According to the righteous predecessors, “Ramadan is but a market which is held (for some time) and then it is over, in which some gain, and others lose.” So, to which party do you belong?
According to Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy upon him, “Allah The Almighty has made Ramadan an arena for His slaves to race to please Him: some precede and thus win, and others remain behind and thus lose. Wonder at the one who plays and laughs on the very day the doers of good win, and the idle ones lose.”
We are at the end of the month: who is the one whose deeds are accepted (by Allah), so that congratulations would be presented to him, and who is the one deprived (of good) so that he would be consoled?
The winners always grieve at the elapse of the numbered days of the month of Divine gifts, thereby bringing about hope (for good), for it awakens their longing to please Allah The Almighty, and regret over negligence with regard to Allah The Almighty. The faithful believer is always fearful, regardless of his acts of worship and deeds.
It is narrated that ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, asked the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, about the significance of the statement of Allah The Almighty (what means): {And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord} [Qur’an 23:60]: “O Messenger of Allah! Are those the ones who commit theft, adultery, drink alcohol and therefore feel afraid of Allah?” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “No, daughter of As-Siddeeq. It is rather those who pray, fast, and give in charity, but, at the same time, feel afraid lest their deeds might not be accepted from them.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
This is the state of the obedient person after the elapse of the month of Ramadan. After they have fasted, spent the night standing (in prayer), recited the Qur’an, and worshipped Allah The Almighty, they feel afraid lest their deeds would not be accepted by Allah The Almighty.
To be constant in obedience is part of the guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, who used to supplicate saying: “O (Allah) the turner of hearts: make my heart firm on Your religion.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh] He also urged his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to do their religious service constantly, regardless of how little it might be. He said: “The dearest of deeds to Allah The Almighty is that which is done regularly, no matter how little it might be.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
Therefore, do not deviate from the straight path. Many acts of worship should be observed regularly after Ramadan has passed, and performed with care, so that you would be close to the atmosphere of Ramadan, and to the Lord of Ramadan throughout the year:
Your prayer: First of all, you should perform prayer at its due time, and be confident that the most hopeful deed a Muslim does, which draws him close to Allah The Almighty is to be careful about the obligatory duties, as confirmed by Allah The Almighty in a Qudsi Hadith (sacred narration): “No servant draws near Me with anything dearer to me than (the obligatory duties) which I have enjoined upon him.” [Al-Bukhari: Saheeh]
The supererogatory deeds: You should have a daily portion (Wird) of supererogatory prayers, fasting and charity, and others, in order to move from the degree of someone who loves Allah The Almighty to that of someone who is loved by Allah The Almighty. This is confirmed by Allah The Almighty in the Qudsi Hadith (sacred narration): “My servant continues to draw close to Me with the supererogatory deeds until I love him, and once I love him, I Become his hearing wherewith he hears, and his sight wherewith he sees…” [Al-Bukhari]
You may begin by observing six fasts of Shawwaal, applying the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, followed by six (days) of Shawwaal, is like him who fasts the whole year.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
The strong rope of Allah The Almighty: Maintain a firm relationship with the Qur’an, since it is the sign of your closeness to or remoteness from Allah The Almighty. Do not abandon nor sever your relation with the Qur’an, for it is the rope of Allah The Almighty, which deprives the slave of all good if it is cut off.
Keep good company: Choose such company that helps you obey Allah The Almighty, since one always follows the ways of his friend, and on the Day of Judgment, friends will be enemies to each other, except the pious.
Be a torchbearer of goodness: Be concerned with the affairs of your religion, and endeavour to spread it among the people, and engage in the call to Allah The Almighty, with your manners, behaviour, and deeds before being a caller with your words.
Just as you received Ramadan with acts of worship, bidding farewell (to this world), bid farewell to it with the same acts of worship to receive the coming months: for all days are the days of Allah The Almighty, and the Lord of Ramadan is the Lord of the entire year.
You observed the fasts of the month out of faith and hope for the reward of Allah The Almighty, and spent its nights, including the Night of Al-Qadr out of faith and hope for the reward of Allah The Almighty. Faith and hope for the reward of Allah The Almighty are necessary conditions for the validity of religious service at any moment (as confirmed by Allah The Almighty, what means): {And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth.} [Qur’an 98:5] So, make your voluntary fasting after Ramadan out of faith and hope for the reward of Allah The Almighty, and the same is true of all your deeds and acts of worship: seeking knowledge, perseverance, spending (in the way of Allah The Almighty), and so on.
Your standing in prayer throughout the nights of the month, whether alone or with an imam, no matter for how long, is an argument against you that you have the capability of standing for a long time. So, do not neglect standing in the night prayer during the rest of the year after the month of Ramadan, for it is the honor of the faithful believer. So, do not neglect your honor during the rest of the year.
You guarded, as much as is within your capacity, your heart, mind and body from anything that is unlawful throughout the month of fasting. However, the fasting of the body from what is unlawful is not limited by the setting of the sun or the emergence of the new moon of Eid. That is the ordinance of Allah The Almighty to be observed continually throughout the year (as confirmed in His statement what means): {Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.} [Qur’an 17:36]
Give a pledge to Allah The Almighty to persist in doing acts of worship while you are at the end of the season of worship. Your Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, used to give a pledge to Allah The Almighty to persist in acts of worship, saying in his supplication called “Sayyid Al-Istighfaar” meaning the most superior way of asking for forgiveness: “O Allah! You are my Lord: there is none worthy of worship but You. You have created me and I am Your servant: I adhere to Your promise and pledge as much as is within my capacity...” [Al-Bukhari]
What an extensive favour and an all-embracing mercy it is to come out of Ramadan with your sins forgiven! So guard that favour, and do not exchange it for disfavour by returning to disobedience after bidding farewell to Ramadan.
Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/
