According to the righteous predecessors, “Ramadan is but a market which is held (for some time) and then it is over, in which some gain, and others lose.” So, to which party do you belong?
According to Al-Hasan “Allah The Almighty has made Ramadan an arena for His slaves to race to please Him: some precede and thus win, and others remain behind and thus lose. Wonder at the one who plays and laughs on the very day the doers of good win, and the idle ones lose.”
We are at the end of the month: who is the one whose deeds are accepted (by Allah), so that congratulations would be presented to him, and who is the one deprived (of good) so that he would be consoled?
The winners always grieve at the elapse of the numbered days of the month of Divine gifts, thereby bringing about hope (for good), for it awakens their longing to please Allah The Almighty, and regret over negligence with regard to Allah The Almighty. The faithful believer is always fearful, regardless of his acts of worship and deeds.
It is narrated that ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, asked the Messenger of Allah, , about the significance of the statement of Allah The Almighty (what means): {And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord}[Quran 23:60]: “O Messenger of Allah! Are those the ones who commit theft, adultery, drink alcohol and therefore feel afraid of Allah?” The Prophet, , said: “No, daughter of As-Siddeeq. It is rather those who pray, fast, and give in charity, but, at the same time, feel afraid lest their deeds might not be accepted from them.”[Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
This is the state of the obedient person after the elapse of the month of Ramadan. After they have fasted, spent the night standing (in prayer), recited the Quran, and worshipped Allah The Almighty, they feel afraid lest their deeds would not be accepted by Allah The Almighty. That is because they perceived well the value of what they received during the previous days, and learnt that their goods were not cheap. However, they wait so that Allah The Almighty should give them their reward in full measure, as a charity from Him.
Do not untwist your spun thread
Do not untwist your spun thread, like the woman who exerted great effort to spin a beautiful garment, and then she sat by herself to undo its knots and untwist its threads one by one, as described by Allah The Almighty in His saying (what means): {And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you.} [Quran 16:92] So, beware of being a slave to Ramadan rather than to the Lord of Ramadan.
Constancy in obedience is the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) of the Best of Servants
To be constant in obedience is part of the guidance of the Prophet, , who used to supplicate saying: “O (Allah) the turner of hearts: make my heart firm on Your religion.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh] He also urged his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to do their religious service constantly, regardless of how little it might be. He said: “The dearest of deeds to Allah The Almighty is that which is done regularly, no matter how little it might be.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
The road to constancy
Therefore, do not deviate from the straight path. Many acts of worship should be observed regularly after Ramadan has passed, and performed with care, so that you would be close to the atmosphere of Ramadan, and to the Lord of Ramadan throughout the year:
Your prayer: First of all, you should perform prayer at its due time, and be confident that the most hopeful deed a Muslim does, which draws him close to Allah The Almighty is to be careful about the obligatory duties, as confirmed by Allah The Almighty in a Qudsi Hadeeth (sacred narration): “No servant draws near Me with anything dearer to me than (the obligatory duties) which I have enjoined upon him.” [Al-Bukhari: Saheeh]
The supererogatory deeds: You should have a daily portion (Wird) of supererogatory prayers, fasting and charity, and others, in order to move from the degree of someone who loves Allah The Almighty to that of someone who is loved by Allah The Almighty. This is confirmed by Allah The Almighty in the Qudsi Hadeeth (sacred narration): “My servant continues to draw close to Me with the supererogatory deeds until I love him, and once I love him, I Become his hearing wherewith he hears, and his sight wherewith he sees…” [Al-Bukhari]
You may begin by observing six fasts of Shawwaal, applying the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, : “Whoever fasts Ramadan, followed by six (days) of Shawwaal, is like him who fasts the whole year.” [Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
The strong rope of Allah The Almighty: Maintain a firm relationship with the Quran, since it is the sign of your closeness to or remoteness from Allah The Almighty. Do not abandon nor sever your relation with the Quran, for it is the rope of Allah The Almighty, which deprives the slave of all good if it is cut off. Whoever recites with difficulty and falters in recitation, let them learn Tajweed (the science of reciting the Quran accurately); and whoever has the capability to recite should begin to memorize; and whoever memorizes should revise the memorized portion and start a new complete recitation of the Quran after the elapse of Ramadan.
Keep good company: Choose such company that helps you obey Allah The Almighty, since one always follows the ways of his friend, and on the Day of Judgment, friends will be enemies to each other, except the pious.