Understanding And Overcoming The Post-Ramadan Spiritual Decline

Opening Glorification and Salawat

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Respected audience, dear brothers and sisters, and honorable esteemed guests of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Let us start off with the glorification of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala Himself. As any khutbah devoid of the mention of the glorification, the greatness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala remains incomplete.

O Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the eyes cannot see You. And thoughts cannot fathom You. And anyone attempting to give an accurate description of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is unable to do so. He knows the weight of the weightiest mountains, and the depths of the deepest oceans. Nothing remains hidden from the sight and the vision of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

The command was given to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: Say, O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if you were to turn the water that exists in the oceans of the planet into ink, and you take all the trees that exist on the planet and carve them into pens, and the order is given for them to note down the glorification of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — the pens will perish and the ink will finish, and yet there would still be more glorification of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to be noted down.

Then we send salawat upon Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. As the poet says:

The eyes have not seen anything as beautiful, as radiant as the face of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And the women have not given birth to anyone more beautiful than Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. You have been created devoid of all kinds of defects. It is as if you yourself were given the choice of how you would like to be created. As the Persian proverb goes: Ba'd az Khuda buzurg, qissa-e muqtasab.

Life After Ramadan: The Reality of the Dip in 'Amal

Respected audience, as we find ourselves outside the month of Ramadan, many a times the a'mal that we've been doing and the feelings that we had harbored during the month of Ramadan take a nose dive. And the height of iman — there is no doubt that many a times the height of iman that a person reaches in the month of Ramadan is something which is great. He reaches great heights in terms of his iman in the month of Ramadan.

But as soon as you find yourself outside the month of Ramadan, everything takes a nose dive. Even when it comes to the a'mal — the a'mal that we've grown so steadfast upon — when you hear the adhan, or when the time for salah enters, you don't even think twice, you get up and you go and pray. And many a times outside the month of Ramadan, you start to have second thoughts. And the tilawah of the Qur'an, which was so seamless, without any mujahada whatsoever, as if you had established for yourself a routine — all of a sudden you find yourself struggling once again.

Why does that happen? Well, the answer to that is that it is meant to happen. There are certain blessings that are there in the month of Ramadan — from the capturing of the shayateen, the imprisonment of the shayateen, to extra tawfiq given by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to the ibad. It is a month of mercy, a month of rahmah, and a month of tawfiq from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So it is normal that a person attains that height in the month of Ramadan. And as soon as the month of Ramadan finishes, those things are taken out.

But at the same time, if a believer were to understand the essence of the month of Ramadan, it would not be difficult for him to carry onwards. And when we look at it, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, whenever He described the month of Ramadan, it is always attached with taqwa. And that is the thing that a believer is meant to master within the month of Ramadan.

Taqwa: The Core of Ramadan

When you look at taqwa, it manifests itself in two points. Many a times we have this vague image of taqwa, but when you're about to take upon a good deed, taqwa is something that reinforces it. And when you achieve that in the month of Ramadan, because you're supposed to attain that height of taqwa:

The very objective, the main theme of the month of Ramadan happens to be imsak and siyam — holding yourself back. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala attached that with لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ — so that you attain the true form of the fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So if a person were to master the aspect of taqwa in the month of Ramadan, when he reaches outside the month of Ramadan, and now the thought comes for him to commit a good deed, or even continue the things that he was so normally doing inside the month of Ramadan — if the taqwa has reached its height and its strength, what happens? The help comes from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So that's number one — the manifestation of taqwa before a good deed. Number two is abstinence from sins. The things that you abstain from in the month of Ramadan — so much so that it's so easy for you to just discard your smartphone and all the other things — all of a sudden, the moment you exit the month of Ramadan, those things are not so easy to abstain from. Once again, you go back to taqwa. Taqwa is something that manifests itself before the occurrence of a bad deed. And if your taqwa has attained that level of strength, when that thought comes, regardless of whether you are inside or outside the month of Ramadan, you would immediately pause and stop.

And what happens afterwards? Even if a sin were to be committed, then taqwa will once again come and the remorse will set in — and that will be the aspect of tawbah and istighfar. So when we understand the concept of the month of Ramadan in terms of the strength of taqwa, it becomes very, very easy for us to carry on afterwards.

So one thing that is required is mastering the aspect of taqwa. You might be thinking: what if I wasn't able to do that in the month of Ramadan? Because for us as Muslims, generally the concept is:

So that you can cause an abundance in your actions. And that's many a times something that we focus on. So if outside the month of Ramadan I was reciting a juz, now I have multiplied that by ten times. If I was engaged in nawafil — maybe it was two nawafil per day — now I increase it and take it to maybe a hundred or even a thousand. You might be thinking a thousand? I know people personally who actually pray a thousand rakats of nawafil salah. So these are some of the things that we are able to attain.

