What is After Ramadan?

Source: Asrar al-Muhibbin fii Ramadan, by Shaikh Muhammad Husain Ya’qoub.

There are those who won in this month and there are those who lost. The believer feels sad for its departure, and he remembers its days and nights which were full of good and righteous deeds.

Ramadan had finished and the mosques returned empty again.

Why the people relapse after Ramadan? Why they relapse into error and become busy with the Duniya after tasting the sweetness of being close to their Mawla, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala)?

When Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) passed away, Abu Bakr (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said to the people: “Whoever was worshipping Muhammad, in fact Muhammad died, and whoever is worshipping Allah, verily! Allah is Living and never dies.”

Here we say: “Whoever was worshipping Ramadan, actually Ramadan has passed, and whoever worships Allah, verily, Allah is Ever-Living never dies.”

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ. وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

“Whatsoever is on  it (the earth) will perish. And the Face of your Lord Full of Majesty and Honor will abide forever.” (Al-Rahman 55:26-27)

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat an-Nahl (16:92):

وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَاثاً

“And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong.”

Do not be like the one who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has become strong.

This is your state: After you were offering 11 Rak’ahs every night during Ramadan, do you want to leave all this and not establish the nights except with 2 or 4 Rak’ahs.

Where is the effect of the Qiyam on you?

Our religion is a straight religion, deviation, or release or change are not accepted in our religion. Allah (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in Surat Hud (11:112):

فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ

“So stand firm and straight (on the Religion of Islam) as you are commanded (O Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam)) and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allah) with you.”

Stay firm on the command of Allah, on the acts of obedience till you meet Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) and that is the Real Eid Day Don’t be the person of occasions!!

Reading Qur’an only in Ramadan!

Establishing the night with prayer only in Ramadan!

Refining your manners during the month of Ramadan!

Don’t abandon the acts of obedience by the end of Ramadan.

Still the pen is not raised from writing your deeds! One of the Righteous people was asked: “Which one is better Sha’ban or Rajab?” He said: “Be Rabbaniyan (pious people of Allah, learned men of religion who practice what they know and also preach others) and don’t be Sha’banian?”

Bear in mind that the first step to the way of loss and failure is to let your own self to control you as it wishes. Do this and you do, get up and you get up, sleep and you sleep,……….

Be the one who control your inner self and subdue it to obey Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala). Try to keep on reciting your daily Wird of the Qur’an, offer 11 Rak’ah at night. Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) used to offer 11 Raka’hs in Ramadan and other than Ramadan and if he (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) missed the night prayer due to sickness or other reasons, he used to make them up in the morning 12 Rak’ahs.

It is mentioned that al-Hasan bin Salih sold a slave girl. After mid night, this slave girl got up and called the people of the house: “O people of the house! As-Salat, As-Salat!” They said: “Did Fajr rise?” she said: “Are you kind of people who do not offer except the obligatory prayer?” she went back to al-Hasan (her previous master) and said: “You sold me to a people who do not offer except the obligatory prayer, please return me back to you!”

Similarly the fasting, hasten towards fasting the six days of Shawwal, in order to get the reward of fasting the whole year.

And also fasting 3 days every month, specially the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th of every month.

Narrated Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu): My Khalil (friend, etc.) (the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam)) advised me to observe three things and I shall not leave them till I die:

(1) To observe Saum three days every (lunar) month;

(2) To offer the Dhuha prayer;

(3) To offer Witr before sleeping.” [Al-Bukhari]

He (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “I shall not leave them till I die.”

Also fasting Mondays and Thursdays. As Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “All the deeds are presented to Allah (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) every Monday and Thursday, and I like that my deeds to be presented to Allah while I am fasting.” [Ahmad]

Some of the Salaf sold a slave girl. Near the month of Ramadan she saw them preparing the food and other things. She asked them and they said: “We are preparing for fasting the month of Ramadan.” She said: “Don’t you fast except in Ramadan. I was with people whose all time and life were Ramadan, take me back to them.”

It was said to Bishr: “There are people who worship Allah and exhert their utmost in worship during Ramadan only!” He said: “How (bad) or evil these people are who do not know for Allah rights except in Ramadan.”

Some of the Salaf used to say: “Observe fast in this Duniya and let the day of your breaking the fast is the day of your death. All the Duniya (this life) is a month of fasting for the pious who abstain from all the forbidden lusts (desires). If death comes to them, their month of fasting is over and they start their day of Eid.

Imam Ali and Ibn Mas’ud (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhum) used to say on the last night of Ramadan, “Who is the one who’s fasting and prayers are accepted such as to congratulate him, and who is the deprived one in order to console him.”

The matter of acceptance the deeds is a matter of Ghaib (unknown to us). No one knows whether his good deeds are accepted or not. Therefore, the Salaf were very concerned and afraid, whenever they were performing any act of worship, that their deeds might not be accepted.

