Happy Eid, What After Ramadan?
Since 2012-11-19
Here are the beautiful days of Ramadan going away quickly. The winner is whoever exploits them in obeying Allah. The loser is whoever wastes them.
All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of mankind, jinn and all that exists, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the most honorable of all Prophets, our Messengers, Muhammad and upon all his family and companions.
Here are the beautiful days of Ramadan going away quickly. The winner is whoever exploits them in obeying Allah. The loser is whoever wastes them. One should consider all deeds and use the days and nights in obeying and worshipping Allah, and in drawing closer to Him, Glorified and Exalted. Allah Almighty has said, {And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness).} [Surat Al-Baqarah 2:197].
{وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ} البقرة: 197
Transliteration: watazawwadoo fainna khayra alzzadi alttaqwa
Piety is the provision of hearts. The souls are strengthened by it; they draw closer to survival. If we want to observe obeying Allah and continuing in doing it, we have to take provision from the following elements:
1- Praying in congregation in the mosque (a provision).
2- Obligating oneself in spending in charity and in the sake of Allah (a provision).
3- Performing a lot of optional acts of worship and committing oneself to spending the night praying and remembering Allah (a provision).
4- Being charitable to and behaving in good manners with neighbors and people (a provision).
5- Enjoining Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden), (a provision).
6- Committing to fasting and following the fast of Ramadan with fasting six days of Shawwâl, along with fasting Mondays and Thursdays, (a provision).
The things that help you take provisions:
a. Good company and righteous friends help you obey Allah, and to do more.
b. To make your dealing with Allah, Glorified and Exalted, for His sake, hoping to attain His reward, without waiting for the praise of people. O people, all the good is in the piety to Allah, and all the success is to follow the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
{And be not like her who undoes the thread which she has spun,} [Surat An-Nahl 16:92]
{وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا} النحل: 92
Transliteration: Wala takoonoo kaallatee naqadat ghazlaha
My beloved brother, my Muslim sister: if you are among those who benefited from Ramadan, who established the attributes of the pious, you have truly fasted the month and sincerely spent its night in worshipping, if you strived hard against yourselves, you should praise Allah and thank Him, ask Him to keep you firm on that till the day you die.
Beware, O beware of undoing the thread after spinning it (do not waste your righteous deeds after performing them). What if a woman spun some thread making a dress or a garment out of it, and when she looked at it and she liked it, she started cutting the thread and undoing it one after the other with no reason for that.
What would people say about her?
This is the condition of whoever returns to performing acts of disobedience, immorality and promiscuity and quit performing acts of obedience and righteous deeds after Ramadan. After enjoying the bliss of obedience and the joy of intimacy with Allah, they return to the hell of sin and debauchery!!
Evil are the people who do not know Allah but only in Ramadan.
O beloved, breaking the covenant has many manifestations with people. They include, for example but not limited to:
1. What we see of people’s missing prayers in congregation on the first day of Eid; after the worshipers have filled the mosques for the taraweeh (night optional prayers of Ramadan) prayer which is a Sunnah, we see the dwellers of the mosques are becoming less for the five daily prayers which are obligatory; they are the pillars of religion.
2. The songs and movies, the wanton display and unveiling of women, intermingling in the parks, going to nightclubs; men and women together, flirting, and so on.
3. It includes travelling abroad which is an act of disobedience (if it is not for a necessary reason). We see people at the gates of travel agencies in droves; they are racing to buy tickets to travel to the countries of infidelity, promiscuity, and corruption and so on. This is not the way to be grateful for the blessings. This is not the way we conclude the month and thank Allah for the achievement of fasting and performing the night remembrances and prayers. This is not a sign of acceptance; rather this is ingratitude for the grace, it is not thanking for having it. This is one of the signs of the rejection of the deeds, Allah forbid. The fasting person, in fact, is happy on the day of Eid. He praises and thanks his Lord for the completion of fasting. However, he cries for fear that Allah does not accept his fasting as the ancestors used to cry for six months after Ramadan, asking Allah for acceptance. As a sign of acceptance is that you see the slave of Allah in better condition than the previous one, you see him embarking in performing the acts of obedience. {And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: {If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allâh), I will give you more (of My Blessings);} [Surat Ibrâhîm 14:7];
{وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ} إبراهيم: 7
Transliteration: Waith taaththana rabbukum lain shakartum laazeedannakum
which means more in physical and spiritual goodness. It includes the increase in faith and righteous deeds. If the slave of Allah thanked his Lord His due thanks, you will see him increasing in doing good, in being thankful, and in performing acts of obedience. He will, as well, keep away from performing acts of disobedience.
The ancestors said, “being grateful is to keep away from performing acts of disobedience.”
