The most important questions in life are those that deal with the meaning and purpose of man’s existence. The Qur’an explains that the human being has been placed on this earth to utilize his enormous potential to conduct himself in a manner which will fulfill his purpose in life.
{It is He who has created death and life that He may test which of you is best in deed.} (Al-Mulk 67: 2)
The Qur’an further explains that man’s role on earth is to live as his Creator desires him to live: in surrender and worship to Him alone. This is not because Allah in any way needs his worship, but because man needs to worship only his Creator and none else so that his own nature is not perverted and corrupted, and so that he does not live in opposition to his intrinsic character. Only by so living will his earthly life be set on the right path and prosper, bringing him peace and happiness.
{I have not created jinn and men except to serve Me. I desire of them no provision; neither do I desire that they should feed Me. Surely Allah is the All-provider; the Possessor of Strength.} (Adh-Dhariyat 51: 56-58)
Man, with no ‘mentionable’ history before birth, has been given the faculties of hearing and seeing, (Ad-Dahr 76: 2) two eyes and a tongue, and a pair of lips, (Al-Balad 90: 8-9) as well as the capacity to reason and discern between right and wrong in using his freedom of will.
Given freedom of will, judgment is inevitable. The human being must give an account of his conduct and must face the consequences of how he lives his life. Obviously, to be judged fairly, this judgment must be made only after his earthly life has come to an end, and only by the One who gave this life, who knows everything, and who is All-powerful and All-just. Only then can he be judged fairly, and duly rewarded and punished, for everything -from his innermost thoughts to the consequences of his conduct that extend far and wide, and beyond his life for generations to come.
{What! did you think that We created you in mere idle play, and that you would not be returned to Us? But, high exalted is Allah, the King; the True! There is no god but He, the Lord of the Noble Throne.} (Al-Mu’minun 23: 115-116)
A person’s ultimate destiny, therefore, lies in the Life to Come, in the Akhirah. Everyone will be judged there by due process of justice, fairly and equitably, mercifully and kindly. No one will be wronged or dealt with unjustly even by an atom’s weight.
{Surely Allah shall not wrong [even] as much as an atom’s weight.}(An-Nisa’ 4: 40)
{You are being recompensed only for what you had done before.} (At-Tahrim 66: 7)
Thus, everything in our lives is being recorded. Even the smallest of incidents will be replayed before our eyes on the Day of Judgment. That Judgment will be final and one from which there will be no escape. Paradise will be the reward for excellence in doing good, while Hell-fire will be the penalty for those who were ungrateful and indulged in evil:
{The parable of the Paradise promised to those who are conscious of Allah [is that of a Garden] through which running waters flow: its fruits will be everlasting, and [so will be] its shade. Such will be the destiny of those who remain conscious of Allah – just as the destiny of those who deny the truth will be the fire.} (Ar-Ra`d 13: 35)
The delights and pleasures of the Hereafter, as well as, the penalty for those who condemn themselves to darkness and the wrath of Allah are described in such great detail in the Qur’an that almost one quarter of it is related to the Akhirah. This is what the Prophet came to convey and this is what instills meaning and purpose to our lives.
5 Ways to Keep Ramadan Momentum Alive
Ramadan is almost over, but there are tons of opportunities that you can use to keep the Ramadan spirit. I hope that you will find the following 5 tips handy, especially during the first half of Shawwal (lunar month following Ramadan in the Islamic calendar). This article is based on what is known in behavior science as the “Habit Loop”.
The Habit Loop
Ramadan comes with an emotional and social package that makes worshipping Allah easier during the blessed month. The reason why many people fail to keep their gained habits and deeds after Ramadan is simply the lack of a “Ramadan environment”. With the help of Allah first, you may be able to recreate this environment on a mini scale by understanding how habits work.