Commentary on the statement of the two Companions (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma):

• The slave should remain standing at the gate of His Lord, Allah(Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala), even if his deeds are accepted. Actually, the acceptance of the deeds requires from the person continuous effort, in thanking Allah for the blessings which He (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) has bestowed upon him, for helping him to establish Allah’s Rights and for guiding him to perform the good deeds and enjoying the performance of the good deeds.
• Also the deprived one should not despair of Allah’s Mercy. His deprivation was may be because of sins and his low resolution or ill-intention, if he realized this and awakened from his heedlessness, he should try again hoping for the mercy of Allah.

How do I know, if I am one of those whose deeds are accepted?

The answer is Allah knows best, and:

(1)     To find one’s heart is closer to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) than before. He loves to be with Allah when remembering Him. This is the first fruit of the act of worship and the first sign for acceptance the deed.

(2)     To love the acts of obedience and engage more in good deeds.

One feels that all the gates of good are open for him and is made easy for him to perform the good; and he feels also that the gates of sins are closing for him and he is driven away from them, also he hates committing them and disdain from them.

(3)     He should not lose or abandon the acts of worship which he used to do in Ramadan (or other than Ramadan), and continues on performing them earnestly. Moreover, he tries to perform deeds after Ramadan which he never used to do before Ramadan.

(4)     Not to return to the sins which one has repented from them during the month of Ramadan.

The ‘Ulama’ (scholars) said about the person who has repented from a sin and then he goes back to it, that his repentance is not accepted; because if it was accepted, he would not go back to committing it.

’Abdullah bin Masud (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that some people said to the Messenger of Allah(Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala): “O Allah’s Messenger! Shall we be punished for what we did in the Pre-Islamic period of Ignorance?” He said, “As for him who became a true Muslim, he will not be punished for his past sins; but he who does not become a true Muslim he will be punished for his previous as well as for the sins he commits in Islam.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Because committing sins after repentance nullifies the previous repentance. Therefore, one of the secrets of ordering one to perform righteous deeds after repentance is to prevent the person from going back to sins again.

As Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Furqan (25:30):

إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلاً صَالِحاً فَأُوْلَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

“Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.”

Also Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat Ta-Ha (20:82):

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً ثُمَّ اهْتَدَى

“And verily, I am indeed Forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness and associate none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them, (till his death).”

Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Follow the evil with good to remit it.” [Ahmed]

The condition of performing the good deeds after repentance is very important to prevent (guarantee) the person not to return to committing the sin.

(5)     Realize and appreciate the favor of Allah upon you. The person might be tested after Ramadan with a feeling that he had fulfilled the duty that was enjoined upon him and he prevented himself from many things which he love, therefore, you see him on the day of the Eid a sinner! And this is one sign of not accepting his deed, is to revert after Ramadan.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Imran (3:144):

وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىَ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللّهَ شَيْئاً وَسَيَجْزِي اللّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ

“And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.”

Therefore, one of  the signs of Al-Qubool is to find the person is afraid for the deeds that he performed of not being accepted, realizing Allah’s Favor and blessing upon him, thanking Allah for it and remembering Allah continuously.

(6)     Ibn Rajab (Rahimahullaah) had mentioned that one sign of accepting Ramadan is to fast the six days of Shawwal and he mentioned the virtues of fasting the six days of Shawwal such as:

• Hoping to get the reward of fasting the whole year.
• Fasting Shawwal and Sha’ban is like the Sunnah Ratibah which never the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) had left them during his life, and he was offering them before or/and after the obligatory prayer.
• Following fasting with fasting of Ramadan indicates the acceptance of one’s fasting in Ramadan.

If Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) accepted the good deed of the slave, He would guide him to another good deed after it; as some of them said: “The reward for the Hasanah (virtue or good deed) is another Hasanah (virtue or good deed) follows it, this indicate the acceptance of the first Hasanah. However performing Hasanah and following it with an evil deed is an indication of rejection of that Hasanah.”

• Fasting Ramadan is a means of forgiveness of the past sins; therefore fasting after Ramadan is a way of thanks giving for this blessing.

Thanking Allah for a blessing is by performing an act similar to the nature of the blessing, e.g. Allah bestowed upon you wealth, thanking Allah for this blessing is to give Sadaqah and Zakah.

When Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) Forgave the past and the future sins of the Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam), what did Prophet Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) do? He was establishing the night with prayer to an extent that his feet were swollen and he was saying:

أفلا أكون عبداً شكوراً

“Should not I be a grateful salve?”

All this in order to thank Allah for forgiving his sins.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) ordered His slaves to thank Him for the blessing of fasting the month of Ramadan.

وَلِتُكْمِلُواْ الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ اللّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbir] on seeing the crescent moon of Ramadan and Shawwal) for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.” (2:185)

so thanking Allah for guiding us to fast Ramadan, helping us on that in addition to forgiveness of sins; is to fast for His Sake voluntarily after that.

