Part One


Praise be to Allah the Magnanimous and the Provider! I praise Him Almighty on His


overwhelming graces and beneficial favours. I bear witness that there is no deity other than


Allah alone, the King and the ultimate Judge, and I bear witness that our Master and Prophet


Muhammad is the Servant and Messenger of Allah and the most honourable of the Adnan


progeny. O Allah! Please send Your Salat (Graces, Honours, Mercy), Peace and Blessing


upon Your Servant and Messenger Muhammad, his family and Companions as long as the


wheel of time keeps turning!


Now then,


I enjoin you to observe taqwa (fear of disobeying Allah) and to bear in mind that there


is no provision better than this and no garment to put on better than that of taqwa.


Servants of Allah!


In the hustle and bustle of life, and amidst the temptation of its embellishment,


ornamentation, and gaudery, some people may go astray and fall prey to misconceptions, lose


all sense of rationality, and collapse into irregular comportment. Consequently, they become


susceptible to ennui and boredom that begets desertion after enthusiasm, slackness after


strong will, and cessation after persistence.


With Ramadhan having ended, their determination, which was then strong, wanes and


the torch of perseverance and activity goes weak. Thus they trade the good for the bad by


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shunning their previous seeking of the meritorious, abandon competition for good deeds and


cease to occupy their time by performing various sorts of pious deeds.


This change of situation is attributed to negligence, accidental or intentional; two


obvious facts come into play: First, the work of the believer does not end until his instant of


death. Addressing his most noble creature and the dearest to Him and ordering him to persist


and persevere in worshipping Him until his instant of death, Allah ‒Glorified be His Name‒


says, And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e.


death) [Al-Ḥijr: 99]. Second, the years, months, days and nights are all, as described by


Al-Ḥafidh Ibn Rajab –may Allah have mercy on his soul– but “measures of people’s life


spans and timetables for their deeds. They all soon come to an end and disappear. But He


Who has created them and granted them virtues, is Eternal and Ever-lasing. He is the One


God of all time watching over His servants’ deeds.”


The righteous salaf –may Allah be pleased with them all– censured those who restrict


their worship and religious practice to Ramadhan. Some said, “What evil people are those


who do not know Allah except in Ramadhan! The righteous are those who worship Allah all


year round.”


“Which is better, Rajab or Sha’ban?” some were asked. “Be godly, not Sha’bani1,”


came the answer.


The best example for a self-exhorting Muslim to follow is the guidance of the Prophet


(May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) and his behaviour vis-à-vis his Lord ‒Sublime be


He. It is narrated in the two Sahihs of the two Imams: Abu Abdullah Al-Bukhari and Muslim


Ibn Al-Ḥajjāj Al-Qushairi –May Allah have mercy on them‒ on the authority of Aisha, the


mother of the believers, that when she was asked if the Prophet observed certain worship on a


certain day and not on other days, she answered, “No! His work was dimah.” (In Arabic,


Dimah is an Arabic word which means persistent rain with neither thunder nor lightning).


The word indicates perseverance in doing good deeds with intent and moderation. Preference


of persistence does not mean exaggeration that may cause worship to wind down and


eventually to cease. In his hadith narrated by the two Sheikhs (i.e. Bukhari and Muslim) on


the authority of Aisha –May Allah be pleased with her‒ that the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat


and Peace be upon him) warned against this form of behaviour. He said, “Do what you can


do.”


He (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) also said, “Religion is ease. Whoever makes


religion too hard for himself will be overpowered, so direct yourselves to what is right,


follow a middle course, accept the good news of the reward for right action, and seek help


[to reach your goal by being constant in worshipping] in the morning, evening and some of


1 A Sha’bani is he who singles out this month (Sha’ban) with specific worship.


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the night.” [Narrated by Bukhari in his “Sahih” and Al-Nasā’i in his “Sunan” from a hadith


of Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him).


In some versions, he said, “Adhere to moderation! Adhere to moderation! You will


[certainly] attain your aim.” He said that when he saw a man praying on a rock. He kept


aside waiting for him, and then left. When he returned, he found that the man was still


praying. The Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) then put both hands


together and said, “O people! Stick to moderation! Stick to moderation!”


This implies prohibition of potentially fatal exaggeration, and of taking up voluntary


worship that may result in missing what is better or delaying a duty. A case in point is one


who spends the night long praying and resisting sleep, then he falls asleep at the end of the


night and thus misses the congregational ṣubḥ (morning) prayer (at dawn) or oversleeps


missing the preferable prayer time.


