Al Quran

Fasting and Qur’an will intercede for the servant on the Day of Judgment. It is narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr, may Allah be pleased with them, that he said: the Messenger of Allah said: “Both fasting and Qur’an will intercede for a servant on the Day of Judgment. Fasting will say: ‘O Lord! I have caused him to give up food and (sexual) desire during the day. So, please, accept my intercession for him.’ The Qur’an will say: ‘O Lord! I have caused him to spend the night sleepless. So, please, accept my intercession for him.’ Thus, their intercession will be accepted for him.” [Reported by Ahmad in his Musnad] Therefore, we should start learning Allah’s Book by heart. Recite what you have learned during Prayer and keep reciting the Qur’an as much as you can.

Charity

The greatness of Sadaqah can be felt by knowing that we are having a trade with Allah (Subhanhu Wa Ta’ala) The Most Generous, He is the One who gave us our money at first place, yet He is not saying that give this money back to me! He is saying to us: Who gives Allah a loan? If we were to be offered a great business deal with great people, would we be stingy!? We would even wish that we have more money to put in that investment! So what about Allah? By Sadaqah you are having a transaction with Allah directly, and this is the virtue of it. Charity is not necessary to be a monetary Sadaqa, but it has a wider meaning.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “On every joint of man, there is charity, on every day when the sun rises: doing justice between two men is charity, and assisting a man to ride an animal or to load his luggage on it is charity; and a good word is charity, every step which one takes towards (the mosque for) Salat is charity, and removing harmful things from the way is charity”. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Therefore, we should keep on taking care of the poor and the needy.

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 All righteous deeds should be concluded with Istighfaar. Prayers, Hajj, night prayers and meetings are all concluded with it too. Fasting should also be concluded with Istighfaar to amend any act of forgetfulness, negligence or perversion we might have committed. Istighfaar erases the feeling of arrogance and ostentation from the heart and lets one feel his shortcomings. It is this very feeling that leads to doing more righteous deeds after Ramadan and getting more rewards.

Fasting

1- Make Up for Missed Fast Days

A Muslim should hasten to make up for the missed fast days of Ramadan if he or she has missed fast day(s) of Ramadan for a valid reason such as illness, travel, or menses in the case of women

2- Fast Six Days in Shawwal

It is highly recommended by the Sunnah for a Muslim to fast six days in the month of Shawwal. Fasting for six days in Shawwal entails great reward and blessings from Allah Almighty. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, and then follows it up by (fasting) six days of Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted the whole year.” (Muslim)

Here, it is important to point out that it is not necessary for a Muslim to fast the six days of Shawwal consecutively. So long as one has fasted six days, either consecutively or separately, he or she will fulfill the requirement and will receive the same rewards, inshaa’ Allah.

3 – Fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.

4- Fasting the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every lunar month.

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 After Ramadan

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger,

Allah Subhanhu Wa Ta’ala says (وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَاثًا) (16:92)

(And do not be like the one who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has become Strong), Abdullah bin Kathir and As-Suddi said: “This was a foolish woman in Makkah. Every time she spun thread and made it strong, she would undo it again.” Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said: “This is like the one who breaks a covenant after confirming it.”

In Ramadan, all Muslims compete with each other in good deeds and benevolence. During this blessed month, souls are trained in virtue, they learn to disdain vices, sins and acquire all good attributes. Whoever witnesses this month without gaining any of its rewards is indeed poor. However, what is appalling is to see some of those who were guided to do good deeds and take provisions from virtues during this month hastily destroying what they had built. This is a gross mistake and shameful act in the true sense of the word.

Ramadan has ended but you still have several renewed types for worship. Allah Subhanhu Wa Ta’ala says:  (وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ) And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death). (15:99). We should know that the Lord of Ramadan is the Lord of other months and days, and that He is the Lord of all times and places. We should be straight following the laws of Allah until we meet our Lord while He is satisfied with us. Therefore, I do advise myself, my dear brothers and sisters to consider the following acts after Ramadan:

Istighfaar (seeking Allah’s forgiveness)

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 *21* Don’t look at your neighbour & lose hope in your situation. Whatever you want will come to you. Be patient. What’s meant to be will be!

