Imagine building a home, with mortar and bricks, designing each room, and decorating its interior and exterior, only then to abandon it. No doubt this would be a counterproductive thing to do. Similarly, in Ramadan, we prayed qiyam (night prayer), fasted an entire month and built up good habits for the purpose of making taqwa (God-consciousness)—our home. Now is not the time to unravel the good we have collected, by abandoning the teachings of Ramadan and leaving this home. Allah reminds us in the Quran that Ramadan was a short-term exercise designed to leave us with life long benefits. Allah says:

Allah describes the long term consequence of fasting, which is to become more mindful of Allah. This purpose is not limited to Ramadan, of course, as our renewed sense of mindfulness is now to continue throughout our lives and in all situations, helping us to observe and fulfill our duties as believers in seeking the pleasure of Allah.

The Quran reminds us that having taqwa is a lifelong pursuit and we are to die in a state of submission.

Further, Allah describes the long term consequence of fasting - which is to become more mindful of Allah. This purpose is not limited to Ramadan, of course, as our renewed sense of mindfulness is now to continue indefinitely, helping us to observe and fulfill our duties as believers in seeking the pleasure of Allah.

Begin with Gratitude

Allah reminds us that another objective of Ramadan is to instill in us a sense of gratitude,

Let’s begin our post-Ramadan journey with gratitude to Allah. We must acknowledge and appreciate the countless blessings bestowed upon us generally, and during the sacred month more specifically; the opportunity of cleansing our bodies and souls through fasting and engaging in acts of worship, to the moments of clarity and experiencing moments of inner peace and a heightened state of God-consciousness (Taqwa) to simply having the blessing of food and water to break our fasts. Pause for a moment to consider those who have never experienced the joy and benefits of Ramadan, and who miss out on its blessings entirely, being completely unaware of the existence of Laylat ul Qadr (Night of Power)! And think of those who endured grave circumstances, torn from their homes, and experienced great losses, deprived of basic necessities during this sacred month, and yet they still observed fasting in Ramadan. It is imperative that we take time to thank Allah for blessings we have received, and that we continue to support those who are suffering and make dua for them beyond Ramadan.

Seeking Acceptance:

The term "acceptance" in this verse, in Arabic "taqabbul", implies the act of dedicating something to another and humbly seeking approval of its acceptance by our Creator, despite any imperfections or deficiencies. This verse relates to the supplication made by Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) after they had reconstructed the Ka’bah. Imam Al Razi In his explanation of this verse, highlights that the plea for acceptance expresses the individual's earnest effort in seeking approval from Allah, especially when the deed is incomplete and unworthy of acceptance. It serves as an acknowledgment of our shortcomings, weaknesses, and submission in our actions.

Reflect on your actions and intentions throughout Ramadan. Did you fulfill your obligations with sincerity and devotion? Seek forgiveness for any shortcomings or mistakes committed during Ramadan. Make sincere dua (supplication) asking Allah to accept your fasting, prayers, charity, and good deeds.

Our dedication in the beginning of Ramadan may have started with a high level of motivation, and somewhere in Ramadan, we may have started to slack off. Perhaps we became less focused in our prayer, or in our remembrance of Allah and similar. By asking Allah to accept our actions, despite its flaws, means that we are asking Allah to overlook the flaws and imperfections in our worship and that He accepts it due to His Mercy, and not the quality of our actions.

“By asking Allah to accept our actions, despite its flaws, means that we are asking Allah to overlook the shortcomings and imperfections in our worship and that He accepts it due to His Mercy, and not the quality of our actions.”

Seal the deal by seeking forgiveness after completing any righteous action.

The Quran in verse: 73:20 states, “Whatever good you store up for yourselves will be improved and increased for you. Ask God for His forgiveness, He is most forgiving, most merciful.” This verse highlights that we should not become over confident when we carry out good deeds, that we should seek Allah’s forgiveness upon the conclusion of any good action, as seeking forgiveness expresses our humility and sincerity in devoting ourselves to Allah, while recognizing that our worship is far from  perfect. We find a similar instruction to the Prophet (peace be upon him), after the conquest of Makkah. Despite the monumental success of the Prophet’s mission  (peace be upon him) in propagating Islam, and that his enemies had now come into the folds of Islam,  Allah instructs the Prophet to seek Allah’s forgiveness:

Lastly, the Zakat al  fitr (Charity of Eid ul Fitr) has been likened to the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdah-al sahw). When we fall short of one of the conditions of prayer, the sunnah is to prostrate with a further two units as it rectifies the mistake in prayer. In a similar vein the Zakat al fitr is a way of seeking to rectify any flaws in our worship this Ramadan. Moreover, beyond Ramadan, we should attempt to continue to keep up giving charity, as it is a cleansing for our soul and as a way of filling in any of the voids in our worship.

Assessing Spiritual Growth:

Reflect on your spiritual progress during Ramadan. Hopefully you would have developed better habits, increased your knowledge of Islam, or in one way or another, strengthened your connection with Allah.  Consider what factors contributed to this progress and how you can sustain them. If you feel you could have done better, reflect on the areas you need to improve on. What were the roadblocks? What could you have done differently? Set realistic goals for ongoing spiritual growth beyond Ramadan and begin building habits now so that you reach the next Ramadan in a higher state of Iman (faith). We will discuss this in more detail in the next lesson.

“Set realistic goals for ongoing spiritual growth beyond Ramadan and begin building habits now so that you reach the next Ramadan in a higher state of Iman (faith)”

Beginning a New Chapter

Although this Ramadan has come to an end, remember that the opportunity for growth has not ceased with its passing. The chance to improve and deepen our connection with Allah continues until our last breath.

Allah SWT reminds us:

As stated by the great lexicologist Al Raghib Al-Asfhani, the term ‘Jihad’ or struggle refers to اسْتِفْراغُ الوُسْعِ في مُدافَعَةِ العَدُوِّ

“It is exerting one’s best efforts in overcoming the enemy”. The real struggle which we find challenging to maintain is controlling our desires, lusts and egos. Ramadan creates the best time and environment for us to thwart our desires, and to weaken these impulses, but the struggle now continues.

Every moment of existence is an opportunity to draw closer to Him, enriching our soul’s journey until the end of our days. Let us carry the lessons learned during Ramadan forward with gratitude, seeking acceptance for our efforts, and striving for continuous improvement in our faith and deeds. May Allah bless us with strength, guidance, and steadfastness on the straight path. Ameen.

From Fast to Steadfast

Make a note of the good habits you gained this Ramadan and how you plan on sustaining these until the next Ramadan. It may be that you were more patient in Ramadan, or you gave more charity. Ask yourself, “what motivated me to do this?” Now ask yourself, “how can I sustain that motivation permanently?”

Remember, the worship of Allah and observing His rights upon us and constantly seeking His pleasure, requires for us to patient and steadfast as Allah tells us:

This verse reminds us to remain steadfast in worshipping Allah. This call is coupled with the fact that Allah is the Master of the heavens and the earth, and He sustains us everyday blessing us with health, nourishing food and drink and sustaining His entire creation, He is deserving of our worship and that we remain steadfast in His worship.

Sufyan bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:

"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam which I can ask of no one but you.' He (peace be upon him) said, 'Say "I believe in Allah" — and then be steadfast.'" [Muslim]

You are welcome to share your Ramadan insights and engage with others' reflections on QuranReflect by using the hashtag #RamadanTaughtMe