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Fighting the Ramadan Blues | Khutbah
This khutbah covers seven points that will keep you going strong after Ramadan.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ شِرَّةً وَلِكُلِّ شِرَّةٍ فَتْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانَ صَاحِبُهَا سَدَّدَ وَقَارَبَ فَارْجُوهُ وَإِنْ أُشِيرَ إِلَيْهِ بِالأَصَابِعِ فَلاَ تَعُدُّوهُ "
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: "Indeed for everything there is a zeal (High), and for every zeal there is a slackening (low). So whoever aims and stays close to the right path, then you should hope for his success. But if the fingers are pointed to him, then do not count him (among the worthy)." Tirmidhi
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Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. He said when we buried the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam there in Madinah, he says, We did not recognize our heart anymore. We felt weird. We felt different. Mu'adh radiyallahu ta'ala anhu wa rada, when the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam passed away, he was in Yemen. He didn't hear about the news until it was late. So by the time he arrived in Madinah radiyallahu ta'ala anhu wa rada, he said I couldn't even tell that it was the same. That's not the same city that I left. He says, the streets of Madinah felt a little bit darker than usual. Why is that? Because again the incentive for many of these sahaba radiyallahu ta'ala anhu, to stay always upright and always maintain that momentum and their ibadah, seeing the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, enjoying the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam companionship, hearing him every single day, seeing him every single day, that incentive is gone. And for them to move forward right now becomes a matter of choice, a matter of absolutely personal choice. When Umar ibn al-Khattab radiyallahu ta'ala anhu wa rada heard the news about the passing of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, he was in a shock. Like many many people. You have this moment of joy and happiness, that amazing high moment in your life, and all of a sudden it's crushed because the incentive is gone. There is no foundation for it anymore. And as a result Umar radiyallahu ta'ala anhu wa rada, as we know him, so solid like a rock, radiyallahu anhu wa rada, he melted. He melted completely. And he was there in the masjid holding his sword, threatening the people who says Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam passed away, I'm gonna go after him. No, he did not. He went away to meet his Lord like Musa did alayhis salam, and he's gonna be back. That's what Umar was hoping for, until al-Bakr al-Siddiq, that solid rock, even though he was a soft one. But that moment required a solid person, and he was that for them, radiyallahu ta'ala anhu wa rada. He was a foundation. He told Umar, sit down Umar, just sit down.
Then he started the ayah. The ayah which was already in the Quran, which Umar radiyallahu ta'ala anhu wa rada recited and read regularly, and every sahabi knew about this ayah, that Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, Muhammad is a man. Just like you. He, if he dies, you're gonna just turn away and turn your back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Is that what you're gonna do? So when Umar heard that, he realized this is it. Muhammad is not there anymore, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. And al-Bakr al-Siddiq told them all in that moment, Let those who worship Muhammad know that he's dead. And those who worship Allah azza wa jal, He's everlasting, never dies, subhanahu wa ta'ala. My dear brothers and sisters, today as we come to the first Jum'ah after Eid, ankarna qulubana. We look at our hearts, not the same. When we woke up in the morning for Fajr, it didn't feel the same anymore. That joy of Ramadan, it's not there. Truly the after Ramadan blues and withdrawals are real. They're real. And we're humans after all. If the sahaba radiyallahu ta'ala, they had moments like these, who are we not to have them? Our incentive was Ramadan. Yes, sleepless night, going hungry and thirsty, but was bittersweet. You would look for those moments. You enjoy that sacrifice, subhanallah. And now the incentive is on you. Six days of Shawwal, on you. There's no collective effort anymore. So therefore it's up to you. Where are you going to go? Are you going to go the way of Bakr as-Siddiq or the way of Umar ibn Khattab radiyallahu ta'ala? Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam says in the hadith, Every deed, every good deed has a shira. A shira means a peak or a high moment. High.
And after that high moment, it goes to decline. So you have high and lows of every deed. Then he said sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, Whoever's low moment is still on the sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. Like you have a standard for this. Then you're guided. You're well guided. But whoever's low moment goes below that standard of the sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, that person is going astray. So you be careful. Yes, after Ramadan, we might not have the exact same excitement and feeling that we usually do every single Ramadan and every single day of Ramadan. But that doesn't mean we go all the way down below even what we used to be before Ramadan. Ramadan supposed to raise your bar. So that if I go below, I'm still at a higher level than I used to be before last Ramadan or before actually before the days of Ramadan. That's what I need to be today. Even if I go a little bit down, I'm not gonna go below where I used to be before Ramadan even started. I don't expect to be at the level of Ramadan, but I don't want to be below the level before Ramadan. So I have seven points for you inshallah to help us to go continue to go strong even after Ramadan is gone. Things we learn from this hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. Number one, the first thing to learn that what you're going through is a journey. And change is a process, it's not an event. If anyone thinks that change is an event, like alhamdulillah, I attended Ramadan. So you got a graduation, mashaAllah. I've attended the last ten nights of Ramadan. They were amazing, alhamdulillah. The night, the soft heart, you know, points and late night khatirat and tahajjud was amazing. It was the best part of Ramadan alhamdulillah rabbil alameen. And then it's over now. Well, that was an event. That was an event.
