us and liberating us from the Hell-Fire.

Such is how days and nights pass so quickly. Yesterday, we were receiving Ramadaan and today we are bidding it farewell and we do not know whether we are going to live to witness the nest Ramadaan. We beseech Allaah to let us have many more of it.

All righteous deeds should be concluded with Istighfaar (seeking for forgiveness). Prayers, Hajj, night prayers and meetings are all concluded with it. Fasting should also be concluded with Al-Istighfaar to amend for any acts of forgetfulness, negligence and perversion we might have committed. Al-Istighfaar erases feeling of arrogance and ostentation from the heart and lets one feel that one is negligent. It is this very feeling that leads to doing more righteous deeds after Ramadaan and getting more rewards.

Ibn Al Qayyim, while explaining man’s need for Istighfaar said, “Having pleasure and contentedness for merely doing an act of obedience is of the frivolities of the mind and its stupidity, for, the resolute and knowledgeable people do more Istighfaar immediately after each act of worship because they recognize their negligence and their failure to give Allaah what befits His Majesty and Greatness in that act."

Brethren in faith! Though we are now bidding farewell to Ramadaan, which should not mean a farewell to acts of worship. A Muslim should rather strengthen the tie between himself and his Lord so that he may have a perpetual blessing. As for those who break their covenant with their Lord and abandon mosques as soon as Ramadaan ends, such are evil people who know their Lord only in Ramadaan and afterwards turn back on their heels. Allaah says, “Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of all the worlds." (Al-An‘aam: 161).

There is no value in act of worship by which one does not increase in piety and fear of Allaah. Where is the impact of fasting when one abandons the recitation of the Qur’aan no longer observes the congregational prayers and desecrates other people’s honors? Where is the impact of his acts of worship in Ramadaan when he afterwards eats usury and takes other people’s properties wrongfully? Where is the impact of Ramadaan when he abandons the path of the Messenger of Allaah for local customs and traditions and governs his life with man-made laws? Where is the effect of fasting and night prayers when one engages in acts of deception in his business transactions and lies day and night? Where is the impact of Ramadaan on him if he does not call the misled to the Path of Allaah, feed the hungry, cloth the naked and make a sincere supplication for Islaam and the Muslims?

Let us ponder on the saying of Ibn Al Qayyim that goes thus, “There is indeed a distance between a righteous deed and the heart and there are in that distance a lot of impediments that prevent the deed from reaching the heart. Hence you see a man who has many deeds to his credit and yet nothing of that finds its way to his hearts, for he never carried out the deed out of love for Allaah, fear of Him, hope in His mercy, in abstention from worldly life or out of craving for the Hereafter. Neither does he possess the light by which he can differentiate between the friends of Allaah and His enemies. Had the impact of his deed reached his heart, he would have had the light and recognize the truth and falsehood."

Fellow worshippers! Allaah does not need the movements and efforts that we make in our acts of worship. He only requests our piety thereof. He says, “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it is prescribed for those who were before you that you may have piety." (Al-Baqarah: 183).

He also says, “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allaah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him." (Al-Hajj: 37).

Brothers in faith! Of the good deeds that are recommended after Ramadaan is fasting for six days in the month of Shawwaal. The Messenger of Allaah said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadaan and follows it up with a fasting of six days in the month of Shawwal is like the one who fasts for eternity." (Muslim)

Brothers in Islaam! Ramadaan has filled our minds with blessings. It has awakened our conscience and purified our souls. He who has benefited from Ramadaan is the one whose condition after Ramadaan becomes better than it was before. Doing good deeds after previous ones is a sign that those former deeds have been accepted. Equally, going back to evil deeds after having done good ones is a sign of its invalidity and its been rejected. Therefore, dear brother, let the shinning breezes of this Ramadaan be the key to blessings all the time and in your way of life. Endeavour to be kind to your parents and neighbours, make visits to your brethren, help the oppressed, take care of the orphans, adjust matters of difference between you and others, feed the destitute and stand by the distressed. Make the afflicted Muslims happy, be kind to your kith and kin, defend the honors of your brothers and always be a source of good as you were in the month of Ramadaan.

Ramadaan has taught us great lessons and admonitions. It taught us how to resist the insinuations of Satan and the whims of the evil inclining soul. It taught us how to eliminate differences and its causes. The ranks of the Muslims have become solidly united during Ramadaan so we should not let it become disunited again after it. The eyes have shed tears during Ramadaan, so we should not let them become dry after it; mosques have become shaken during Ramadaan and the tongues were engaged in remembrance of Allaah, praising Him and invoking Him, so let this continue after Ramadaan; you have been overwhelmed with the characterized with desirable manners such as humbleness and tranquility during Ramadaan, do not then spoil that away with arrogance, ostentation and stupidity; you have become generous during Ramadaan, do not then withhold your generosity after Ramadaan.

The fasting Muslim has two occasions of happiness: when he brakes his fast and when he meets his Lord; one is a worldly happiness and the other is the everlasting one in the Hereafter when he will have the greatest enjoyment and bliss which is Paradise in which there are enjoyments which no eyes have ever seen, no ears have ever heard of, and no human mind has never imagined and where we shall be addressed thus, “Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent forth before you in the days past." (Al-Haaqqah: 24).

“This is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit because of your deeds which you used to do (in the life of the world)." (Az-Zukhruf: 72).

“Such is the Paradise which We shall give as an inheritance to those of Our slaves who have been pious." (Mariam: 63).

Brethren in faith! Here are the people who were shown the banner of Paradise and they exerted all their efforts to get it. The way to the blessed garden was made clear to them and they stay firm on it…They know that the real profit lies in being gathered before their Lord like a delegation for the eternal honour and they were eventually made to enter the Paradise...

