After Ramadan: What Now?

[madeenahsh]

After Ramadan: What Now?

By an anonymous sister

[Based upon and adapted from a beneficial reminder given by our brother Muneer Baksh on the 27th of Ramadan, 1426 at Call to Islam, Masjid al-Ghurabaa, Luton, UK]



Indeed all praise belongs to Allaah, we praise Him, seek His aid and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allaah guides there is none to misguide and whomsoever Allaah misguides there is none to guide. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah Alone; without any partners and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.



Al-Bara bin Azib (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) said: We went out with the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to the funeral of a man of the Ansaar and came to the grave. It had not yet been dug, so Allaah’s Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sat down and we sat down around him quietly. He had in his hand a stick with which he was making marks on the round. Then he raised his head and said:



“Seek refuge in Allaah from the punishment of the grave.”



Saying it twice or thrice, he then said:



“When a believer is about to leave the world and go forward to the next world, angels with faces white as the sun come down to him from heaven with one of the shrouds of paradise and some of the perfume of paradise and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says:



‘Good soul, come out to forgiveness and acceptance from Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala).’



It then comes out as a drop flows from a water-skin and he seizes it; and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but take it and place it in that shroud and that perfume, and from it there comes forth a fragrance like that of the sweetest musk found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their asking: ‘Who is this good soul?’ To which they reply:



‘So and so, the son of so and so.’



Using the best names by which people called him on the earth. They then bring him to the lowest heaven and ask that the gate should be opened for him. This is done, and from every heaven its archangels escort him to the next heaven until it is brought to the seventh heaven, and Allaah who is Great and Glorious says:



‘Record the book of my servant in Illiyyun and take him back to earth, for I created mankind from it, I shall return them into it, and from it I shall bring them forth another time.’



His soul is then restored to his body; two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him:



‘Who is our Lord?’



He replies:



‘My Lord is Allaah.’



They ask:



‘What is your religion?’



And he replies:



‘My religion is Islaam.’



They ask:



‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’



And he replies:



‘He is Allaah’s Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).’



They ask:



‘What is your [source of] knowledge?’



And he replies:



‘I have read Allaah’s Book, believed in it and declared it to be true.’



Then one cries from heaven:



‘My servant has spoken the truth, so spread out carpets for him from paradise, and open a gate for him into paradise.’



Then some of its joy and its fragrance comes to him, his grave is made spacious for him as far as the eye can see, and a man with a beautiful face, beautiful garments and a sweet odour comes to him and says:



‘Rejoice in what pleases you for this is your day which you have been promised.’



He asks:



‘Who are you, for your face is perfectly beautiful and brings good?’



He replies:



‘I am your good deeds.’



He then says:



‘My Lord, bring the last hour; my Lord, bring the last hour, so that I may return to my people and my property.’



But when an infidel is about to leave the world and proceed to the next world, angels with black faces come down to him from heaven with haircloth and sit away from him as far as the eye can see. Then the angel of death comes and sits at his head and says:



‘Wicked soul, come out to displeasure from Allaah.’



Then it becomes dissipated in his body, and he draws it out as a spit is drawn out from moistened wool. He then seizes it, and when he does so they do not leave it in his hand for an instant, but put it in that haircloth and from it comes forth a stench like the most offensive corpse found on the face of the earth. They then take it up and do not bring it past a company of angels without their saying:



‘Who is this wicked soul?’



To which they reply:



‘So and so, the son of so and so.’



Using the worst names that he was called in the world. When he is brought to the lowest heaven request is made that the gate be opened for him, but it is not opened for him.



Allaah’s Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then recited:



‘The gates of heaven will not be opened for them and they will not enter paradise until a camel can pass through the eye of a needle.’



Allaah who is most Great and Glorious then says:



‘Record his book in Sijjin in the lowest earth.’



And his soul is thrown down. He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then recited:



‘He who assigns partners to Allaah is as if he had fallen down from heaven and been snatched up by the birds, or made to fall by the wind in a place far distant.’



His soul is then restored to his body; two angels come to him, and making him sit up say to him:



‘Who is your Lord?’



He replies:



‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’



They ask:



‘What is your religion?’



He replies:



‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’



They ask:



‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’



He replies: ‘Alas, alas, I do not know.’



Then one cries out from heaven:



‘He has lied, so spread out carpets from hell for him, and open a gate for him into hell.’



Then some of its heat and hot air comes to him, his grave is made narrow for him so that his ribs are pressed together in it and a man with an ugly face, ugly garments and an offensive odour come to him and says:



‘Be grieved with what displeases you, for this is your day which you have been promised.’



He asks:



‘Who are you, for your face is most ugly and brings evil?’



He replies:



‘l am your wicked deeds.’



He then says:



‘My Lord, do not bring the last hour’.”



Contemplate on the life that has been given to us and the end that is awaiting us. Who amongst us can guarantee a tomorrow? Who amongst us know if they will suffer in the grave or not? And who amongst us know their destination in the after life? We ask Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) to take us on the day of Jumu’ah because it was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: “The Messenger of Allaah (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘There is no Muslim who dies during the day of Friday or the night of Friday but Allaah will protect him from the trial of the grave’.” [1] May Allaah make us amongst them. When the reality hits there is no turning back and they will ask Allaah to be sent back (to this world) one should ponder the reason behind this request. Why do they want to be sent back? It is because they want to do good deeds but Allaah will tell them that their request is nothing but a claim. We do NOT have a second chance and this is the reality. This life that has been given to us is our only opportunity to grab what ever we can whilst we are able.



Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) allowed us to witness a blessed month so that we may benefit from it by repenting, seeking Allaah’s Mercy and also making a promise (inshaa’Allaah) that we will not turn back to our old ways (of sinning) but rather move forward. We need to make serious efforts to become a better Muslim, a better believer by being sincere to our promise and not lying to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala).



So how do we fulfil this promise?



We fulfil this promise by worshiping Allaah alone without associating any partners with him and not by worshiping any man, graves, saint, status, money etc.



“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.” (al-Israa’ 17:23)



“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).” (al-Faatihah 1:5)



We fulfil this promise by leaving those acts that are displeasing to our Creator.

Asking Allaah the Controller of our hearts to make our hearts firm upon this Deen. Our hearts are in between the two fingers of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) and He can turn it which ever way He wills. A person can be a believer today and a disbeliever tomorrow. We seek Allaah’s refuge from disbelief. Thus we cannot take it for granted that since we are Muslims today our state will be the same tomorrow. We are going to face Allaah on the Day of Judgment. That day our own family and children cannot avail us nor will they answer for our actions and deeds. We will have to answer for the rights that we took those that belong to Allaah and those of the creation. Our promise to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) is Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is none worthy of worship except Allaah) and this is the reality since the beginning of mankind.



By accepting the irrefutable truth that Muhammad (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the slave and messenger of Allaah. The seal of all the Prophets and the best of mankind.



So if there is anyone who claims that there is another Prophet after Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then he has certainly gone astray and they are disbelievers. [2]



By obeying his (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) commands to the best of our ability and by staying away from the prohibitions [3]



Allaah the Most High says in the Qur’aan:



“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger; he has indeed strayed into a plain error.” (al-Ahzaab 33:36)



The companions (radee Allaahu ‘anhum) obeyed the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to the best of their abilities and they realised that Paradise can be only obtained through his obedience. To Obey the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is Obeying Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) as mentioned in the Qur’aan:



“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allaah then follow me (i.e. accept Islaamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’.”



“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘Obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)).’ But if they turn away, then Allaah does not like the disbelievers.” (Aali Imran 3:31-32)



Ramadan is behind us and it is time for us to strive to make these changes in our lives and not let this blessed month be a phase that we go through as it is for some. During Ramadan they come to the Masjid, fast, pray and do other acts of ibaadah but there is a lack of sincerity and this is the reason why they fall back to the same state they were in.



One of the signs that our Ramadan has been accepted by Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) depends on our behaviour after it. Will we still come to the Masjid for Fajr and Eeshaa? Will we still continue standing up in the night for Qiyaam al-Layl? The Masjid’s are packed now but after Ramadan the lines keep decreasing until there is one or two lines left. Indeed this is the reality and a reflection of the state of our hearts. Allaah the Most High sends his punishments to us due to our continuous disobedience and the breaching of this Promise (Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah). Indeed if we are truthful to Allaah, Allaah will be truthful to us and Allaah is the Truth.



We should not let the brief enjoyments of this life distract us from our real goal and remember that this is from the plots of shaytaan. He failed in his worship to Allaah by being arrogant and due to his jealousy towards our father Adam (‘alayhi sallam). Therefore he made a promise to Allaah that he will cause the mankind to go astray as he went astray and Allaah warns us about his plots in the Qur’aan:



“O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of shaytaan. And whosoever follows the footsteps of shaytaan, then, verily he commands al-Fahshaa’ (i.e. to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)), and al-Munkar (disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil and wicked deeds; to speak or to do what is forbidden in Islaam, etc.)). And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allaah purifies (guides to Islaam) whom He wills, and Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (An-Nur 24:21)



He makes this world look attractive in order to stray us away from the straight path. So we should not follow his footsteps and fail in our worship to Allaah.