Based on Charles Duhigg’s amazing book, “The Power of Habits“, there are three components in a habit loop: The Cue (External factor that enables the habit loop), the routine (the actual habit or action), and the reward (whatever craving your mind has that drives the routine). An action can be deemed a habit if it is not taking you a lot of mental power to start the action (such as praying the taraweeh prayer, or fasting the long days of Ramadan once the first few days are gone and you get used to it).
The key here is simple: search for special Ramadan “cues” and keep them alive after it. A Cue is defined as an external factor that is outside of your control, but can cause your mind to crave a certain reward. In this case, the reward is the emotional /spiritual connection that you felt during Ramadan, but unable to maintain afterwards. Here are my five suggestions for cues, which can be remembered by simply memorizing their initials (ISLAM):
ISLAM = Iftar, Sweet, Lectures, Ayah, Mate
1. I for Iftar: Organize regular Iftar Dinners
Let’s admit it, we all love iftar parties. Yes people may waste time and money preparing lots of food that may be thrown away, BUT no one can deny that Iftar dinners are a major ingredient of the Ramadan cultural package.
So the first practical advice is: take the lead to organize regular iftars with your friends or at your local mosque or group. This should encourage others to fast outside Ramadan (such as the 6 days of Shawwal, Mondays /Thursdays, or the three white days of every month). In order to make this idea successful, remember the KISS advice: Keep It Simple and Sequential
2. S for Sweet: Pray in your “Sweet Spot” at your favorite masjid
Duhigg talks about many hidden cues that affect people’s behaviors and trigger their habit loops. One of the obvious cues that encourage us for more worship are the houses of Allah. The advice here is straight forward: visit the masjid that witnessed your “Ramadan High” moments more regularly, at least once a week other than Fridays.
The following saying by Ali Bin Abi Talib should encourage you to build that connection with your “masjid sweet spot”:
“When a righteous slave dies, the spot that he used to pray at, and the location where his deeds ascend to the heavens, both will cry on him”, and then he recited (an ayah describing Pharaoh and hi folks), {the heaven and earth wept not for them…} (Ad-Dukhan 44:29)
3. L for Lecture: Keep a list of your Favorite “Ramadan Lectures”
Ramadan offers a great opportunity to listen to lectures, Friday sermons, and short speeches. Whether in your local mosque or online, try to “add to your favorites list” some of those motivational speeches that affected you during the holy month. If you attended a lecture in person, try to take some notes, at least the 3 MIT’s (Most Important Things) that you got out of that lecture. According to many of my teachers, the spirituality that stems out of knowledge is a deep one that will survive and will be there for you at a moment of weakness.
4. A for Ayah: Bookmark your favorite Ayhas from the Qur’an
So you can save the words of great speakers and knowledgeable scholars, but don’t forget the words of Allah: They are indeed more powerful. We all believe that the Qur’an is a great book, and that all its Ayahs (verses) are nothing but a pure miracle. However, each of us has their favorite verses, chapters, or passages that we relate to the most under different times or emotional states. If you happen to hear or read a moving verse, Bookmark it and “save” that spiritual connection with that particular verse for later.
5. M for Mate: Connect with your “Ramadan Mate”
Islam is a system that is based on congregation, team work, and friendship. You will need the support of a righteous companion, spouse, friend, or youth group to keep the Ramadan spirit. What I love about Ramadan the most is the opportunity to meet those people and interact with them in a spiritual environment, whether it is a community service event or a taraweeh prayer. Those people turn to be the best friends I have ever had, and they definitely give me some dear memories from my Ramadan exposure with them.
While I got my 5 “ISLAM” tips, I am sure there are many, and every one reading this article can come up with their own version of these Ramadan cues. Dear brother/sister: feel free to share this article with friends, especially your “Ramadan Mates”; Also, you may write down your own personalized list in the comments section, and hence benefit me and others who might be reading your comments.
Happy Ramadan, `Eid Mubarak, and may Allah allow all of our days and months to be similar to those dear moments that we witnessed during Ramadan.