The Means of Keeping Firm after Ramadan - (17/7/16)

بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Don't lose the faith you collected during the month of Ramadan. Don't get back to old routines, as if you have not done anything. That's why the Scholars said, "When the day finishes, it's a sign that the week will finish. When the week finishes, it's a sign that the month will finish. When the month finishes, it's a sign that the year will finish. When the year finishes, its a sign that your life will finish" 

Our lives will come to an end, so fill it as much as you can with good deeds, so you don't leave it with regret. 

What are the means of keeping firm after Ramadan? 

#1 - Ask Allah to keep you firm and be truthful in this request.

Say:

And always say لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله 

Remember yourself in Ramadan. There were acts of worship you found difficult to do, but after begging Allah to help you, Allah made it easy for you. 

And remember that one of the signs of the hypocrites is that they are lazy to perform worship. Don't be the person who drags himself to prayer. Ask Allah to give you the power to be active.The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge from الكسل (Laziness).

#2 - Take care of your time

Your time is your treasure and your time is your life. Don't let the hours pass in the day without you doing anything. 

#3 - Continue with the Worship

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As, "Allah's Messenger ﷺ said to me:

" يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، لاَ تَكُنْ مِثْلَ فُلاَنٍ، كَانَ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَتَرَكَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ "

"O 'Abdullah! Do not be like so and so who used to pray at night and then stopped the night prayer." [Bukhari] 

Don't rely on yourself and your power, ask Allah to help you.

عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، أَنَّ فَاطِمَةَ ـ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ ـ أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَسْأَلُهُ خَادِمًا فَقَالَ  " أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكِ مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكِ مِنْهُ، تُسَبِّحِينَ اللَّهَ عِنْدَ مَنَامِكِ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَتَحْمَدِينَ اللَّهَ ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَتُكَبِّرِينَ اللَّهَ أَرْبَعًا وَثَلاَثِينَ ". ـ ثُمَّ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ إِحْدَاهُنَّ أَرْبَعٌ وَثَلاَثُونَ ـ فَمَا تَرَكْتُهَا بَعْدُ، قِيلَ وَلاَ لَيْلَةَ صِفِّينَ قَالَ وَلاَ لَيْلَةَ صِفِّينَ.

Narrated `Ali bin Abi Talib رضي الله عنه: Fatima رضي الله عنها came to the Prophet ﷺ asking for a servant. He said, "Shall I inform you of something better than that? When you go to bed, recite "Subhan Allah' thirty three times, 'Al hamduli l-lah' thirty three times, and 'Allahu Akbar' thirty four times. `Ali added, 'I have never failed to recite it ever since." Somebody asked, "Even on the night of the battle of Siffin?" He said, "Even on the night of the battle of Siffin."

When they performed a worship, they performed it continuously. If you persist in an act of worship, you'll get higher and higher in ranks with Allah. Don't do a worship, and leave it later, because then you'll go back to your previous rank.

Allah said in [74:37]:

"To any of you that chooses to go forward, or to remain behind"

#4 - Be afraid that your worship wasn't accepted 

We need to always ask Allah to accept our deeds, and deal with us with His names الغفور الشكور - to forgive our shortcomings, and to appreciate our good deeds by multiplying the rewards. This is why, when the People of Paradise enter Paradise, they'll say (in 35:34):

"And they will say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed from us (all) grief. Verily, our Lord is indeed OftForgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense)."