Continuation of good deeds after Ramadan

A night view of Imam Muhammad bin Abdulwahab Mosque. PICTURE: Noushad ThekkayilPraise be to Allah Who has guided His believing servants to do acts of obedience and has made the ways of good and righteous deeds easy for them. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah Who has no partners, and that our leader and Prophet Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, the best of those who observed fasting and the optional night prayer, and the best of legislators who enacted laws and explained judgments. O Allah grant Your mercy, blessings and peace on the leader of the righteous and the leader mankind and jinn, and on his family, Companions and those who follow their way until the Last Day. Praise be to Allah Who has guided us to Islam. We can never be guided except with the help of Allah. Praise be to Allah Who has favoured the month of Ramadan over all other months and made it a great opportunity to attain rewards by committing good deeds. During Ramadan, the believers compete in doing acts of obedience and spending in the cause of Allah. During this month, righteous deeds are doubled, mistakes are remitted, ranks of men are raised and supplications are answered by Allah. It is the month of benevolence and blessings. It is the month of mutual consolidation. During this month the provisions of Muslims increase, their faith becomes deeper and they compete in performing Taraweeh prayer, late optional night prayer, recitation of the Qur’an and giving charity to the needy among relatives, neighbors and poor people in general. This is in accordance to Allah’s saying which means: “And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous.” [Qur’an 3: 133]Allah also Says (what means): “…And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.” [Qur’an 2: 195]The verses that encourage doing good in the cause of Allah are many. Therefore, we should continue the good deeds that we have initiated in Ramadan and extend them after its termination. You should know that the sign of the acceptance of a good deed by Allah is that you follow it with another good deed, and the sign of rejecting good deeds by Allah is that you follow it by committing sins. This should be well understood by those people who feel happy and relieved after the termination of Ramadan as they think that with the end of Ramadan they will be free to commit whatever sins they wish, and rebel against the commands of their Lord.Allah is the Greatest -- with every fasting and breaking of Fast, with each instance of growing of trees and the blooming of fruits, whenever a crescent appears and then grows and becomes a full moon, whenever rain falls and pours forth -- Allah is the Greatest! Allah is the Greatest! Praise be to Allah. Servants of Allah! Turn in repentance to your Lord and supplicate Him sincerely by offering your duty to Him. Be sincere in worship, supplication, in your fear of Allah and in your wish to attain His mercy. Rely on Allah in all your affairs. Seek His aid and protection, as He is the best supporter and disposer of affairs. He is the Saviour and the Answerer of whoever asks Him with sincerity. Allah Says what means: “And when My servants ask you [O Muhammad] concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” [Qur’an 2: 186] Let us then listen to Allah’s call and believe in His Messenger. Let this assemblage be a reminder of His assemblage of the Resurrection when all the creations be gathered naked and barefooted, as they were originally created. We will be gathered at one place. The believers will be received by the Angels with good tidings and congratulations for the salvation from torture. The Angels will say to the survivors on that day: “Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised!” [Qur’an 41: 30] Allah describes the state of the believers on that day saying: “[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright – Laughing, rejoicing at good news..” [Qur’an 80: 38-39] As for the unbelievers on that day Allah describes them as such: “And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust. Blackness will cover them. Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.” [Qur’an 80: 40-42]Glorified be Allah, Who is worthy of all glorifications? Allah Says what means: “So exalted is Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And [exalted is He] at night and when you are at noon.” [Qur’an 30: 17-18]O Allah! As you have sent to us Your Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), make our houses well maintained and full of life (due to worship practiced therein) and do not condemn us on account of our bad deeds and be merciful to us as You are the most Merciful of those who show mercy. O Allah! As You are The Most Gracious of those who show graciousness, and the Greatest of all those who claim greatness, make for us a way out of each distress and grief. O Allah! Grant blessings on Prophet Muhammad, son of Abdullah, the Prophet of mercy and the Messenger of guidance, as many times as the number of those who offered prayers on him right from his mission until the Day of Resurrection. O Allah! Grant him intercession on our behalf and resurrect us in his group and under his banner and decree for us to drink from his font (the Hawd) so that we never feel thirsty thereafter. O Allah! Grant us a joyful life, a bounteous provision and a righteous deed! O Allah! Grant mercy on this gathering and grant us protection from error after departing!Servants of Allah! Your actual joy of festivals should be through continuing to practice acts of obedience and good deeds, kindness to parents, maintaining the ties of kinship and kindness to relatives, the poor and orphans. Hasten in reconciliation among yourselves, since this occasion is the appropriate time for this purpose. Give measure and weight with full justice. Give preference to Allah’s judgment above your whims. None of us can be a true believer until his liking complies with the teachings of Allah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). Know that: “Injustice will cause darkness on the Day of Resurrection.”[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: “Whoever causes harm to others Allah will harm him, and whoever makes it difficult for people Allah will make it difficult for him.” [At-Tirmithi]Let us raise our children according to the precepts of Islam. Let us teach them to lead a frugal life and manage financial affairs well. Let us teach them how to spend their money properly on the occasion of the festival of ‘Eed. Let us help those who have attained puberty to marry, in accordance with the Prophet’s (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) saying: “O youth! Let those who can afford marriage among you marry! For marriage is apt to give stronger ability to restrain one’s gaze and protect one’s chastity.” O you youth who can afford marriage, let all of you hasten to marry. O you guardians of the girls, who are entrusted to you by Allah, hasten to marry them without imposing too many restrictions and complications with regard to dowers, by the coming festival they should be married to their suitable mates.Praise be to Allah, Who blesses us with repeated assemblies and festivals. He is the gatherer of mankind together against a Day about which there is no doubt, for Allah never fails in His promise. I praise Him for the success and bounties that He offers. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah to Whom all creatures will return. He has power over all things. I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the leader of the righteous and the master of the followers of Allah’s way. May Allah grant blessings on him and all those who have followed his way until the Last Day.Servants of Allah! Know that charity obliterates sin, extinguishes the wrath of the Lord and protects from evil destinies. On that day Eid, a Muslim should not forget his brother Muslims who are deprived of the joy of the festival on account of perishing due to famines and destructive wars that are taking place in their countries. Know that whoever is not concerned about the affairs of Muslims will not be counted as belonging to them. Let’s then remember the poor and the needy, and those who strive in the cause of Allah. O Allah support them with Your victory and give them dominance in their land. O Allah support them and gather their hearts. You are the Answerer of all supplications. O Muslims! Beware of arrogance and its manifestations, since the arrogant people will be resurrected the size of atoms and people will tread them with their feet. O pious Muslim women! Preserve your adornment and do not disclose it nor apply perfume in the presence of any men other than your Mahram relatives [those who are not allowed to marry you] or your husbands. Allah Says what means: “And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance…” [Qur’an 33: 33]Let’s enjoy the Eid festival without pride. Let’s entertain ourselves without neither exposure nor intermingling between the opposite sexes. Let’s proclaim Allah’s greatness, since Takbeer [proclaiming Allah’s greatness] is the slogan of Muslims during their festivals.Lastly, do not forget to observe fasting for six days in the month of Shawwaal, as the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever fasts (the month of) Ramadan then follows it with six days in Shawwal, will be considered as if he has observed Fasting during the whole year.” [Muslim]