Indeed a Muslim is the one who learns the good, applies the good and calls to the good which is the worship of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala). A Muslim is the one maintains his promises those that he made to Allaah and those that he made to the people. He is not the one who says: “Inshaa’Allaah I will do such and such” and does not even intend to do it. A Muslim is the one who when he learns of a commandment of Allaah and His messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) obeys it to the best of his abilities and does not let his desires get the better of him. He realises that the shaytaan is an open enemy to him preventing him from doing those deeds that are obligations. We see today how shaytaan has diverted us from the worship of Allaah and made us busy with acquiring the dunya. We see our Muslim brothers and sisters imitating the disbelievers not just in their appearances but also in their actions. The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “He is not one of us who imitates people other than us. Do not imitate the Jews and Christians.” according to another version: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” [4] It is most unfortunate that when we enter into the streets we do not recognise a Muslim due to his imitation of the disbelievers (in his appearance and behaviour) and thus we do not give our salaam.



The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made sure that even his appearance was different from those of the mushrikoon so that a Muslim may recognize another Muslim and give their due rights as He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The rights of one Muslim over another are five: returning the greeting of salaam, saying ‘yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you)’ when he sneezes, accepting invitations, visiting the sick and attending funerals.” [5] So how can we fulfil the right when we do not even recognise our brother or sister in Islaam? Moreover he will be deprived of the du’aa that is asking Allaah’s peace be upon him. If a Muslim truly cared about the importance of salaam he would make sure to he appears like one and behaves like one. It is narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (radee Allaahu ‘anhum) that the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Cut the moustache and let the beard grow; be different from the mushrikeen.” [6] Thus it is up to us to decide whether we want to imitate the disbelievers and be one of them or imitate the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and be in his company in paradise.



Indeed the disbelievers are outdoing us in their efforts to make us like them in their attire; behaviour etc. and unfortunately we are not doing enough to represent our true Deen so that they may take heed. Our conduct, character will make the difference.



The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is our example and the Companions use to follow the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) so much so that they would walk the same path the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) walked. They would eat the same particular way he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ate. They would make sure that every single action they do is in accordance to the action of our Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). They had the blessing from Allaah to defend the Prophet’s (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) life, honour and Sunnah but today he (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is not with us. The only way we can defend the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is by learning his Sunnah, implementing it and calling towards it.



Know, O Noble brothers and sisters of Islaam the Day of Judgment is true, the Meezaan (balance) is true. That day our deeds are going to be weighed and the heaviest on the Meezaan will be good conduct (al-khuluqun hasan) as the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The heaviest deed in the believer's scale on the Day of Judgment is his good manners, for Allaah loathes the one who is obscene in speech (Fahish) and the one who speaks shamelessly to make people laugh (Mutafahish).” [7] He (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said: “I was sent so as to perfect the noble virtues", in another version: “The best manners.” [8] Therefore it is incumbent upon us to better our conduct as it softens hearts and brings people towards the beauty of Islaam.



Thus we need to uphold this promise that we made to Allaah and whilst we are upholding we have to keep in mind all the important aspects it encompasses. We ask Allaah to make us better Muslims and help us uphold our Promise that we made to Him. We ask Allaah to forgive our sins, accept our fasts, our small deeds and grant us the ability to do deeds that are pleasing to Him. We ask Allaah to grant us Jannatul firdous al-‘alaa. Ameen!



Wallaahu ta'aalaa 'aalam.



Footnotes:



[1] Narrated by at-Tirmidhee, 1074; classed as Saheeh by al-Albaanee in Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz, Pgs. 49-50

[2] E.g. the Qadiyaani’s

[3] The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “If I forbid you to do a thing, then avoid it and if I command you to do a thing, then do as much of it as you can.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaaree, 7288; Muslim, 1337)

[4] Reported by Aboo Daawood, Imaam Ahmed

[5] Narrated by Muslim, 2625

[6] Bukhaaree & Muslim

[7] Reported by al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad. Also by at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Hibban and al-Bayhaqi on the authority of Abi AI-Darda’, Saheeh al-Jami’ al-Saghir, No.135

[8] Reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah in al-Adab al-Mufrad by Imaam al-Bukhaaree and it is also mentioned in Saheeh al-Jami al-Saghir, No.2349

[Khayal]

:salamext:

Jazak Allah khair.

:wasalamex