And just like that, another Ramadan has passed us! Subhanallah, it felt like it was yesterday, we were anticipating the start of Ramadan and how we were going to manage fasting alongside our busy work/school schedules. Allah ﷻ tells us, “Prescribed number of days,” and this ayah can’t be truer. Ramadan quickly comes and in the blink of an eye it is gone. Allah ﷻ teaches us a very profound lesson in which we learn everything in life comes to an end. The only constant in life is Allah ﷻ. That being said, we can’t help but ask ourselves, If Allah ﷻ is the only constant, how often do we allow Allah to be a part of our lives?
Subhanallah, Ramadan comes at a time when we need it the most. It comes to wake us up, and it puts to question where we stand with Allah ﷻ. In this month we opened the Quran, we came to the masjid, we made duaa frequently, we fasted, etc.; but what next?
What happens after Ramadan? The scholars say that if you want to know if your Ramadan has been accepted, look to see how your actions are after Ramadan. Allah showed us that for an entire month we were the best versions of ourselves, and we have the potential to be better and do more. The objective is to be able to implement some of these good habits we’ve picked up in Ramadan outside of Ramadan as well. Ramadan teaches us that our faith is not a one time thing, our faith is a way of life and encompasses everything we do. If we learn to allow the Quran to be our guide, the path will always be clear, and we would never get lost.
If we only take one thing from Ramadan let it be Taqwa (God consciousness). When we have taqwa we have everything. Taqwa is living life knowing that Allah ﷻ is always watching and listening. We begin to question everything we say and do. This is a beautiful trait because it leads us to living lives that are pleasing to Allah ﷻ; and when we live lives that are pleasing to Allah ﷻ, in return Allah ﷻ gives us inner peace.
Taqwa is in the heart, but manifests itself in the way we carry ourselves, even in the way we dress and speak. We’ve seen the work that we can put forth in this blessed month, Allah ﷻ showed us the potential we have for goodness. Take some of that goodness and keep it with you always. The more we distance ourselves from our Maker, the lonelier we will be. The closer we are to Allah, the more whole we will feel. When we live a life of taqwa and closeness to Allah ﷻ, that’s a true celebration! That’s the Eid!
By Sheikh Hassan Natour