Guidance of the Prophet concerning the Eid day

1. He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to always perform the two Eid prayers in the Musallaa (outside prayer grounds). He only performed this Salaah in the masjid one time, due to rain.2. He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to wear his best clothing when he went out for the two Eid prayers.3. He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to eat an odd number of dates before going out for the Eid al-Fitr (prayer). As for the Eid al-Adha (prayer), he would not eat until he returned from the Musallaa, in which case he would eat from the Ad-heeyah (sacrificed animal).4. He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to take a Ghusl (complete bath) for both of the Eids.5. He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to go out to the two Eid prayers walking. 6. Whenever he (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) reached the Musallaa he would begin with the Salaah – without Adhaan and without ‘Iqaamah, and without saying “as-Salaatu Jaami’atan” (i.e. “Salaah, in Congregation”).7. Whenever he (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) finished the Salaah, he would stand - facing the people – while the people would be sitting. Then, he would deliver the religious advice and exhortation; and he would begin the Khutbah with ‘Praise of Allah’.8. He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) gave permission to those who attended the Eid prayer to either sit for the Khutbah or leave.9. He (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)) used to go (to the place of prayer) by one road and return by another road.[Summarised from ‘Zaad al-Ma’aad Fee Hadyi Khair al-‘Ibaad’ by by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah]