We were blessed to live and witness another Ramadan and reach the day of Eid in good health and strong faith, alhamdulillah.

There were moments in Ramadan when the ‘I’m so tired’ rant was probably the most repeated form of dhikr on our tongues while we anxiously waited for it to end and then there were times during the last ten days when we took our worship to the next level, taking pleasure in the closeness to Allah.

And so Ramadan came and now that it’s over, we are back to the same old routine, experiencing the same old emaan dip and returning to our old habits after the Eid prayer. Have we already forgotten the moments in prayer when we begged Allah for guidance?

If Ramadan came and went, and nothing changed, what losers have we become?

“Woe to him who found the blessed month of Ramadan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness.” [Saheeh Bukhari]

Remember O Muslims that if you worshiped Ramadan, your good deeds have come to an end with Ramadan. But if you worshiped The Lord of the month of Ramadan your good deeds will carry forward throughout the entire year. If you change for the better after Ramadan, it is a sign that your deeds in Ramadan were accepted.

Ibn Rajab (ra) says: “O one who has been freed from the Fire by His Owner! Be cautious of returning to enslavement after having been freed! Your Protector has removed you from the Fire and you are coming closer to it? And He has saved you from it, and you are falling into it?”

If a Muslim continues to have the patience to do righteous deeds after Ramadan, this is a sign that his (fasting) has been accepted by his Lord. If he returns to his old habits after Ramadan, fails to do righteous deeds after it, and follows the ways of the Shaytan, this is a sign of weak emaan. Bishr (ra) was asked about people who only become active in worship during the month of Ramadan and he said:

“They are abominable people, because they only know Allah The Almighty during the month of Ramadan. The truly righteous people are those who worship Allah The Almighty diligently throughout the whole year.”

Make a fresh start by repenting, turning to Allah, persisting in worshipping Him alone and always being aware that Allah is watching us every second of every hour. Also, the virtues of fasting and praying are not just limited during Ramadan and do not end after we celebrate Eid. Rather, Eid should be the beginning of a new chapter for us to continue our righteous deeds we started in Ramadan.

“Eid is not for the one who wears new clothes. Eid is for the one whose obedience rises. Eid is not for the one with beautiful clothes and fine means of transport, Eid is for the one whose sins are forgiven” (Imam Ibn Rajab in Al- Lataif, 371)

Indeed, Ramadan has left us but don’t let the lessons and positive changes it brought us leave from within us. Recognize the opportunities Allah has granted us and make the most of it.

The most obvious deed to continue after Ramadan is fasting because fasting has become your second nature by now. Your body is used to it and your soul craves it. We are also encouraged by the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa salam) to follow up a month of fasting in Ramadan with 6 days of fasting in Shawwal.

The Messenger of Allah (s) said:

“Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime.” [Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah].

Fast on Mondays and Thursdays, the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every Islamic month, the day of Ashoora and Muharram.

Make it a habit to read a few pages of the Qur’an every day and build a strong connection with it.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“The five daily prayers, from one Friday to the next and from one Ramadan to the next are expiation for (sins committed) in between, so long as you avoid major sins.” [Saheeh Muslim (233)]

And Allah says:

“If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall expiate from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise)”[al-Nisaa’ 4:31]

Ask Allah, the One who guided you to worship Him in Ramadan, to help you continue worshiping and performing good deeds throughout the year. May Allah allow us to be among the worshipers of the Lord of Ramadan, and not Ramadan itself.