Keeping the Spirit of Ramadan Alive - May 21, 2021
Written by Munawar HaqueKeeping the Spirit of Ramadan Alive
(May 21, 2021)
My dear respected brothers and sisters! There is a beautiful hadith that encourages us to engage in creative thinking in a way that keeps everyone safe and healthy. This is also true when it comes to observing our religious obligations and our holidays. The hadith says:
لاَ ضَرَرَ وَلاَ ضِرَارَ
“Do not harm and do not be a cause of harm.” This means that any act that causes harm to others, whether individually or as a community and whether it is beneficial or not beneficial to the one who causes it, is prohibited in Islam.
Alhamdulillah, to stay safe from the ongoing pandemic, we were able to perform our congregational prayers, tarawih, and other activities in the masjid during Ramadan, strictly according to the CDC guidelines. May Allah accept from each one of us and bless each one of us; ameen.
Alhamdulillah! Ramadan comes every year to discipline our bodies and lift our souls. It empowers us by providing physical and spiritual strength. It boosts our mutual values of love, mercy, and compassion. We became more conscious of Allah (SWT), and feel closer to Him.
While bidding farewell to Ramadan, let us not bid farewell to all the goodness that Allah made us reap in this great month. And this is the subject of today’s khutbah - taking lessons from Ramadan and maintaining the spirit of Ramadan. Let not the spirit of Ramadan leave us. Let us not allow the fruits of Ramadan to be lost. If, during Ramadan, we were able to keep ourselves away from the lawful in obedience to Allah’s command, why can’t we keep ourselves away from the unlawful after Ramadan, out of that same submission to Allah (SWT)?
The very objective of fasting during Ramadan is to attain taqwa. By taqwa is meant God-consciousness that protects us from engaging in activities that are harmful to us. Let’s continue to cultivate taqwa, by trying to be God-conscious in whatever we do.
In one hadith, the Prophet (SAW) said, “And bear this in mind that the deed loved most by Allah is one which is done constantly even though it is small.” Let us not belittle even the smallest good action. Small good actions repeated often, grow into good habits, and good habits cultivate good character. A good character produces the sound heart that will benefit on the Day of Judgment. Numerous times, the Qur’an alludes to the spiritual heart. In one of the descriptions of the Day of Judgment, it says,
يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ () إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
“It is the Day when neither wealth nor children can benefit anyone except one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.” (ash-Shu’ara’ 26:88-89). Elsewhere it says,
مَنْ خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَنَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَجَاءَ بِقَلْبٍ مُنِيبٍ() ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلَامٍ ذَلِكَ يَوْمُ الْخُلُودِ
“The one who feared the All-Merciful in the unseen and came with a heart turned to devotion. So enter it in peace. This is the Day of everlasting Life.”(Qaf 50:33-34)
During Ramadan, we fasted to show our love and obedience to Allah (SWT). We fasted not just with our stomachs, but also with our ears, eyes, tongues and hearts. We tried to avoid everything that would displease Allah. We fasted so that Allah (SWT) would count us amongst His obedient, beloved servants. Ramadan kept us connected with Allah (SWT). Now that Ramadan is over, it’s crucially important that we turn back to Him, and that we do not slip back into undesirable habits that we might have had before Ramadan. We have to try hard to prolong this state of closeness to Allah (SWT).
Alhamdulillah, for one whole month we managed to control our ego that inclines us towards evil. We tried to restrain our anger and tried to get rid of arrogance, showing-off, stinginess, and other diseases of the spiritual heart. As heat purifies metals of its impurities, so does Ramadan purifies us of the diseases of our spiritual hearts.
Fasting in Ramadan is prescribed on us to mould our character so that we acquire the qualities that are needed to bring inner peace of mind and to enhance our ability to serve others. Allah (SWT) expects from us that as His vicegerents on earth, we race with each other and compete for righteousness, and not for lowly worldly things like power, greed and lust.
We are often unjust to ourselves in the sense that we often subject our bodies and souls to excesses. Fasting in Ramadan helps us to attain both physical and spiritual healing. The values and discipline we observe in Ramadan should help us make our worship encompass our whole life.
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Say, ‘My prayers and sacrifice, my life and death, are all for Allah, Lord of all the Worlds.” (al-An’am, 6:162)
If our external change in behavior and daily routine in Ramadan does not bring inner change, we must ask whether our fasting has really been accepted by Allah (SWT) or not. For some Muslims, indulgence gradually creeps in their life, and dilutes the spirit which they acquired through fasting. May we not be among such people.
