Ramadan Ends But Hope Does Not

The season of Ramadan is over. All those suhoor excitements, iftar gatherings, mellifluous Qur’anic recitals and long hours of qiyam have come to an end for most of us. Even though Ramadan has said “good bye” in the literal sense; it has definitely made us either better or hopeless.

“Hopeless”?

Yes, you read it right! None can deny the fact that some of us have become miserable after Ramadan. This article is for those souls who feel doleful after the blessed month of Ramadan. If you are hunting for shades of hope after failing during Ramadan, you are at the right place!

With a hope that one day it’ll all be set alright, many of us try to walk away from the mortified scars of our souls. It’s possible that you haven’t performed well in Ramadan. It’s possible that you tried but could not aim high like others did. It’s even possible that you have fallen deep into the woebegone pits, as though there’s no way out for you. We don’t have to sweep these realities under the carpet; rather we must deal with them.

First of all, you are not listed amongst the thousands of people who passed away during last Ramadan. Give it a thought; you are still alive! Indeed Allah  has increased your lifespan beyond the blessed month for a reason. If Allah  has decided that you were of no use just because “you didn’t do any good during Ramadan”; He  could have shut your soul down and wrapped it in the arms of death long back; may be during Ramadan itself. But Nay! He  chose to let you live. He  decided to give you another chance because of His endless mercy. Know it! Allah still loves you. You might have lost hope in you, but Allah  hasn’t. Be thankful that Al-Fattah has kept the doors of guidance still open for you. Therefore, get ready to walk through them; you are never too late!

Treat your soul with these timely droplets of hope.

1. Know that Ramadan is not “THE END”

Indeed, Ramadan is the biggest possible serendipity given, for those who are willing to change but doesn’t necessarily mean that it is your last chance. Some people change during the blessed month, and some others change after the blessed month. The latter turn their guilt into positive motivation.

Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”  (Azzumar, 39 :53)

Embrace your guilt, cry out loud to your Lord, let the pain of agony drive you towards your Lord. Allah  is calling you to have hope in His mercy, respond to His call!

2. Repent to Him before it’s too late.

You’ve got the motivation to change; but that’s not enough. Purification of your soul is needed.

“And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped.” (Azumar, 39 :54)

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3. Inaugurate your new life.

Decide it once and for all that from now on, you’ll do your best to attain God consciousness. It’s okay if you’ve failed to reap “Taqwah” during Ramadan; you can still attain it with a little hard work.

“Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (AlHujurat,49:13)

Righteousness here means avoiding the prohibitions and doing the good deeds only to please Allah.  How is it done?

• Jot down all your habitual sins and bad habits you are tied with. Work hard to eliminate them from your routine.
• Find out what kindles you to commit the sin and be away from those evil reasons.
• Every time saitan tempts you towards it; remind yourself that you are on a mission to change and be firm on your conviction.
• Practice makes you perfect. Therefore, continue to strive hard against evil desires and train your soul to kick them off from your system.
• Think about easy good deeds you can be consistent with and start doing them.

Doing good is easy, even disbelievers can do good.  But continuity in doing good sets the definition for the believers.

Narrated `Aisha:

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little.” ¹

WOW!  Little deeds with consistency count!

Therefore, start from smaller scope projects and gradually step into wider schemes. A sample list is given below, but you can always customize it according to your convenience or life style.

• Pray the five daily prayers on time, no matter what.
• Recite five verses of the Qur’an every day while reading their meanings.
• Start praying the night prayer.
• Give a little charity daily, weekly or monthly according to your affordability.
• Fast voluntary fasts (Weekly – Mondays and Thursdays / Monthly – White days).
• Attend at least one prayer in congregation every day.
• Join an authentic Islamic study circle – This can also include watching authentic Islamic lectures on the internet in the comforts of your homes.
• Make friends with righteous people.
• Stop wasting your time. This may include unwanted gossips, watching movies and cyber chatting.

Remember, do them continuously.

4. Last but definitely not the least; while working out on all the aforementioned tasks, have a pure intention of preparing yourself for the next Ramadan!

Narrated ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab: I heard Allah’s Messenger  saying, “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.” ²

Even though the above hadeeth speaks about migration; scholars have agreed that it is applicable for all facets of life and upon all intentions made. Therefore, have the supreme intention of making it up for the upcoming Ramadan!

As I mentioned before, let the pain of failure positively motivate you towards success. Vow to yourself that you will definitely train yourself until you reach the ultimate better version of your soul and end up having a perfect Ramadan next year insha’Allah. This way, even if you reach your death before Ramadan comes; you’ll still be rewarded for your good intention and efforts.

May Allah  grant us all Tawfeeq to stay firm on the right path and may He  forgive us our shortcomings and sins ameen.

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