Beyond Ramadan

We encourage all, individually and collectively, to devote sufficient time to offering special prayers seeking for Almighty’s divine intervention in all the challenges that have hindered our aspiration of becoming a peaceful and prosperous nation. Furthermore, the salient lesson of fellow feeling that Ramadan teaches should also not be lost on us. The Islamic injunction […]

We encourage all, individually and collectively, to devote sufficient time to offering special prayers seeking for Almighty’s divine intervention in all the challenges that have hindered our aspiration of becoming a peaceful and prosperous nation. Furthermore, the salient lesson of fellow feeling that Ramadan teaches should also not be lost on us. The Islamic injunction to share even the little that is available to us as is an exhortation to shun selfishness and greed, which are two critical vices that have continued to harm the Nigerian society for a long time. Zakat ul-fitr symbolizes the Islamic concept of altruism.
The end of Ramadan fast is not and should not mark the end of a virtuous life which Muslims have lived in the past four weeks. Muslims should sustain all the good acts of devotion (ibadah) they undertook during Ramadan. They include steadfastness in prayers; constant recitation of the Holy Qur’an; seeking much forgiveness and mercy from Allah (SWT); feeding indigent persons and giving alms to the needy. Now that Ramadan is over, we must resolve not to go back to the sins we deserted in the month-long period of Ramadan fast. The life of a true believer during Ramadan should not be different from that which he lives after the holy month.
Sincere Muslims do not, after Ramadan fast, dump their copies of the Holy Qur’an; or refuse to feed and give alms to the indigent; or abandon night prayers (tahajjud); or abstain from the regular observance of salat. The termination of Ramadan fast should not prompt working husbands and wives to resume their usual habits of late return from “work”. Let us strive to sustain the religious duties and moral lessons we imbibed during Ramadan.
Before we round up Eidl-fitr activities, let us plan for the six days of voluntary fast in this Islamic lunar month of Shawwal, as recommended by the Prophet (SAW). Imam Muslim (RA) relates on the authority of Abi Ayyub (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) said, “whoever observes the Ramadan fast and follows it up with six days of voluntary fast in (the month of) Shawwal shall be (considered) as having fasted a whole lifetime”.
However, some scholars have reservations about the six days of voluntary fast in Shawwal for fear that some believers might ignorantly join it to the Ramadan fast. Yahaya said that he heard Malik say about fasting for six days after breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan, that he had never seen any of the people of knowledge and fiqh (jurisprudence) observe them. He said: “I have not heard that any of our predecessors used to do that, and the people of knowledge disapprove of it and they are afraid that it might become an innovation; and that ignorant people might join to Ramadan what does not belong to it, if they were to think that the people of knowledge had given permission for that to be done and were seen doing it.
While the fears entertained by some scholars in the foregoing hadith are genuine, educating believers properly on the six days of fasting in Shawwal can allay such fears. They need to be enlightened that it is voluntary and not obligatory. It may be off beam to disapprove of the six days of voluntary fast in Shawwal after it has been reported in a hadith related by Imam Muslim. Allah (SWT) knows best.
It is however reprehensible to begin the six days of voluntary fast during the festive period of Eid el-Fitr because eating and drinking is traditionally part of the celebration of the Eid. More so, our physical bodies have certain rights over us, especially the right to enough rest. Similarly, it is preferred that the six days voluntary fast is observed intermittently. Abdullahi bn Umar (RA) reports that the prophet (SAW) forbade voluntary fast for two or more days without resting in-between. Voluntary fast, whether in Shawwal or in other months of the year, is a popular prophetic tradition. It is a popular tradition of the Prophet (SAW) to observe voluntary fast every Monday and Thursday. It is also sunnah to fast voluntarily on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of every month in the Islamic lunar calendar. For those who missed some days of fasting during Ramadan either due to ill-health or journey, it is recommended that the Ramadan fast for such days are re-paid back before observing any voluntary fast including six days in Shawwal.
May Allah (SWT) accept our Ramadan fast and other acts of devotion we have put forth; as we pray that He (SWT) also guide us to make effective resolutions after Ramadan such that our life (private and public) after Ramadan would be as if it were during the holy month, amin. May He (SWT) also grant us the ability to observe every voluntary fast known in prophetic tradition, amin. Happy Eid el-fitr!