But one thing that is meant to be kept in mind is that exhaustion sets in. It's only normal that a person gets tired and exhausted. I'm sure most of us are familiar with the mid-Ramadan lazy phase. And if not taken care of — if you don't cure that disease — it is something that is carried on into the last ten nights of Ramadan as well. And we're fresh out of the month of Ramadan — I think you can relate. Usually we start off on a very high note. We're passionate, and we're usually the ones here in the first row, even ten to twenty minutes before every salah. And everything seems good. But as you reach mid-Ramadan, you start to get tired. This is the nature of the insan.

We need to understand that the insan is someone who — after gaining the habit of something — cries and cries to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to give him the habitual aspect of engaging in His ibadah. But when you're given it, you start to get tired of it itself. So the thing that sets in is asking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — within the month of Ramadan, and you can also ask it outside the month of Ramadan — for istiqamah.

The Obligation of Continuous Worship

When we look at the ayah in which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about the aspect of obedience, He says:

You are meant to continue engaging in the ibadah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, in the recognition of Allah. This وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ does not only entail the aspect of ibadah — it also talks about the strength of iman, and all the necessary things that you're going to need in order to remain steadfast on your iman. If the aspect of iman is taken out of a person, you think he's going to go towards ibadah? No. So it's the fundamental basic of every believer's life.

And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala here is mentioning: you are meant to worship your Lord until your death comes. Not till the end of the month of Ramadan, or the 27th or the 29th night. Someone famously stated that after the moon is sighted, we throw a welcoming party for shaitan himself. And I'm sure you've heard of the chand raat stigma, and all the other types of free mixing that happen. It is as if, in a split second, we completely forgot all of the obligations that we owed to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The few moments before that — before the adhan of Maghrib — everyone was praying to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And even if you were to mention such a thing, how could you ever imagine doing such a thing? And the moment that Eid is announced, as if everything is gone. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: you are meant to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala until your death comes to you.

Istiqamah: Steadfastness as a Prerequisite of Belief

When it comes to the aspect of istiqamah, it is something that's mentioned as a basic prerequisite of a believer's life. When we look at the ayah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

These are the ones who said that our Lord is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Yet they did not stop there. They were not satisfied by merely saying that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is our Lord. I recently came across someone who was not happy with the fact that we have to engage in constant ibadah. He was saying that Jannah has been created for the believers — "Whether I pray or I don't pray, I fast or I don't fast, I'm still going to end up in Jannah." He was actually not even fasting.

But when you look at the true believers, when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is describing them, He is saying: they didn't just stop at رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ — that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is our Lord. Then: ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا — they remained steadfast. And this aspect of istiqamah is in pursuit of trying to attain the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Because istiqamah is not something that you just say "I believe," and then go back to doing everything that goes against the actions of the believer. Istiqamah means that this person is constantly concerned with ways to please Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

So, when they attain istiqamah — ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا — what happens? The gift that they're given by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is that the angels will come down and comfort them: "Do not fret, do not worry. If you are getting tired, don't worry." Why? Because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has a lot more in store. It's a little bit of hard work in this worldly life, but shortly afterwards, when you are going to die, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is going to grant you the gift of Jannah.

When a person loses something — and that's a basic part of a believer's life:

We shouldn't search for that type of trial, but it is something that will happen. If you are obedient to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, one should be ready for some type of test to fall upon him. And the second aspect is huzn — the aspect of sadness and grief — and that usually happens after a believer is done with his good deeds and his actions.

Interestingly, there is a saying of a tabi'i — whose name I'm forgetting — but he says:

(Attributed to the Salaf — reported in various narrations about the companions and those who followed them)

They would start to make du'a and look forward to the month of Ramadan six months prior to its arrival. Not the last day — but for six months. And then afterwards for six months, they would continue to weep and cry, asking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for the acceptance of the month of Ramadan. And that's the cycle of tawfiq and istiqamah — that a person keeps on going round and round in this cycle, till his death.

How to Attain Istiqamah After Ramadan

Now the question is: how do we attain istiqamah? Once we have exited the month of Ramadan, the fact is that we are finding ourselves lagging. The things that were so seamless and automatic in the month of Ramadan are starting to seem like a burden and are becoming difficult.

1. Ikhlas (Sincerity)

One of the first things that factors into the aspect of istiqamah is ikhlas. If you had been worshipping Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — inside or outside the month of Ramadan — for the sake and for the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, then with ikhlas comes tawfiq for more.