{And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death).} [Surat Al-Hijr 15:99]
{وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ} الحجر: 99
Transliteration: WaoAAbud rabbaka hatta yatiyaka alyaqeenu
This is how the slave of Allah must be; continuous to obey Allah, constant in abiding by His laws, straight on his religion and does not elude like foxes; to worship Allah in a certain month leaving the other, or in a place rather than the other, with some people but without other people. No. And a thousand times no!!
Rather, he should know that the Lord of Ramadan is the Lord of other months and days, and that He is the Lord of all times and places. He should be straight following the laws of Allah until he meets his Lord while He is satisfied with him.
Allah Almighty has said, {So stand (ask Allâh to make) you (Muhammad) firm and straight (on the religion of Islâmic Monotheism) as you are commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto Allâh) with you,} [Surat Hûd: 112]. He has also said, {therefore take Straight Path to Him (with true Faith - Islâmic Monotheism) and obedience to Him, and seek forgiveness of Him.} [Surat Fussilat 41:6]
{فَاسْتَقِيمُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ} فصلت: 6
Transliteration: faistaqeemoo ilayhi waistaghfiroohu
The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said, “Say I believe in Allah then be straight (on His path).” [Reported by Muslim 38]
«قل آمنت بالله فاستقم» رواه مسلم
When the fast of Ramadan ends there is the optional fast; the six days of Shawwâl, Mondays and Thursdays, the white days (the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of every Hijri month), the day of Ashura (the tenth of the Hijri month of Muharram), the day of Arafat (the ninth of the Hijri month of Dhul-Hijja), and others.
When the optional night acts of worship in Ramadan end, performing optional night prayers and remembrances is permitted every single night; {They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allâh) and praying, with fear and hope].} [Surat Adh-Dhâriyât 51:17]
{كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ} الذاريات: 17
Transliteration: Kanoo qaleelan mina allayli mayahjaAAoona
While the charity and zakat al-Fitr is not due but in Ramadan, the obligatory zakat as well as many aspects of charity are open the whole year. Charity, righteous acts and striving with the soul, reading and studying the Quran are not particularities of Ramadan alone; they are to be observed all the time.
Thus, the righteous deeds are for every time, so strive hard my brother in performing acts of obedience. Beware of slackness and apathy. If you reject performing the optional acts of worship, you should not quit the obligatory ones such as the five prescribed prayers in their due time in the mosque in congregation, and others.
You should not fall into committing the forbidden such as saying forbidden words, eating from forbidden money or eating the forbidden food, drinking it (such as alcoholic drinks and drugs), looking at it or listening to it (obscene songs and movies).
Accordingly be firm and constant on the religion of Allah. You do not know when the Angel of Death will meet you, so beware that it might come upon you while you are committing a sin. “O Controller of the hearts, keep my heart firm on your religion.”
The Prophetic guidance of the Eid
The legality of Eid
Anas ibn Malik said, “The people of the pre-Islamic period had two days every year on which they engaged in games. When the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, came to Medina, he said, ‘you had two days on which you engage in games. Allah has substituted for them something better than them, the day of the breaking of the fast and the day of sacrifice’.” [Reported by An-Nassâ’i 1555 and authenticated by al-Albani]
«كان لأهل الجاهلية يومان في كل سنة يلعبون فيها فلما قدم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم المدينة، قال: كان لكم يومان تلعبون فيهما، وقد أبدلكم الله بهما خيرا منهما، يوم الفطر، ويوم الأضحى» رواه النسائي وصححه الألباني
The desirability of performing total ablution, wearing perfume and putting on the best of clothes
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, used to wear his best clothes for them (the two Eids). He had a garment which he used to wear in the two Eids and on Fridays.”
Eating before going out for the Eid prayer
Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, never proceeded (for the prayer) on the Day of Eid al-Fitr unless he had eaten some dates.” [Reported by al-Bukhari 953]
«كان رسول الله -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم- لا يغدو يوم الفطر حتَّى يأكل تمرات» رواه البخاري
Going out to the prayer place
Abu-Sa’îd al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, used to go out on the day of the breaking of the fast and the day of sacrifice to the prayer place.” [Reported by al-Bukhari 956]
«كان رسول الله -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم- يخرج يوم الفطر والأضحى إلى المصلَّى» رواه البخاري
Going out of women, boys and menstruating women
Umm ‘Atiyya said, “The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has commanded us that we go out in the two Eids (for Eid prayers), the unmarried women, the purdah-observing ladies, and the menstruating women. He commanded the menstruating women to remain away from the place of prayers of the Muslims.” [Reported by Muslim]
«أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، أن نخرجهن في الفطر والأضحى. العواتق والحيض وذوات الخدور. فأما الحيض فيعتزلن الصلاة» رواه مسلم
Taking different roads
Jabir said, “On the Day of Eid the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, used to return (after offering the Eid prayer) through a way different from that by which he went.” [Reported by al-Bukhari 986]
«كان النّبيّ -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم-، إذا كان يوم عيد خالف الطَّريق» رواه البخاري
No adhan (first call for prayer) or iqamah (second call for prayer) or saying ‘‘praying in congregation” (for the Eid prayer)
Jabir ibn Samra, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I have prayed the two Eids’ prayers with the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, more than once or twice without adhan or iqamah.” [Reported by Muslim 887]
«صلَّيت مع رسول الله -صلّى الله عليه سلّم- العيدين غير مرّة ولا مرّتين بغير أذانٍ ولا إقامةٍ» رواه مسلم
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “When the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, reached the praying place; he embarked on praying (the Eid prayer) without adhan or iqamah or saying ‘praying in congregation’. The Sunnah is that none of these should be done.”
