What After Ramadan?

Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All the praises and thanks be to Allah,  the Lord of the worlds. May His Peace and Blessing be upon our Holy Prophet, Muhammad at all times.

First of all, I would like to seize this opportunity to wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters around the globe “Eid Fitr Mubarak”!! May Allah accept our fasting and all our righteous deeds in the most blessed season of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan. Ameen.

It has been a unique Ramadan, indeed. Because most of the people in my circle of friends, relatives and ‘facebookers’, have in a way or another found this year’s Ramadan very challenging. Each one has encountered his challenge according to his circumstances. Nevertheless, all have developed personal motivation and put efforts to overcome all sorts of “challenges”, and eventually, the fasting became successful for all of us, Alhamdulillah. May Allah guide us through all obstacles, so we can motivate ourselves and contribute effectively to our various communities towards progress and excellence, insha Allah.

Every sincere Muslim always wishes that Ramadan stays, or at least wishes if he/she could live the spirit of Ramadan throughout the year. Now, Ramadan, 2010, is over. What next? What can we do to live the spirit of Ramadan until next Ramadan?

We all know that, during the fasting month, the discipline in one’s self become very unique, hence, the anger decreases, the greediness declines, the sexual desire reduces, and etc. As a result, once the anger decreases, the sympathy for others rises up. Once the greediness declines, the generosity takes over. Once the sexual desire reduces, moral problems lessen. And there we go. Subhana Allah!

We all agree to the fact that we worship the same God, in or outside Ramadan, and hence, let's try to find out how to live the spirits of Ramadan throughout the year,  To do that, we may consider the following in our daily life:

Raise the level of Allah consciousness through the sunnah (optional)  fasting
We can all observe that the level of Allah consciousness in every Ramadan raises up to the maximum, based on each individual’s readiness. Once Ramadan is over, the level decreases dramatically to the previous point, or even lower in some situations.

That’s why Islam has implemented some sunnah (non-obligatory) fasting that help anyone who practices them to live the spirit of the fasting month. Example of those sunnah fasting are:

1. Fasting six days in the month of Shawwal; Rasulullah said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, is as if he has fasted the whole year” [Muslim]
2. Fasting twice a week; Mondays and Thursdays; Imam Tirmizi narrated that it is reported that Rasulullah said: “Works (deeds) are presented (to Allah, High and Exalted is He) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I would like my deed(s) been presented while I am fastings”
3. Fasting three days every Islamic month; on the 13th, 14th and 15th. It was narrated by Bukhaari (1874) and Muslim (1159) that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (May Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (May Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him at all times) said to me: “It is sufficient for you to fast three days every month, because for every good deed you will have (the reward of) ten like it, so that will be like fasting for a lifetime.”
4. Fasting on the day of ‘Arafah, for those who are not performing Hajj. Rasulullah says regarding fasting on this day: “Fasting on the day of ‘Arafah, I wish on Allah that it will wipe off the misdeeds of the year before and the next year” [Muslim]
5. Fasting on the 9th and 10th or 10th and 11th of Muharram (‘Ashuraa).  It is narrated that Rasulullah said in ralation to fasting on this day: ‘Ashuraa is one of Allah's days, whoever wills may fast it, and whoever doesn't want to, may do so. [Muslim]

These are the authentic sunnah fasting (to the best of what I know) that our Beloved Prophet (May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him at all times) encouraged us to fast optionally. He also promised those who practice them with greater rewards from Allah (High and Exalted is He). Also, it has its social impact which reflects on the level of commitment in helping the needy ones amongst us.

Raise the level of commitment in helping the needy.
Everyone could see that the needy in the Muslim communities go ‘semi-rich’, due to the fact that people generously give out part of their wealth. The majority of zakat payers will “unfortunately” delay the payment of their zakat till Ramadan comes. I wonder whether the needy are in need only in Ramadan. Or whether the amount of zakat paid to them in Ramadan will be sufficient for them till the next Ramadan? The answer is definitely ‘NO’. So there is a need for zakat payers to realize that, their Muslim brothers and sisters are in need of their help around the clock. So once one’s wealth is due payable for zakat; he shouldn’t delay it, because it (the money or value of zakat) then becomes the right of Allah and the needy among us in the community. It is because of them (the needy) that Allah makes the wealth of some of us become due payable for zakat inside and outside Ramadan. Furthermore, the amount of happiness the needy will get due to our zakat in Ramadan reflects how happier he/she will be if we are to pay the zakat outside Ramadan, where there will be fewer zakat payers. So, it’s not the timing that matters here, but the intention, which is to feed the needy for the sake of Allah (High and Exalted is He).

What if one’s money doesn’t grow up to ‘Nisab’ (zakat payable)?  In Ramadan, Zakat fitrah is an obligatory on every heart the beats (referring to embryos as well), but sadaqah is a non-obligatory. We are encouraged to give sadaqah regardless of how much savings we have. Even the poor and the needy are also encouraged to do so. Sadaqah, no matter how less it may be, is something that really makes one’s day. And it’s narrated that it (sadaqah) protects one from calamity, and causes forgiveness among human beings.

In addition to the above mentioned, fasting also prevents us from telling lies, backbiting others, getting involved in bribery and corruption; all that are as a result of raising the level of Allah consciousness due to the fasting.

So, my dear Muslim brothers and sisters, those are some of the things we can consider to live the spirit of Ramadan until next Ramadan… May Allah guide us through… May you all be blessed at all times.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullahi warabarakatuh.

Regards,
Gsalam.Net