In the hadith above, as the Muslim scholars say: “The metaphor of ‘ghadwah’,


‘rawḥah’ and ‘duljah’ indicates the most favourable times for worship. These are the most


favourable times for the traveller. It draws his attention to the fact that he should avail


himself of the time when he is at the peak of his briskness. Should he keep on walking day and


night, he would be exhausted and drop by the road side. If, however, he chooses to walk


during these favourable times, he would continue in ease and comfort.”


That is why the most favoured acts to Allah and His Messenger are those which are


incessant albeit a few. Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) narrated that when the Prophet


was asked, “What deeds are most favoured by Allah?” “The most persistent, albeit not too


many,” she answered [Narrated by the two Sheikhs in their two Sahihs]. She also said that the


most favoured deed by the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) was the one


performed regularly.


What helps those with judicious minds persist in doing such deeds is realising that


maintaining worship –especially fasting– after Ramadhan is a sign of Allah’s acceptance of


one’s fasting in Ramadhan. If Allah accepts his servant’s worship, He guides him to a good


deed after it. Some scholars have said, “The reward of a good deed is a good deed following


it.” By contrast, if one does a good deed and then follows it with a bad deed, this is an


indication of Allah’s rejection of his previous good deed.


Continuation of worship after Ramadhan –particularly fasting– is a token of thanking


Allah Almighty for the great reward granted to those who fast Ramadhan out of belief and


seeking Allah’s satisfaction, that is forgiving all his previous sins. There is no blessing that


could match this, except the blessing of being guided to Islam.


That is why the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him) used to perform


prayers by night until cracks appeared on his feet. “Why are you doing this while Allah has


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forgiven you your previous and future sins,” he was once asked. “Shouldn’t I be a thankful


servant?” he answered. [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim in their two Sahihs]


Allah, the Almighty, has ordered His servants to show gratitude for the blessing of


fasting; He said:


(He wants that you) to complete the same number (of days), and


that you must glorify Allâh [i.e. to say Takbîr (Allâhu-Akbar; Allâh is


the Most Great) on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadân


and Shawwâl] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to


Him. [Al-Baqarah: 185]


The resumption of fasting and all forms of worship after Ramadhan is one way of


expressing appreciation to Allah, the Almighty for the blessing of fasting in Ramadhan.


Therefore, O servants of Allah, observe taqwa, and make sure that you persist in


doing the same good deeds and ask Allah to help you persevere with these acts of worship till


your instant of death.


May Allah benefit you and me from the guidance of His Book and the Sunnah of His


Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him). I say this and ask Allah to forgive me,


you and all Muslims for every sin; He is Most Forgiving.


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Part Two


Praise be to Allah! We praise Him, ask for His help and forgiveness. We seek refuge


in Allah from our own evils and bad deeds. He whom Allah guides, no one can lead astray.


He whom Allah chooses not to guide, there will be no one to guide him. I bear witness that


there is no deity except Allah alone with no associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is


His Servant and Messenger, may Allah send profuse Salat (Graces, Honours, Mercy) and


Peace upon him, his family and Companions.


Now then, servants of Allah!


Sequencing acts of birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to


Allah, etc.), benevolence and good deeds is a clear sign of perfect awareness, sound reason


and complete success achieved by the pious and the elite of the Merciful’s servants who find


in sustained and prolonged acts of obedience unparalleled tranquillity and unmatchable hope


in attaining the rewards promised by Allah (May He be extolled) in surat Al-Mursalāt:


Verily, the Muttaqûn (pious - see V.2:2) shall be amidst shades


and springs. And fruits, such as they desire. "Eat and drink


comfortably for that which you used to do. Verily, thus We reward


the Muhsinûn (good-doers) [Al-Mursalāt: 41-44]


Since the month of Ramadhan is an arena and a race track where the righteous and the


pious compete, a motivation for educating Muslims’ souls, a school for spiritual sublimation,


and perfection of social and moral reform, then the believer finds in the fasting of six days of


Shawwal a strong motivation and clear incentive on continuing in the path of Ramadan, and


benefiting from its school, and persistence on fostering the connection with its spiritual


teachings, and continuing on its routes of faith with indefatigable will and unwavering


stamina. Such fasting is recommended in the hadith narrated by Imam Muslim on the


authority of Abu Ayyūb Al-Ansāri –May Allah be pleased with him– that the Prophet –May


Allah’s Salat and Peace be on him– said, “He who fasts Ramadhan and follows it with six


days of Shawwal, will be as if he fasted the whole year.”