*22* Be in the company of those who build you up & have good intent for you; not the ones who pretend they care but will gossip & backstab you.

*23* Work hard for your Hereafter. Keep a balance with worldly life. You don’t need to shout about it. Let the lives you touched make the noise.

*24* The Almighty does not consider you superior because of your rank or riches. He looks at your heart, level of piety & your closeness to Him.

*25* Are you often suspicious & think ill of others even before verifying? It’s a bad habit disliked by the Almighty. Stay away from negativity!

*26* Don’t underestimate the evil-eye. It’s real. As far as possible, keep your blessings hidden. Be humble. Make the Almighty your focus.

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 *11* We all have ups and downs; days where we struggle more than others. Know that the Almighty is aware & will never let our efforts be wasted.

*12* If you’ve been blessed with wealth, thank the Almighty. But be sure to keep the wealth in your hand & not in your heart. Give to please Him.

*13* Don’t look back with regret on missed opportunities. Allah closed those doors for a reason. May He open doors that always lead us back to Him.

*14* Don’t bring yesterday’s failures into today. Learn from them. Move on. The Almighty has better things in store. Put your full trust in HIM.

*15* Don’t look at material possessions & form your opinion of others. That’s shallow. If you’re worried about it, the problem lies with YOU!

*16* Don’t stress too much over worldly matters. Worrying about the future or regretting the past is a waste of time. Leave it to the Almighty.

*17* The more you give, the more you’ll get back. Even if it’s not money, give your time, words & advice. The Almighty will reward you in greater ways!

*18* Some people just love pushing others down. Don’t worry about them. They are powerless to stop what the Almighty has planned for you.

*19* Be content with what the Almighty has given you. Be grateful for the big, be patient with the little. Ask Him for blessings at all times.

*20* Calamity has its blessings. Embrace it. The Almighty knows. He has seen how it can transform a harsh person into one with the kindest heart.

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 ADVICE AND WISDOM

*1* Do you sometimes feel like everyone is letting you down? The Almighty puts such people in your life to teach you to depend only on Him.

*2* Don’t react to others when you’re emotional as you’re more likely to misinterpret what they say. It takes a calm, sensible mind to do this.

*3* If you want something done well, do it yourself. Don’t expect others to feel the same way about it. In most cases, you can’t rely on people.

*4* Whether things work out or not, it’s the Almighty’s will. Keep going. Whatever the outcome, there’s a blessing in it. Keep smiling.

*5* Be wary of those who have a whole set of rules for others but follow none of their own rules. They pretend to be what they’re not.

*6* People will say & do things to upset you. That’s just the way it is. As long as you behave with integrity, you’ll be at peace.

*7* Being respectful, kind & polite are often mistaken for flirting. It’s sad because such qualities are becoming uncommon in a stressed world.

*8* Always remember we’re better off than many in this world. Our struggles are small, yet we always complain. Thank the Almighty upon all conditions!

*9* Society will judge you by its own standard. Don’t bother with it. The care you’ve shown, the love you’ve shared; they matter so much more.

*10* You may think it’s impossible to get out of your situation. You’re wrong. The Almighty can make things happen that we couldn’t make happen.

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Do not be deceived by those who would lead a pleasant like by causing damage to you, and eat the good things of this world by causing the good things of your afterlife to disappear. And do not regard your power in this world, but look toward what will be your power when you are captive in the bonds of death, and forced to stand before God Most High in the company of the angels and prophets and apostles, and faces are turned to the Living and Self-subsisting One.

 

And I, O commander of Believers, though I have not attained by my rigors what prudent men attained before me, yet have not desisted from offering you solicitude and advice, sending you my letter as a doctor causes a beloved friend to drink disagreeable medicine, because he hopes to offer him health and soundness.

 

And peace be upon thee, O Commander of the Believers, and the mercy of God, and His blessing.”

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