Ramadan’s Over… Now What?

Written by: Ustaz Erwin Shah Effandy

Imagine putting your utmost effort into worship this Ramadan, only to have all your deeds go unaccepted. All the sacrifices, enduring hunger and thirst, restraining from prohibitions, standing for long nights in tarawih and tahajjud until your feet swell; only for them to be rejected by Allah s.w.t. Wouldn’t that be heartbreaking? This is why it is crucial for us to ensure that our worship is done sincerely for His sake, followed by emulating the teachings of the Prophet s.a.w, so that our efforts are not in vain.

After Ramadan has ended, our pious predecessors (Salaf as-Salih) would continue to safeguard themselves from what is prohibited so that Allah s.w.t accepts their deeds from the blessed month. For six months after Ramadan, they would persistently make du’a, pleading for their acts of worship to be accepted. Despite being among the best of people as mentioned by our Prophet s.a.w, they carried deep humility towards Allah s.w.t, fearing that their efforts would not be accepted.

During the death of the Prophet s.a.w, Abu Bakar As-Siddiq uttered a significant phrase when the muslims were in shock and disarray when the news came to them. Abu Bakar uttered:

"Whoever worshiped Muhammad s.a.w, then indeed, Muhammad has passed away. But whoever worships Allah, then indeed, Allah is Ever-Living and does not die.”[1]

His words carried a powerful lesson: our faith is not tied to any individual, no matter how great they are. Instead, our worship belongs solely to Allah s.w.t, the Eternal and Ever-Living.

Similarly, as Ramadan comes to an end, many of us may feel a sense of loss, as though the season of heightened worship, immense rewards, and spiritual upliftment is slipping away. However, just as Abu Bakr r.a reminded the companions that their devotion should always be to Allah s.w.t and not to the Prophet s.a.w, we must also remind ourselves that our dedication to worship should not be limited to Ramadan alone. Let us reflect on these words in the context of Ramadan:

"Whoever worships Ramadan, then indeed, Ramadan has passed. But whoever worships Allah, then indeed, Allah is Ever-Living and does not die."

If our spirituality and devotion were only present in Ramadan, then we must question the sincerity of our worship. True servitude to Allah s.w.t extends beyond a single month. It is a lifelong commitment. The essence of our faith is not to worship a season, but to remain steadfast in our worship of the One who created all seasons. The same Lord we devoted ourselves to in Ramadan remains our Lord throughout the rest of the year.

Ramadan serves as a madrasah for each and everyone of us to do acts of worship and control our desires (nafs). Now that Ramadan is leaving us, are we going to go back to the sins we previously did? Are we going to stop our acts of worship that we have done in Ramadan? Let us sincerely reflect upon ourselves. Where are we compared to the companions of the Prophet s.a.w? Do we have the humility towards Allah s.w.t as how they did? Do we leave Ramadan with certainty that all our efforts have been accepted?

Our scholars mentioned that Eid serves as the ultimate test of Ramadan’s impact on an individual. A person’s behavior, mindset, and actions on this day reflect how they experienced and benefited from the blessed month. The persistence of good deeds or relapse into bad habits reflects one's spiritual growth during Ramadan. A good deed leading to another signals true transformation.

The pious predecessors (Salaf as-Salih) were cautious to avoid anything that could nullify their deeds after Ramadan. A notable example is what Waki’ ibn Jarrah narrated from Sufyan At-Tsauri:

"We went out with Sufyan At-Tsauri during the day of Eid, and he said, 'The first thing that we begin with on this day is to guard our eyes.'"[2]

They were mindful of their gaze, especially on the day of Eid, fearing that looking at that which is impermissible might cause their deeds of Ramadan to be rejected. This is something for us, especially the brothers, to deeply reflect upon.

It is a Sunnah to wear our best clothes on Eid, and naturally, many will adorn themselves in their finest attire for the occasion. However, we must remain vigilant in guarding our eyes, ensuring that our hard-earned efforts in Ramadan are not jeopardized. By exercising restraint, we protect the sincerity of our worship and pray that our deeds are accepted by Allah.