He who persists in the acts of obedience and avoids disobedience is entitled to


consider his days as eid days. Al-Hassan Al-Baṣri –May Allah have mercy on his soul– said,


“Every day on which you commit no sin, is eid indeed.”


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Describing his reality, thanking his Lord’s blessings, and calling on others to emulate


him, a sincere servant of Allah who manages, and is helped, to do this has the right to recite


the following lines of poetry:


My eid is perpetual while the others’ is transient,


My heart and pleasure are asunder.


I have two friends for whom I have no substitutes:


Constant longing and a tearful eye for ever.


Therefore, observe taqwa, O servants of Allah, and heed this guidance so as to reach


the most sublime aim and attain Allah’s satisfaction which you aspire for.


Now, send your salat and peace upon the most honourable of Allah’s creatures,


Muhammad Ibn Abdullah as you were ordered to do so in Allah’s Book where He says:


Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on


the Prophet and also His angels too (ask Allâh to bless and forgive


him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask Allâh to bless)


him, and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islâmic way of


greeting (salutation i.e. AsSalâmu 'Alaikum). [Al-Aḥzāb: 56]


O Allah! Please send your Salat (Graces, Honours, Mercy) and Peace upon Your


Servant and Messenger Muhammad! O Allah! Be pleased with his four Caliphs: Abu Bakr,


Omar, Othman and Ali, with all his family, Companions, the tābi’ῑn (the contemporaries of


the Companions of the Prophet [May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him] after his death)


and his wives –the mothers of the believers‒ and be pleased with us, along with them, by


Your Pardon, Benevolence, Generosity and Magnanimity; You are the Most Beneficent!


O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and


Muslims! O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! Protect the unity of religion, destroy


its enemies and all the corruptors and tyrants! O Allah! Unite the hearts of Muslims and their


ranks, set right their leaders and let them unite on the word of righteousness, O Lord of the


Worlds!


O Allah! Grant victory to Your religion, Your Book, the Sunnah of Your Prophet –


May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– and to Your true believers who are making jihad!


O Allah! Make our country safe, set right our leaders and lend support in what is right


to our Imam and leader! Prepare for him the right retinue and help him do whatever You love


and accept, You are All Hearing! O Allah! Grant success to his two deputies and brothers and


enable them to do whatever is good for Islam and Muslims, and for the people and the


country! It is to You that all shall return on the Day of Mi’ād (Judgement Day)!


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O Allah! Make good the end of our affairs, and save us from humiliation in the herein


and torture in the hereafter!


O Allah! Set right our religion which is the safeguard of our affairs! Set right our


duniā (worldly life) which is the source of our livelihood! Set right our hereafter which is our


destination, and make life a source of more good for us, and death a source of relief for us


from all evil!


O Allah! We implore you to help us do good, and abandon evil deeds, to love the


needy, to forgive us our sins and to have mercy on us! If You wanted to inflict a people with


fitna (trial), please Allah take us to You untrialled!


O Allah! Protect us from our enemy and Yours in any way You wish, O Lord of the


Worlds! O Allah! Protect us from our enemy and Yours in any way You wish, O Lord of the


Worlds! O Allah! Protect us from our enemy and Yours in any way You wish, O Lord of the


Worlds! O Allah! We implore you to defeat Your enemy and Ours, and seek refuge in You


against their evil machination! O Allah! We implore you to defeat Your enemy and Ours, and


seek refuge in You against their evil machination!


O Allah! Grant victory to the Muslims making jihad in Gaza and in all Palestine! O


Allah! Grant them victory against Your enemy and theirs! O Allah! Grant them victory


against the Zionist usurpers!


O Allah! You are the One Who sent down the Book (Qur’ān), the Creator of clouds,


and Defeater of the Aḥzāb (the army of the Confederates), so please defeat them and quake


them, and grant us victory over them, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Grant our souls taqwa,


and purify them; You are the best to purify them; You are their Lord and Master!


"Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and


bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers."


[Al-A’rāf: 23]


O Allah! Grant recovery to those who are sick amongst us, have mercy on those who


died, and help us realize our aims in what pleases You, and make the righteous and pious


deeds our final deeds!


And of them there are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us in this


world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good,


and save us from the torment of the Fire!" [Al-Baqarah: 201]


O Allah! Send Your Salat (Graces, Honours, Mercy) and Peace upon our Prophet


Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions! Finally, all praise is due to Allah, Lord of


the Worlds!