Now that Ramadan’s over, many of us feel sad–we miss the spirituality, the eman rush, the amazing strength that we all demonstrate in Ramadan. So what can you do to bring those feelings back?
One thing is to keep performing the deeds you performed in Ramadan–and this is one of the signs that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) accepted your deeds.
Another act you can perform is to fast six days of Shawwal, the month right after Ramadan. Check this hadith out:
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (رضي الله عن) reported Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually [the whole year, every year]. [Muslim 6⁄2614]
Why perpetually? Well, we know the reward for good deeds counts as at least ten. Ramadan is one month, so we get the reward of ten months of fasting. Plus six days (times ten; sixty days, or two months), that equals a whole year!
And remember, if you missed completing Ramadan, you need to make those days up first, before you fast any optional fasts. Because Ramadan fasts are fard–they take precedance over mustahab fasts.
May Allah accept all our good deeds from Ramadan and year-round and help make us to make ourselves strong all year around, not just once a year. Ameen!
Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Rizq Management. University of Toronto, Toronto. June 2006.