Many a times — and this is something that requires constant exercise and muhasabatun nafs — if a person does not check himself, you see other people are watching you. And you don't feel like sitting down, because you feel ashamed. So you get up and, just to save face, you engage in the ibadah. Yes, if you were to change your intention after you engage in that ibadah, hopefully the aspect of riya' or showing off would be taken away and Allah would accept it. But if it continues that way, this could go in the category of shirk al-asghar. The hadith says:

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 23535; also referenced in related narrations in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah)

One who prays to show other people or to satisfy other people — this will fall into shirk al-asghar. The same thing goes for fasting and all the other things. So one of the main things that is very, very important is ikhlas.

And when we look at the three things that are mentioned to attain ikhlas:

Number one is muraqabah. Muraqabah is when a person sits down in solitude and focuses on being watched by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in all of his actions. You go through the deeds of the entire day, and while you're doing it, you're also mindful that you're being watched by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So just as we are mindful of the wandering gazes of people upon us — as if we're being watched — we need to gain a higher awareness of the watchful eye of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Then it is muhasabah. That when a person, after he's done with a good deed, with the action — what does he need to do? He needs to do muhasabatun nafs: did I have the height of ikhlas in this amal that I needed to have? For those of us in the beginning stages, it's something that seems difficult. But gradually as you go about it — briefly for a few seconds — do muhasabatun nafs at the end of every action. And it will seem as if it's becoming easier and easier, until when you engage in salah, the moment you say takbiratul tahreema, you become disengaged with everything around you, and you do not notice — just like the Sahaba, of whom we have heard their incidents.

And lastly is mujahadatun nafs. A person needs to get accustomed to it. Mujahadat is the aspect that comes in when your nafs is saying: no, I can't do it, I don't want to stand up, no more recitation of the Qur'an, I can't take it anymore. Now is the time when you put your foot on your nafs. You stomp on it — you literally stomp on it — and you get up. This mujahadatun nafs will make you ready for years and years of upcoming ibadah. It is as if a person can take anything. You are ready to take on the rest of the years in which you may not have as much assistance as you have in the month of Ramadan.

2. Seeking Knowledge

Secondly, a person is meant to seek knowledge. Because istiqamah can only come after you know what you're getting. One of the main things — and I'm sure you've heard it multiple times in the month of Ramadan:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 38; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 760)

Ihtisab is the aspect where you are aware of being rewarded by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala — as if you're getting something — not a monotony of actions being committed by you. So it's very important to attain that knowledge. And one of the key ayat:

Verily, the true fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is something that is mastered and attained by the people who know.

You cannot make the two categories of the knowers and the jahil — the ignorant people — the same. The knowers will always have an edge over the people who do not know.

And then — thinking and pondering about the creation of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala:

When a person looks around him and realizes the greatness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that will instill within him the desire to engage in the worship of Allah who is so great.

3. Engagement in the Fara'id

The fourth is engagement in the fara'id. When it comes to the fara'id, that's something that we fall short of. Even in the month of Ramadan, people are so focused on Laylatul Qadr and its ibadah that they many a times forget the fara'id. So they would be there all night praying, but at Fajr Salah, they're nowhere to be seen.

I recently visited a different state where I happened to pray Fajr, and I was amazed to find that Salatul Fajr lasted three and a half minutes. Why? Because they were worried about the people who had stood up in Qiyamul Layl. Maybe you could have cut that Qiyamul Layl short by three hours — at least make sure the Salatul Fajr, the fard salah, is being done properly. So when the believer focuses on his fara'id, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will take care of all the extra nawafil ibadah that we usually get used to doing in the month of Ramadan.

4. Good Company

Lastly — and it is the most important point — is good company. If you find yourself surrounded by people whose sole purpose is "how can I get to the end of the month of Ramadan and go back to my old actions?" — high chances are, you're going to end up in the same boat. If you have that type of attitude around you — if you feel fatigued and tired, and fasting is becoming very difficult — you know, this sentence is being thrown around a lot: "This Ramadan has become very long."

Maybe there's a chance that none of your fasts are being accepted by Allah. Remember:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 1690; also in Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 9683)

Many a fasting person will not get anything out of their fasting, except for hunger and thirst.

A Message of Hope: Tawbah and Istighfar

And you might be saying: where's the hopeful message? The hopeful message is this: if we felt that way, and if you feel yourself reverting back to your old ways, now is the time to do istighfar and tawbah. Remember — it is never too late. Allah is so Rahim and forgiving, and so merciful, that even if there was some shortcoming in the month of Ramadan — or if it was all shortcoming — Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, out of His sheer mercy, is capable of making it complete, insha'Allah.

And that is what we ask on a concluding note: that we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to accept all of our ibadah, and the siyam, and the qiyam, and everything that we did in the month of Ramadan.

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