The changes are gonna happen to you as a result of that event. It's a process. It's a journey. So you make sure to continue on that journey. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is pointing you to that journey. He says, you worship your Lord until you meet your certainty, which means death. When Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala spoke of Isa alayhi salam, what did he say about him? He said, wherever I go, I'm blessed. And he enjoined upon me to establish salah and give zakah as long as I live. What does that mean, jama'ah? There is no break in this dunya. Whether it's Ramadan over or Ramadan in or out, it doesn't matter. Being on that journey, it's gonna be a process. So you be prepared for that inshaAllah. Number two, what we learn from this hadith, that there's again a high tide and a low tide over here. When you're in the high tide, you need to put every single effort or energy you have to keep you going even higher. So that when you start taking your break, you don't go below where you wish to be before. That is now the spirit from this hadith. Take advantage of your high moments. Alhamdulillah rabbil alameen. Sometimes you sit down and you feel defeated a little bit because the incentive is not there anymore. You come to the masjid for Salat al-Isha because it was a beautiful sight. A beautiful sight. Fajr. It was a beautiful sight. No doubt about it. But now I come for Fajr and Isha. It's a little bit depressing. I don't see the same number of people. I don't see the people walking. I don't see the traffic jam and all that stuff and fighting for that spot in the masallah area or even outside. It's not there anymore. Yeah, the incentive is not there. But I need to make sure. Whatever is left in me from that journey and from that energy,
I need to push myself even more and better inshallah ta'ala. So that I adjust to the new norm right now. But in a better position. So make sure to remind yourself of that. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, Innamal mu'minun ladheena idha dhukirallah wajilat quloobuhum. The believers are those when they're reminded with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, their hearts are trembling. Wa idha tuliat alayhim ayatuhu zadatuhum imana. And when the verses of Allah is being recited to them, their iman increases. What does that mean? Their heart is already trembling and connected to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So what does it mean zadatuhum imana? Their iman increases. The ulema, they say their action. The action, which means their practice of that iman increases. Alhamdulillah, a reminder like this should also push you to the next level. What is your plan after this Jum'ah? What are you going to do? And subhanAllah, we learned that from Ramadan, the beautiful actions of Ramadan that we can continue to do inshallah azza wa jalla. Like what? As-siyam, fasting. You can fast the six days of Shawwal. Start with that right away as a reminder. Maintain Mondays and Thursdays, three days of every month. Maintain that around the year. Don't go to the level before Ramadan. Don't let fasting slip away from your hand because you're traveling or you're in the summer, a vacation or this and that. There is no break in Jum'ah. W'abud rabbaka hatta atiakal yarteeni. Worship until you die. So you still even worship in every moment you can. Tahajud, qiyamul layl. I know we think that tahajud is only for the hufadh and those who know how to recite beautifully. No, it's not. It's for you and I, for everybody. At least two rak'ah. Doesn't have to be eight or four or ten or twenty. Two rak'ah. Every now and then you add to your night schedule. Every now and then. But make sure that no week will pass us by without you making tahajud. At least wake up half an hour before fajr. You know what, you can do this then before you go to sleep. After Isha' and before you go to sleep. Pray two rak'ah at least.
Recite one page each, two pages of the Qur'an, whether you know it by heart or read from the Mus'haf. But practice qiyamul layl. Read the Qur'an at least one page a day, at least one page a day. I couldn't, I'm too busy, then listen. But have some sort of connection with the book of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala. Charity. Have a charity box. Put something online to be drafted out of your money regularly without even paying attention. At least every single day you're paying something for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala. Being generous. We fed people. We cooked food. We distributed things. We gave others. Share this generosity with other people. Continue that generosity insha'Allah wa'ta'ala. And there is so much you could do. There's so much you could do as the legacy of the month of Ramadan. Number three. In the low tide, when now I'm not in my best level of Iman, what do I do? You need to remember that it's okay to fail. It's okay to fail. And Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala is teaching us that in the Qur'an. فَإِنَّمَا الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا With every hardship, Allah will bring ease. Because indeed, for that hardship that you're suffering from, Allah will bring ease to it. So every time I fail, every time I go through difficulty, Allah will bring me ease. So I need to anticipate that ease from Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala. If I fail, it's not the end of the world. I will recalibrate. I will be prepared insha'Allah wa'ta'ala. So when the high tide comes, I will push myself to the next level insha'Allah wa'ta'ala. Remember that when you feel low a little bit, do not go below that red line that you create for yourself. Keep that standard. That's what Prophet ﷺ called sunnati, my level of sunnah, my level of practice of the fara'id and the ibarat and the ta'at. Don't allow yourself to go below that line. Number four. Companionship is important. You learn that in Ramadan, the reason why you were able to wake up and stay up all night and to come to the masjid even though you don't want to come to the masjid, because someone pushed you to do that.