• The deeds which the slave was doing to attain the nearness to Allah, never end by ending Ramadan. On the contrary they are still remaining as long as the slave is alive.
• In fasting the six days of Shawwal there is a makeup for what the slave has missed of good deeds while fasting such as reforming of one-self and acting upon the Command of Allah. Also from the good deeds of fasting is to be good to the poor, as well as thanking Allah for the blessing of wealth. Also what one can perform while fasting is to remember Allah and empty one’s mind except from Allah’s remembrance; because during the breaking of the fast period one will by busy from remembering Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) and fasting helps him to attain that and think about his life after.
• Fasting Shawwal is a declaration for remaining the acts of worship (Ibadah) as long as the slave is alive. The acts of worship do not end with the end of the seasons. If the seasons end still Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) is remaining, the Lord of Forgiveness and Pardon.
• Fasting the six days of Shawwal after Ramadan without slackening and respite is an indication for the high resolution of the slave and that he was not bored/tired of fasting Ramadan and he was not tired from standing at Allah’s Gate.

What is required from the person in case of acceptance of his good deed?

1-     Showing humility to Allah’s Greatness and acknowledging Allah’s Favors upon him.

Abi Imran ash-Shaibani said that Musa (‘Alayhissalaam) on the day of at-Tur said: “O Lord! If I offered Salat, that is because You the One Who guided me and helped me (i.e. me by my own self is not able to do that because of its failure, weakness, shortcoming, and sins). O Lord! If I gave Sadaqah that is because You the One Who guided me and helped me [i.e. You the One Who bestowed upon me the wealth out of Your Grace and Bounty, and if You will, I would not be able to earn anything, especially that the human-self is inclined to be miser. Had not been You Who removed the miserliness of my own self, I would not give or spend in Your Cause. O Lord! If I conveyed Your message that is because You the One Who guided me and helped me! How can I give thanks to You, O Lord!”

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said: “O Musa! Now you had thanked Me.”

The Prophets and Messengers failed to give thanks to Allah, their confession of their failure is considered a gratefulness for Allah’s Blessings.

2-     Looking at one’s self defaults and defects and at the shortcoming in one’s deeds.

One should feel that the deeds (fasting) should be performed better than how they were been performed and that Allah’s Right is more and greater. The sins of those whose deeds are accepted require from them to do more righteous deeds and continuous remembrance of Allah.

3-     Keeping the heart on the straight path and staying firm on performing the good deeds.

إِنّ أحب الأعمال إلى الله أدومها وإن قل [متفق عليهّّ 

“Verily, the most loved deeds by Allah are the most regular deeds even though they may be few.” [Agreed upon]

What is required from the deprived ones?

1. To confess of his transgression against himself by committing sins. Though Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) bestowed upon him His favors (of health, time, wealth, etc.) but he deprived himself from attaining the reward of Allah because of his sins.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Qudsi Hadith: “O My slaves! I count for you your deeds and I will pay you the recompense of your deeds in full. Whoever finds good then let him thank Allah (for it)! And whoever finds other than that then he should not blame anyone except himself.” [Muslim]

1. Beware of the evil consequence of the sins.

Committing sins lead the person to commit other sins while (as we said) the recompense for the Hasanah is to guide the person to perform another Hasanah.

The punishment for the sins is that Allah forsakes the slave till he falls into another sin and so on.

1. Keep on standing at the gate of Allah. No matter how much the person transgressed against himself by committing sins. He should hope for Allah’s Generosity and gift.
2. Keep on repenting to Allah and asking Him the forgiveness; know that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) extends His Hand at night in order the one who did evil during the day repent; and He (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) extends His Hand during the day for the one who committed sin during the night might repent until the sun rises from the west.

Bear in mind that the gate of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) is still open, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) will not reject the repentance of the repentant.

Allah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than a man who found his she-camel after he has lost it in the desert.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The chance for repentance is still available as long as the soul did not reach the throat.

1. Correct your deeds and actions by correcting the intention and make it sincerely for Allah’s Sake and in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam), also let your deeds be free of arrogance and self-admiration. One should not be proud of his deed, but should see Allah’s Grace upon him which requires from him humbleness and lowering oneself to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala), declaring his failure in thanking Allah’s Favors.
2. Verily, Allah accepts from the pious.

Ali bin Abi Talib (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) used to say: “Be more concerned regarding the acceptance of the deed rather than performing it only. Did you not hear Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) saying in Surat al-Ma’idah (5:27):

إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

“Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him].”

Some of them used to say: “To know that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) has accepted from  me a weight of a mustard seed is more beloved to me than the whole world and what it contains; because Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said: ‘Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous.’”

Therefore, the Salaf used to invoke Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) for 6 months after Ramadan, asking Allah to accept their fast and prayer during Ramadan.