It is crucial that we employ the powerful tool of self-monitoring to assess our deeds, inside and outside Ramadan. This is achieved by being honest with ourselves. Honest self-criticism is an important way to purify our souls. Purification of the soul leads to success.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا
"Truly he has succeeded who purifies it (i.e. the soul). And truly, he has failed who corrupts it." (al-Shams, 91:9-10)
How can one maintain the spirit of Ramadan? This is not too difficult if one has achieved the objective of Ramadan, which, as mentioned before, is taqwa or preventing oneself from that which is harmful. It is a shield that not only protects one from the diseases of the soul but also from the rampant immoral and unethical values that are promoted in our society and that ruin one’s spiritual life.
One of the ways to keep maintaining the spirit of Ramadan alive is to fast the six days of Shawwal. According to a hadith, “Whoever fasts Ramadan, and follows it with six days of Shawwal will be rewarded as if one had fasted the entire year.” Other recommended days to fast as per the practice of the Prophet (SAW) are Mondays and Thursdays.
We should also try our best to pray the sunnah prayers. Such prayers help us to compensate for the shortcomings in our obligatory prayers. The three units of Salat al-Witr must also not be missed. There are other recommended prayers that include the Salat al-Duha or Ishraq, performed about ten or fifteen minutes after sunrise, and the Salat al-Tahajjud, the late night prayers, which are generally offered by the righteous Muslims as a matter of practice.
To be engaged in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah (SWT) is another way to maintain our levels of iman and taqwa. While dhikr may take the form of praising and glorifying Allah (SWT), which can be done at any time, regardless if one is in a state of ablution or nor, one of the best forms of dhikr is recitation of the Qur’an. Allah’s words provide the soul its nourishment from the divine source.
Continuing to spend in the way of Allah (SWT) after Ramadan is yet another way to maintain the spirit of Ramadan. The poor and the destitute have a claim over a portion of our wealth. Zakah and Sadaqah are means to purify our wealth, and seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT).
It is essential that we step back from our busy lives and discover our worth as human beings and use the gift of time to stay away from loss. Let us re-dedicate our lives to the cause of humanity, which is the best way to demonstrate our love of Allah (SWT). Let us resolve that our energies are directed towards strengthening a society based on mutual respect, brotherly love, and universal understanding.
It is true that there is a lot of anti-Islamic propaganda today, but we should be thankful to Allah (SWT) that there are still a very large number of people who have goodwill towards us and who want to know more about our faith. Let us build on this trust. Let us use whatever freedom we have and whatever opportunities we find to help others to know us and to know about the universal values of Islam.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ المُسْلِمينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتْ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهْ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين
Brothers and sisters! On his arrival at Madinah from Makkah during hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad’s first speech summed up a Muslim’s life. He set out a full mission statement for us, in these simple words:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ وَصِلُوا الأَرْحَامَ وَصَلُّوا بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلاَمٍ
“O people, spread peace, feed the poor, keep your family ties, pray during the night when people are sleeping and you will enter paradise with peace.”
Allah will always care for us as long as we care for His creation. We can and must help our brothers and sisters in Islam, as well as our brothers and sisters in humanity. Let us support charities. Let us also help local groups who are feeding the hungry and homeless, as well as those who work to demystify Islam; who build bridges of understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.
We must pay special attention to the next generation of Muslims growing up here. They need good upbringing and extensive Islamic education. We must protect them from the wrong influences of drugs, violence, immoral behavior, and the evils that are negatively affecting our youth globally. We must give them knowledge, give them hope, give them love and care, and do our best to keep them on the path of Allah (SWT).
My dear brothers and sisters! Let us keep the spirit of Ramadan alive among us. Let us strengthen our bond with our Creator and with each other. Let us be more united. Let us become more and more committed to righteousness in our own lives, in the lives of our families, and in the society in which we live.
Allah (SWT) has guided us to the noble deen of Islam, and without His guidance we would be lost. The one who is guided in this life to the straight path will also be guided in the hereafter to the straight path that leads to paradise. The Qur’an tells us that the believers while entering paradise will say:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلَا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ
“Praise be to Allah who has guided us to this! We would not have been guided, had Allah not guided us.” (AL-A’raf, 7:43). May Allah (SWT) make us all among the residents of paradise; ameen.
We pray to Allah (SWT) to help and assist our brothers and sisters in all places where they are facing tyranny and oppression. May He strengthen us and put love and mercy in our hearts for each other. May He protect us, our families, our communities, and our societies. May He keep us on the right path, and guide us to live in peace, and spread the message of peace and justice in the world. May He bless this land and its people, and the entire humanity. Ameen Ya Rabb al-‘Aalameen.