Or you heard that some of your friends were coming to that event or that program or that musalla. You knew that. Whether it was your spouse, your child, your friend, anybody. That body system should continue with you. But for the good reason. Because remember what the Prophet ﷺ told us about companionship. He said ﷺ, He says look, everything, you know, two things indicated to each other. Like he said, just the best example, he says that friends are gravitating to each other. Which means they pull. So if someone is doing good, they will pull you to do good. If someone is doing bad, they will definitely pull you to do bad. So make sure that your companionship after Ramadan is well filtered. For the purpose of you keep going inshallah strong after the month of Ramadan. Number five. What do I need to maintain? Consistency. When Rasulullah ﷺ was asked in hadith of Mumin al-A'ish radiyallahu ta'ala anha, qeela, ya Rasulullah, ayyul a'mal ya habbi l'Allah? What are the best, what are the deeds are the best, most beloved to Allah azzawajal? A question everybody asks after Ramadan. Like saying look, I'm too busy. I'm too this, I'm too that. Tell me something that the most beloved to Allah will give me the greatest reward. What can I do? The Prophet ﷺ didn't give a specific deed because he knows people are different. You have different schedule, different you know styles and so on. So he ﷺ said something we can all agree on. He said qala adwamuhu wa inqal. He says the most consistent even if it was little. So I'm not gonna tell you do this or do that. But I'm gonna tell you choose one thing before you leave this Juma. Choose one thing you do. Whether it's to start with two rakah after Isha before you go to sleep or fast Mondays or start with something, whatever that is that you want to do, start with inshaAllah ta'ala one page every single day after fajr, after dhuhr, after asr.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure to start with this and keep it consistent because that's how you keep strong after Ramadan inshaAllah ta'ala. And number six, do not nullify your deeds. Do not nullify your deeds with constant reminders and boasting about them. How is that? Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Qur'an wala tamnun tastakthir. Stop boasting about what you do, thinking that you know what, we owe you in return to what you're doing. Allah doesn't owe you anything for what you've done in Ramadan. Keep that in mind. So in hadith which is disputable in terms of authenticity, but the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, he said if someone is being dragged on their face means they're just doing this ibadah for the sake of Allah from the moment they were born until they die. All of this doing it for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah will make all their effort little. Like don't ever think that what you do is too big. Whatever good deed that you do, if you're going to compare this to the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, all is little. So if you've done something you've never done before in Ramadan, thinking that I've done way and beyond, that then in this case Allah owes me such and such a return, you're wrong. Don't make the effort you put in Ramadan to go waste by this kind of constant boasting about it, thinking that, oh alhamdulillah, I've done some never done before. I finished the Qur'an from cover to cover. Being alhamdulillah happy about it for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is okay. Being joyful about the ibadah you've done for the sake of Allah, it's okay. But using that in order to expect in return from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to give you something you demand, Allah doesn't owe you anything in return. Because whatever you do, compared to what Allah has already given you, is nothing. So stop losing and ruining your ibadah and your reward by doing that.
The last point, number seven, people ask, okay, where do I start? Help me out over here. I want to know what kind of program should I start and keep active with after the month of Ramadan. The best program was given to us by Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in this very short hadith, hadith Abu Dharr radiallahu ta'ala anhu wa rada, when Mu'adh ibn Jabal, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, اتق الله حيثما كنت وأتبع السيئة الحسنة تمحها وخالق الناس بخلق الحسن رواه الترمذي In this hadith, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is saying, you need to be conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Be conscious of Allah. اتق الله حيثما كنت, wherever you are. Because that's what matters now. Whether you're at work, in school, privately in your home, closing doors behind you, in your car, in the street, in public place, private place, whatever that is. If you keep the consciousness of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in your mind, you will do well. You will do well no matter where you are. So keep that in mind, number one. Number two, he says, قَالْ وَأَتْبِعَ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا That follow the mistake that you do with another good deed, it will erase it out for you. And that's the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, the generosity of Allah azza wa jal. You do well, it erases the bad one, but not premeditated. It's not like you premeditate doing good after doing bad. No, if you tripped, if you made a mistake, because no matter how much you try to be conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, you will fall short. It's okay.
So what do you need to do now to recalibrate and try to do something good? Hopefully it will erase that out for you. The least is doing tawbah and saying astaghfirullah, the least. Number three, Prophet ﷺ says, وَخَالِقَ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ Deal with people, intermingle with people in good manners. Like have good manners with the people. What does that exactly mean? Look, if you can't be good, if you can't make anything good, then if you're going to do bad, then don't hurt others. Make that bad just on you. If you're going to make something wrong, just make it against your own self. Do not hurt anybody else. Because hurting someone else in the process, it's hard to really to erase. It's difficult. So you make sure that you keep treating people in the best manners you can. Remember these three things. This is the step that you should really live your life by. Always try to be conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala at all times. If you make a mistake, fix it. If you can't even make anything good, then don't hurt people. O Allah, teach us what will benefit us. And benefit us with what You have taught us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Allah, grant us to be mindful of You. You are the Best of those who are mindful of You. You are the Protector and the Protector. O servants of Allah, O Allah and His angels, send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings and peace upon him. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon my family and all his companions. O Allah, be pleased with the rightful caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, and the rest of the companions, and those who follow them in the best way, and may Allah bless them all.
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