“The everlasting Gardens which the Most Gracious Allaah has promised to His slaves in the Unseen: Verily His Promise must come to pass." (Mariam: 61).

It is Gardens of everlasting dwelling not like the gardens of this world; Allaah has promised it to those who are pious and His Promise never fails.

Such is the Paradise which when a slave is made to enter it, he forgets his misery, distress and sorrow as it is reported by Muslim that the Messenger of Allaah said: “The most unfortunate person in this world among the people of Paradise will be given a short dip into the Paradise and he will be asked: O man! Have you ever known misery? Have you ever experienced difficulty? He would say: No, by Allaah, I have never experienced any misery nor known any difficulty!"

Allaah made the Paradise a place of abode for His friends and filled it with mercy, honor and pleasure. He describes its bliss as a great victory, filled it with all that is good and purified it form all imperfections.

The floor of the Paradise is made of musk and saffron, its ceiling is under the Mighty Throne of Allaah, its gravel is pearl, coral and jewel; its construction is made of silver and gold bricks. As for its rivers, some are made of water whose taste and smell never change, some are made of milk whose taste never changes; some are made of delicious wine while others are made of pure honey. The food of the people of Paradise shall be fruits and the flesh of fowls; their drink shall be ginger and camphor; their dishes shall be of pure gold and silver; their garment shall be made of silk and gold; their couches shall be lined with silk brocade of the highest type; their faces shall be as handsome and comely as the full moon and they will be in age like the men of thirty three years old in the shape of Aadam, father of mankind. May Allaah include us among them.

Brethren in faith! The Muslim nation is now bidding farewell to the blessed month of Ramadaan while her agonies are very much still with her. She is today experiencing great calamities that can be seen in what is happening in Palestine and other places in the Muslim world; a merciless war aimed at Islaam in order to exterminate it.

The Islamic nation has been tested during her long history with different kinds of trickery and afflictions some of which are enough to wipe other nations out of existence, but the power of Islamic belief that was and is still keeping this nation alive. This gives us a hope that certainly the future is for Islaam.

It is therefore a duty of all Muslims to help the causes of Islaam, to exercise patience and self-control, to make sincere supplications and to seek the help from Allaah in the face all these tribulations so that He may rescue us from all these sufferings and that is very easy for Him to do.

Fellow Muslims! The nation of Islaam will soon be celebrating the end of Ramadaan. While doing that, it is recommended to say or do some things in the night of Eid and its day:

It is recommended to glorify Allaah from the sunset of the day prior the Eid day the Eid prayer is performed. Allaah says, “That you must magnify Allaah [i.e. to say: Allaahu Akbar; Allaah is the Most Great] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him." (Al-Baqarah: 185).

Abdullaah Ibn Mas‘ood used to say, “Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Laa Ilaaha Illa Allaah, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Walillaahil Hamd" [Allaah is the Most Great, Allaah is the Most Great. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah, Allaah is the Most Great, Allaah is the Most Great. Praise be to Allaah].

It is Sunnah for men to say it aloud in the mosques, markets and homes so as to proclaim the greatness of Allaah and as a sign of worshipping and thanking Him.

My dear Muslim brother! Your Lord prescribed the Zakaatul-Fitr for you. It is made to purify the fasting Muslim from foolishness and other obscene acts he might have committed during Ramadaan. It is also a food for the poor. It can be a Saa’ (3 kg. approximately) of barley, dates, raisins, rice or any other food. It must be paid on behalf of the young, the old, male, female, freeman and slave among the Muslims. It is better observed before the Eid prayer though it can be observed a day or two before Eid. It should not however be observed after the Eid prayer except for an acceptable excuse.

It is also recommended that men should have a bath and use some perfume before going out for prayer. Sa‘eed Ibn Jubayr said, “The Sunnah of Eid are three: Walking, having a bath and eating before going out for prayer." One should also wear one’s best clothes. The Messenger of Allaah had a garment which he used to wear on Eid and Jumu‘ah days".

As for women, they should not adorn themselves when they go out because they are forbidden to show their adornments to strange men. It is also forbidden for woman to use perfume or to expose herself to strange men, for she does not go out except for the purpose of worshiping and obeying Allaah. How can she then disobey Allaah by uncovering her face, displaying her beauty and wearing perfumes in front of strange men?

Eating dates in odd numbers before going to the praying ground is also a practice of the Prophet. Anas bin Maalik narrated that “The Messenger of Allaah would not set out for prayer on the day of Eidul-Fitr before he eat some dates."

The women should also attend the Eid with other Muslims even if they are menstruating in which case they are not allowed to enter the praying ground. They should however be allowed to witness the blessings and invocations of their fellow Muslims.

It is also recommended to congratulate one another, for the Companions of the Prophet were authentically reported to have done that. One can use expressions like, “Taqabballa Llaahu Minna Waminkum" [May Allaah accept it from us and you].

Brethren in Islaam! Celebrating the end of Ramadaan is meant for those who fast and observe night prayers for the sake of Allaah; it is meant for those hearts that are brightened by the light of Faith and purified from sins and the snares of Satan.

Muslim’s Eid is an occasion for eliminating rancor and hatred; for overpowering satanic feelings and sentiments and for conquering those sentiments that have divided the Muslim nation and damage their brotherhood. Let us make a real turning point in our relationship with our relatives, neighbors and brethren. Let us transcend mere outward appearance and rituals in our Eid so that it can be a prosperous one for all. Allaah says, “Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those slaves whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allaah does not like such as proud and boastful." (An-Nisaa’:36).