How to Maintain Good Habits After Ramadan
Ramadan is the month of fasting for atonement of sins and purification of soul. It is a response to the carnal desires for eating, drinking and sleeping. A way that instills discipline in lives ensuring that the needs are met according to the indispensable requirements with in the pursuit of gratitude towards Allah Almighty. Fasting is the best practice of loyalty and a concurrence between creator and created.
Once done with Ramadan the spirit of sacrifice seems a daunting task to uphold. The quintessence of these sacred teachings lies in sustaining the practices that one has adopted in the month of Ramadan. The heighted feeling of Ramadan’s holiness is to continue the errands of caring for family and relatives (Haqooq ul ibaad) by reaching to all in times of need, never forgo the zeal of spirituality, thirst for donating alms and invigoration of the connection that has been built between you and Allah. Even Allah has endorsed the one who maintain harmony even in their minor deeds as narrated in Hadith:
“And the most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are continuous, even if they are few.” [Sunan an-Nasa’i]
Sustaining the Spirit of Ramadan
The sheer fear of losing motivation and momentum one has gained in the month of Ramadan makes it arguably more difficult to sustain the practices of Ramadan for rest of the months. If we take Ramadan as a training ground and mould ourselves according to the commandments condoned by Allah Almighty only then our hearts can be liberated from the despair of losing the true essence of Ramadan afterwards.
Following are the deeds of a Muslim that can be continued to sustain the spirit of Ramadan.
1. Formation of Good Habits
Before Ramadan, we are more focused about health, wealth and stealth and in Ramadan we are concerned about Fikar and Zikar. The significant thing after Ramadan is Istiqama i.e. to hold onto the good manners adopted in Ramadan. In Hadith the value of good manners has described as:
“Nothing is weightier on the Scale of Deeds than one’s Good manners.” [Al-Bukhari]
Start from the minor possible habits like staying away From all those practices and routines that you have shunt in Ramadan from staying late till night to profane language. Once you are accustomed to it, these all practices will seem a piece of cake to observe even after the month of Ramadan. This is a psychological fact that carrying on certain habits become a part of one’s routine if practiced for certain weeks henceforth it wouldn’t be sturdy once have your hands on it.
2. Keep Up the Practice of Fasting
Fasting that too after the month of Ramadan? Most of you would have yelled a big No but in actual it is not this tough to observe the practice of fasting after Ramadan. It was the favorite custom of our prophet (PBUH) to observe fast on some specific days and many Hadiths authenticate the significance of keeping Saum on Monday and Thursday. In Hadith it is narrated that:
“The Prophet of Allah used to fast on Monday and Thursday. When he was asked about it, he said: The works of the servants (of Allah) are presented (to Allah) on Monday and Thursday.” [Sunan Abi Dawud]
Following the Sunnah to observe fasting ritual is a best way not to rust your soul until next Ramadan and to keep the soul enliven within.
3. Patching Up With Prayers and Charity
In Ramadan, we all have made ourselves punctual for offering Salah that embarks discipline in order to obtain the level of spirit for becoming a best practicing Muslim. Continual of this obligation is not tough especially when it is just a day or two of Ramadan departure. Giving donations is not specific to the month of Ramadan that too when Allah has asked His people to give alms to the needy and deserved ones. Donate for mosque construction, feed a poor or the least you can do is to teach someone something good to keep up with the pace of Zakat after Ramadan as charity is among those things that will prove to be the savior at the Day of Judgment as narrated in Hadith:
“When a man dies, his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, and righteous offspring who will pray for him.” [Muslim]
4. Continuation of Communal Meals
Ramadan is a social ritual to revive the communal relationship apart from spiritual practice. Muslims invite their relative for Aftar meals to break their fasts, a way to sit together and revitalize the importance of family get together. Aftar meals can be arranged for the deserved and deprived one depending on the istita’at of Muslim beings. To keep this practice intact one can arrange communal meals for family and friends or either can feed the poor, as they deemed preferable.
Concluding, month of Ramadan is over and indeed was a hard one because most of us have observed fast in the scorching and humid month of June. Despite this fact, we still can keep the essence of Ramadan alive in our soul by sustaining all the good habits that have adopted in the month of Ramadan. Work upon yourself and avoid hardships to pace up with Ramadan’s rituals because in eternity your intentions and consistent deeds will be awarded, as narrated by Hazrat Aisha (RA) that:
“Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and remember that you shall enter Paradise only through Allah’s Mercy, and also remember that the most beloved deed to Allah is that which is regular and constant even if it is little.” [Bukhari]