Umar bin Abdul Aziz wrote to the various regions under his rule, instructing the muslims to conclude Ramadan with istighfar and giving charity (specifically zakat al-fitr). Zakat al-Fitr is a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and improper speech and istighfar mends what has been torn in the fast due to idle talk and improper speech[3].

Although the month of forgiveness has come to an end, it is still our responsibility to seek Allah's forgiveness through istighfar, repenting for our past sins and asking for His pardon for any wrongdoings we may commit in the future. We should continue our acts of worship, such as sunnah prayers and charity. One of the acts of worship we can observe is fasting six days in Shawwal. The Prophet s.a.w taught us this sunnah when he said:

“Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he has fasted for a year”[4]

While the motivation and consistency from fasting in Ramadan are still fresh, we can carry that momentum into the month of Shawwal by observing the six fasts, as recommended in the hadith, to earn the rewards. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali explained that the six fasts of Shawwal are similar to the supplementary prayers (nawafil), in that they help perfect any shortcomings or imperfections in our obligatory acts of worship[5].

One of the most vital relationships we should cultivate is our connection with the Qur’an. Let us not limit reading the Qur’an to just the month of Ramadan, but instead, making it a habit to engage with it every month. It is a sunnah to complete reading the Qur’an every month as it serves as our life’s guideline and manual. Just as a manual is not meant to be used only during specific times, the Qur’an is not meant to be confined to Ramadan, but to be followed and reflected upon throughout the entire year.

As we approach the end of this blessed month of Ramadan, let us strive to conclude it on a positive and uplifting note. Let us make sincere efforts to ensure that our deeds are accepted by Allah s.w.t, our sins forgiven, and that we strengthen our bond with our Creator. Imagine the regret and humiliation of standing before Allah s.w.t on the Day of Judgment, knowing that we had the opportunity to be forgiven during this blessed month, but failed to make the most of it. We do not want to be among those whose deeds are left unaccepted, whose repentance is not granted, and whose hearts remain distant from Allah. The Prophet s.a.w warned us in a hadith:

“May the man before whom I am mentioned - and he does not send salutations upon me - be humiliated. And may a man upon whom Ramadan enters and then passes, before he is forgiven, be humiliated. And may a man whose parents reached old age in his presence, and they were not a cause for his entrance to Paradise, be humiliated”[6]

Ibn Rejab gave a beautiful reminder for us to reflect and ponder upon in the end of Ramadan:

O servants of Allah, indeed, the month of Ramadan has resolved to depart, and only a few days remain. Whoever has performed well in it, let them complete it with excellence. And whoever has been negligent, let them make up for it with a good ending. So, benefit from what remains of its blessed nights and days. Entrust your deeds to Allah as righteous actions that will testify for you before the Sovereign, the Most Knowing. And bid farewell to it upon its departure with the purest of greetings and peace."[7]

Peace from the Most Merciful at all times

 Upon the best of months that has passed and its days

Peace be upon the month of fasting, for indeed

 It is a source of security from the Most Merciful, a complete protection

Though your bright days have swiftly come to an end

The sorrow in my heart for your departure will never fade[8]

O month of Ramadan! Be gentle, The tears of the lovers flow for your departure. Their hearts crack from the pain of separation. May the moment of farewell extinguish the burning longing in the heart. May the hour of repentance and turning away heal all the tears in the fast. May the captives of sins be set free and May Allah’s mercy and guide even the sinners to success. [9]

الله أعلم

[1] Sahih al-Bukhari 4452, 4453, 4454

[2] Al-Wara’ Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya (63)

[3] Lataif Al-Maarif (465)

[4] Sahih Muslim 1164

[5] Lataif Al-Maarif (475)

[6] Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3545

[7] Lataif Al-Maarif (467)

[8] Lataif Al-Maarif (468)

[9] Lataif Al-Maarif (469)