What next after Ramadan?   

IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Almighty Allah declares in the Holy Qur’an, Baqarah, 2:208-209 thus, “O ye who believe! enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the Evil One; for he is to you an avowed enemy.  If ye backslide after the clear (signs) have come to you then know that God is Exalted in Power, Wise”.

There is no doubt that the full-month of fasting in the month of Ramadan for the Muslim ummah is truly a training and orientation period for the Muslim community to move closer to Almighty Allah, to be steadfast and shun all acts of evil that move them away from God. Ramadan has trained us to imbibe the virtues of self restraint, gentility, good manners and great acts of worship to Almighty Allah.

The Holy Qur’an 2:183, testifies that, “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that ye may (learn) self-restraint.”

Besides, the second feature of Islam is the acts of worship. These translate the faith into action. The Muslims who profess to the religion of Islam demonstrates their innate faith through the five daily prayers (Salat); regular and annual alms to the poor (Zakat and Sadaqat); Fasting in the month of Ramadan; and the performance of holy pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (Hajj) at least once in a life time. (Qur’an 4:103; 2:110; 2:183-187; 3:97).

The faith and acts of worship form the five pillars of Islam. And the five daily prayers are considered the basic pragmatic Foundation of Islamic Religion. This is because any Muslim who fails to observe his daily prayers (Salat) is committing a grievous sin. At least, men and the Jinn have been created by the Almighty Allah to worship Him alone (Qur’an 51:56). And the five daily prayers are obligatory for every Muslim to demonstrate his true faith in the Supreme Being and actualize his aspirations in a mature course of development. (Qur’an 24:56).

The Holy Qur’an 4:103 says, “When ye pass congregational Prayers, celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, Sitting down, or lying, Down on your sides; But when ye are free from danger, set up From danger Prayers: for Such Prayers are enjoined on Believers At stated times” (Qur’an 4:103).

Indeed, the five daily canonical prayers (Salat) drives men away from sin. It restrains man from shameful acts. It makes man eschew unjust deeds. It makes man abstain heinous acts. It directs man towards the Remembrance of God as a lesson in discipline and willpower. It directs man towards the Praises of God as a practice in devotion to God and a seed of spiritual cultivation and moral soundness.

The five daily Salat at dawn (Fajr); sunrise (Dhur), evening (Asr), sunset (Maghrib), and night (Ishai) physically challenges man to submit himself to the Supreme Being as an obedient servant of God. It makes man to humbly submits to God to earn inner peace and Stability. It imbues in man high sense of regular duty to God to earn patience and courage, hope and confidence.

Apart from the daily recitation of the Glorious Qur’an which we sustained daily during the month of Ramadan, we must also have our uninterrupted Tahajjud and Qiyamu-Layl (Night Prayers) after the month of Ramadan as enjoined by the Almighty Allah. The Holy Qur’an, Muzzammil, 73:2-13), says, “Stand (to prayer) by night, But not all night,— Half of it,— Or a little less, Or a little more; And recite the Qur-ān In slow, measured rhythmic tones.  Soon shall We send down To thee a weighty Message. Truly the rising by night Is most potent for governing (The soul), and most suitable For (framing) the Word (Of Prayer and Praise)True, there is for thee By day prolonged occupation With ordinary duties: But keep in remembrance The name of thy Lord And devote thyself To Him whole-heartedly; (He is) Lord of the East And the West: there is No god but He: Take Him therefore For (thy) Disposer of Affairs; And have patience with what They say, and leave them With noble (dignity). And leave Me (Alone to deal with) Those in possession of The good things of life, Who (yet) deny the Truth; And bear with them For a little while. With Us are Fetters (To bind them), and a Fire (To burn them),   And a Food that chokes, And a Penalty Grievous.”.

Moreover, we must not forget to sustain our regular charity to the poor, the mosque, and the less-privileged in the month of Ramadan (Qur’an 2:43, 110, 177, 277; 4:162). The Holy Qur’an, Maida (5:55), affirms that “Your (real) friends are (no less than) God, His Apostle, and the (fellowship of) believers those who establish regular prayers and regular charity and they bow down humbly (in worship)”.

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Also, after the full month fast in the month of Ramadan, we must still engage in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by fasting every Monday and Thursday; fast every 13th, 14th and 15th of the Lunar months of Islam to savour the Blessings of Almighty Allah; and observe the 6 Days fast in the month of Shawwal (Sittu-Min Shawwal) as practised by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and recommended for the Muslim faithfuls.

In the authentic Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as reported by Abu Ayyub, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “Whoever fasts the Month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for the entire year (Sahih Muslim 1164).

However, Al-Nawawi says, “Scholars have explained that it is like observing a year fasting because the reward of one’s good deeds are multiplied 10 folds. Therefore, fasting the month of Ramadan is like fasting for 10 months; and fasting six days in the month of Shawwal is like fasting for two months (Sahih Muslim).