The most blessed month of Ramadan has come to an end. We celebrate an entire month of fasting and intense worship by gathering with family and friends on the day of Eid Al-Fitr. However, you may find yourself asking, what is next? What should we do now that Ramadan is over? Oftentimes with the conclusion of Ramadan, we find ourselves feeling a bit empty and even lost. This is because we have become accustomed to the schedule of fasting and worship during the previous month and now that fasting is over, that schedule is interrupted. Many may even feel as though they do not want to say goodbye to the fruitful rewards and feelings that Ramadan brings. Let us remind ourselves that you do not have to say goodbye to the spiritual feelings of Ramadan. As Muslims, we need to maintain our worship and closeness to Allahﷻ on a daily basis. Although you may not be fasting every day as you would in Ramadan, our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has taught us about many worships and actions that we should take outside Ramadan to keep our connection to Allahﷻ and His Messenger strong.

Three Advices From Our Beloved Prophet ﷺ

          عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ أَوْصَانِي خَلِيلِي صلى الله عليه وسلم بِثَلاَثٍ صِيَامِ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ، وَرَكْعَتَىِ الضُّحَى، وَأَنْ أُوتِرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَنَامَ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Huraira (RA): “My friend (the Prophet ﷺ) advised me to observe three things: (1) to fast three days a month; (2) to pray two rak`at of Duha prayer (forenoon prayer); and (3) to pray witr before sleeping.” These are three very simple yet profound pieces of advice from the most profound man to ever walk this earth. The “three days a month” that the Prophet ﷺ advised Abu Huraira (RA) to fast are known as the “White Days.” These days are the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each month on the Lunar Islamic Calendar. It is called that because those days are when the moon’s color becomes very white and easily visible by the naked eye. If one fasts these days, they are rewarded as if they have fasted the entire month/year. Also, it is important to remember that rewards are also multiplied by 10. If done every month, it is as if one has fasted all year. If you took these simple advices from our Messenger ﷺ and implemented them outside of Ramadan, then surely you have left Ramadan with a positive change in your life.

Six Days of Shawwal

مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْر”

It was narrated that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has stated “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then follows it with fasting six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for the entire year.” These six voluntary days of extra fasting during the month of Shawwal do not have to be done in order consecutively. Besides the large incentive awarded to us for fasting the six days of Shawwal, let us think about the logical reasoning behind it. The Prophet ﷺ tells us to fast these days because after an entire month of fasting, many people decrease in their worship greatly, especially fasting. So the six days of Shawwal are teaching us not to give up fasting just because Ramadan has come to an end. We should continue this amazing deed as we know fasting is the only worship that is entirely for Allahﷻ. Fasting these days in Shawwal reminds us that as Muslims, worship never stops. We have fasted 30 days already, but those days were mandatory for us to fast. So now, we should continue that spirit of fasting by doing only six more days which are not mandatory, but highly encouraged. By fasting these days of Shawwal, we will be rewarded as if we have fasted the entire year.

Reflecting on Injustice and the Oppressed

With the ending of the blessed month of Ramadan and the celebration of the Eid holiday, we cannot help but to feel mixed emotions and bitter feelings as our brothers and sisters overseas continue to struggle. Sometimes, we feel as though it is wrong to be happy. Sometimes, we feel it is wrong to live our “normal” lives. Sometimes, we feel it is wrong to celebrate the Eid holiday or any special occasion. One cannot help but feel this way and even feel guilty for being blessed with such a good life while our brothers and sisters overseas are facing injustice, oppression, and genocide. All of these feelings are valid. These feelings are actually good because they acknowledge the existence of our moral compass and basic instincts of morality. However, it is important to remember that Allah ﷻ put you in this situation for a reason, to face your own hardships and struggle for the cause of Allah ﷻ in a different way. So, it is okay to celebrate and be happy. However, just do not forget the oppressed overseas in your thoughts, dua and salah, and zakat/sadaqah. Do not forget to stand up for the rights of the oppressed and continue to speak up against evil.

Alhamdulillah we have completed a long month of fasting which was full of worships. It was a month of quran recitation, reflection, and memorization, qiyam prayers, lectures, and much more. It was a month of hard work. Allahﷻ blesses us now with a reward for this effort, and that is of course, Eid Al-Fitr. Eid is a day intended to celebrate the completion of this holy month. It is a day of family, generosity, and joy. Attend the Eid prayer with your family, visit your loved ones, and give your loved ones gifts to bring happiness and excitement to them. We ask Allahﷻ to accept our fast, our prayers, and our dua. We ask Allahﷻ to allow us to witness the next Ramadan. May Allahﷻ accept our Ramadan and Eid Mubarak to all.

 By Ahmad Salah