Ramadan came and went in the blink of an eye…It was the second day of Eid when Abdullah hurried towards the mosque, pretty sure to get space in the last row. But to his utter surprise, not even the second row was completely occupied, let alone the last one!
Most of us are found complaining that as soon as Ramadan bids farewell, all the zeal and eagerness to perform good deeds vanishes away. The mosques are apparently vacant, the recitation of Quran and the determination to stay away from the bad deeds fades away, the spiritual attachment with our Rabb is no more and all the worldly lusts return back! Let us take a look at some practical steps that might help us in being everyday Muslims rather than seasonal Muslims:
AL-AWAL (The First) and AL-AKHIR (The Last) are two vivid attributes of Allah Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala mentioned in the Quran and very well known amongst the believers. If we worshiped in Ramadan and even though it has ended, the worshiping shouldn’t end or lose that level of purity because Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala was there in Ramadan and will always be there all your life.
HE’s the AWAL UL AKHIR! We use this month as a ladder to attain His love and consent for our remaining lifetime but what about the other 11 remaining months? What if we sin all year with a thought that we would apologize in Ramadan and we die before Ramadan comes? *Got goose bumps?*. Therefore, as a Momin, we believe as all the time is high time and lead ourselves and our loved ones to being All Rounder Muslims, Insha’Allah!
Taqwa
Islam is not a seasonal or weekend religion. The core purpose of refraining from food and other desires during the blessed month is no other than attaining piety (taqwa).
In Surah At-Talaq, Allah mentions the fruits of taqwa by saying: “……and if any one fears Allah, He will remove his ills, from him, and will enlarge his reward.” (At,Talaq, 65:05)
Hence, a true Muslim is the one whose sole motto is to seek the fear of Allah during his whole life span. Therefore his good deeds are not seasonal. He knows that with every passing day, he gets nearer to his meeting with the Lord and thus leads an exemplary life which is based on taqwa. He therefore, strives to be an “everyday Muslim”.
Let the bad deeds remain buried
May it be the devil box (TV) or turning through the pages of a lewd magazine or being in the malls uselessly, let them be buried deep under the ground the same way as they were during Ramadan. If we can control ourselves during this blessed month… then surely we do have the capability to fight Iblees and all his ways during the rest of the months too.
Insha Allah Moreover, the one whose state of heart is the same as it was before the start of Ramadan, he is likely to fall prey to committing more sins. The heart might detach from the understanding of Quran and the obligatory prayers might go unanswered if not paid serious heed to. A hadith narrates:
“The most beloved of deeds to Allah is the one that is continuous, even if it is little.” 1
Follow the footsteps of Saliheen
As we read through the biographies of our ancestors- Saliheen, we come across the fact that they were more concerned about the continuance of good conduct after the passing away of Ramadan. Therefore they used to stay firm on the good acts and remain conscious not to act in any such way which results in wasting one’s efforts and righteous acts.
DUA- A believer’s supreme tool
A Dua that is made sincerely never goes in vain. It is a treasure that never gets rusted or stolen. Use it as a tool to achieve the valuable goals aimed through Ramadan. With determination to stay steadfast, let’s ask our Rabb to keep us firm on HIS obedience and may we continue to embark on the glorious journey of understanding and implementing the Quran in our lives as well as in the lives of our near and dear ones till Allah Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala puts an end to it. Insha’Allah!
Source: IOU BLOG
