Wondering how to keep up the good habits you established in Ramadan? Here are a few tips.
Let’s get it straight – Ramadan is not the marathon, it’s the training, and the real-life race takes place in the rest of the year. This month infused with spirituality and beautiful gifts from Allah (swt) encourages us to stop and reconsider our worship, lives, and actions, and put our focus back into what truly matters – our relationship with the Maker, and our fondness for the ummah.
So, when the communal worship, the fasting for Allah’s sake, and the high of Ramadan are gone, we’re left with a little bit of an empty feeling inside. However, when we remember that we can carry all our good habits with us outside this great month, it’s so much easier to stay motivated and create even better goals for next Ramadan.
How to Keep Up the Good Work
1. Reflect on Your Ramadan Impact
One of the best ways to uplift your spirits is through reflecting back on how much you gave during this most important month, and how many unfortunate brothers and sisters you supported with your gift of Zakat and Sadaqah.
Alhamdulillah, your donations fed 39,846 needy in the ummah through Iftars, food packs, Fitrana and Fidyah distribution this past Ramadan. Thousands of people in the ummah had a peaceful month thanks to you. So, why not take a moment to appreciate all the blessings that you are going to receive from Allah (swt) for your good deeds, as well as the tangible change you made in the world?
2. Fast Every Month
“He who observes As-Saum (fasting) in the month of Ramadan, and also observes As-Saum for six days in the month of Shawwal, it is as if he has observed As-Saum for the whole year.” [Muslim]
Although it’s a bit late now for us to fast the six days our Prophet (pbuh) refers to, we can take it a little bit further and fast every month. This way, when Ramadan comes, your body is already familiar with all the changes and restrictions associated with fasting. And it’s another precious way in which we can showcase our love for Allah Almighty on a consistent, ongoing basis.
3.Ask the Creator to Accept Your Ramadan
Did you know that the companions of the Prophet (saw) would spend several months after Ramadan in prayer, asking Allah (swt) to accept their worship and good deeds during the blessed month?
Even though our gifts are multiplied in Ramadan, it doesn’t mean our blessings will stop. In fact, the generosity of our Maker allows for many opportunities for us to continue to receive more. But the most important step is to stop and appreciate what has already been bestowed on us. So, ask Allah (swt) to accept your Ramadan and be thankful for a moment.
4.Give More
The Prophet (pbuh) gave more Sadaqah than anyone in Ramadan and encouraged others to also do so. But He also gave regular charity in the rest of the year.
Remember—Allah (swt) loves consistency more than anything. Giving Sadaqah is a powerful way for us to extinguish sin and purify ourselves, which will make us feel better in no time.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, ‘Sadaqah extinguishes sins just as water extinguishes fire’. (Sunan Ibn Majah)
A Big Thank You from the Ummah
We hope these tips will prove useful and bring relief into your post-Ramadan lives. Thank you for your support this past Ramadan and all your efforts towards alleviating poverty across the ummah and feeding some of the most unfortunate families in the world.
To help you understand the scale of your impact, here is the story of Khadim Hussain:
“I am a teacher at a local madrassa in Goht Dabli Shah, the work does not pay much, I barely make 3,000 Rs a month and the pandemic has definitely made things worse for us. On top of that, I am the only earning person in my family of nine, so it gets almost impossible to survive on such little income sometimes.
“We’re barely able to make ends meet as it is, but in Ramadan things get even more expensive.
“In such circumstances, the monthly food packs from Ummah Charity International meant more to us than we can ever express.
“My heart is filled with gratitude for Mufti Abdul Wahab, Team UCI and everyone who donates to them. It feels good to know that people like us are remembered and cared for.”
To continue to support more people like Khadim and his family, make a small donation to the Ummah Charity fund.
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