No prayer should be performed before and after the Eid prayer in the prayer place
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “On the day of Eid, the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, came out and prayed two rak’ahs. He did not pray anything before or after them.” [Reported by al-Bukhari 5881]
«خرج النّبيّ -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم- يوم عيدٍ، فصلَّى ركعتين، لم يصل قبل ولا بعد» رواه البخاري
Saying allâhu-akbar (Allah is Great) for the Eid prayer
‘Umar ibn Shu’ayb narrated from his father through his grandfather, “The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said allâhu-akbar twelve times; seven in the first rak’ah and five in the second.” [Reported by al-Bukhari 2/89, Tankeeh Tahkeek At-Ta’leek]
«أن رسول الله -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم- كبر في عيد اثنتي عشرة تكبيرة سبعًا في الأولى وخمسًا في الآخرة» البخاري، تنقيح تحقيق التعليق
What is to be recited in the Eid prayer
‘Ubaydu-Allah ibn Abdullah said, “‘Umar ibn al-Khattab asked Abu-Waqid al-Laythi what the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, used to recite on Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. He said, ‘He used to recite in them {Qâf. [These letters (Qâf, etc.) are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. By the Glorious Qur’ân.} and {The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (the people of Makkah requested Prophet Muhammad to show them a miracle, so he showed them the splitting of the moon).}.” [Reported by Muslim 891]
«أن عمر بن الخطاب سأل أبا واقد الليثي: ما كان يقرأبه رسول الله -صلّى الله عليه وسلّم- في الأضحى والفطر؟ فقال: كان يقرأ فيهما بق والقرآن المجيد، واقتربت السَّاعة وانشق القمر» رواه مسلم
The sermon after the prayer
Ibn ‘Umar said, “The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, Abu-Bakr and ‘Umar used to pray the Eid prayer before delivering the sermon.” [Reported by al-Bukhari 963 and Muslim 888]
«كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأبو بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما، يصلون العيدين قبل الخطبة» رواه البخاري ومسلم
Exchanging congratulations for the Eid
Jubayr ibn Nafîr said, “When the companions of the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, meet on the day of Eid, they used to say to each other, ‘May Allah accept from all of us.” [Authenticated by al-Albani 354 in Tamâm al-Minnah (the Complete Bliss)]
«كان أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا التقوا يوم العيد يقول بعضهم لبعض: تقبل الله منا ومنك» صححه الألباني في تمام المنة
Permitted games and play on the days of Eid
Aisha said, “The Ethiopians were playing in the presence of the Prophet on the day of Eid. He called for me and I looked at them above his shoulder. I continued watching them till I was satisfied and left them.” [Reported by An-Nassâ’i 1593 and authenticated by al-Albani].
«جاء السودان يلعبون بين يدي النبي، في يوم عيد، فدعاني فكنت أطلع إليهم من فوق عاتقه، فما زلت أنظر إليهم، حتى كنت أنا التي انصرفت» رواه النسائي وصححه الألباني
Saying allâhu-akbar (Allah is Great)
Allah Almighty has said, {(He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allâh [i.e. to say Takbîr (Allâhu Akbar; Allâh is the Most Great] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him.} [Surat Al-Baqarah 2:185]
{وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ} البقرة: 185
Transliteration: walitukmiloo alAAiddata walitukabbiroo Allaha AAalama hadakum walaAAallakum tashkuroona
It was narrated through ibn ‘Umar and ibn mas’ûd, “Allahu-akbar (Allah is Great). Allahu-akbar. Allahu-akbar. La-ilâha ila-allah (There is no god but Allah). Allahu-akbar. Allahu-akbar. Wa-Lilâhi-al-hamd (all praises and thanks be to Allah).”
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