SUFYAN Bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam, which I cannot ask anyone else besides you.” He said: “Say: ‘I believe in Allah' and then be steadfast (upon that).” (Sahih Muslim) The Hadith is proof that the believer is obligated – after having Iman (faith) in Allah – to persevere and be steadfast upon obeying Him by performing the obligatory acts and avoiding the prohibited ones. This is achieved by following the straight path, the firm religion without drifting away from it to the right or to the left. If a Muslim lives through Ramadan and spent his days in fasting and his nights in prayer and he accustomed himself to doing acts of goodness, then he must continue to remain upon this obedience to Allah at all times. This is the true state of the believer, for indeed, the Lord of the months is One and He is ever watchful over his servants at all times. Steadfastness after Ramadan and rectification of one's speech and actions are the greatest signs that one has gained benefit from the month of Ramadan and striven in obedience. They are tokens of acceptance and signs of success. Furthermore, the deeds of a believer do not come to an end with the end of a month and the beginning of another, rather they continue and extend until he reaches death. Allah says: “And worship your Lord until the certainty (death) comes to you.” (Qur'an, 15:99) If the fasting of Ramadan comes to an end, then indeed the voluntary fasting is still prescribed throughout the entire year. If standing in prayer at night during Ramadan comes to an end, then indeed, the entire year is a time for performing the night prayer. The same goes for reciting the Qur'an and pondering over its meanings as well as every other righteous deed that is sought after, for they can be done at all times. Therefore, the ardor and zeal of the Muslim must be constant and he must continue to remain at the service of his Lord. It is unfortunate to find that some people perform worship by doing different types of righteous deeds during Ramadan. They perform their five daily prayers in the mosque, they recite the Qur'an a lot and they give in charity from their wealth. But when Ramadan comes to an end, they grow lazy in their worship. Sometimes they even abandon the obligations, both generally, such as praying in congregation, and specifically, such as praying the Fajr prayer. And they commit forbidden acts such as visiting places of foolishness and free mingling. Thus, they demolish what they have constructed and destroy what they have established. This is an indication of depravity and a sign of perdition. We ask Allah for His protection. It is as if they have abandoned sinning for the sake of Ramadan, and not out of fear of Allah! Truly, the success that Allah grants His servant lies in the fasting of Ramadan. This is a great favor and it calls upon us to be grateful to our Lord. The one who is grateful for having fasted, will continue to perform righteous deeds. His condition after Ramadan is better than it was before Ramadan. He is more receptive to obey, eager to do good deeds and quick to perform the obligatory acts. He fears that his fasting may not be accepted, for indeed Allah only accepts from those who have Taqwa. The righteous predecessors would strive to complete and perfect their deeds, hoping afterwards, that it would be accepted and fearing that it would be rejected. From the reports of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), “Be more concerned with having your deeds accepted than the deed itself. Did you not hear Allah say: ‘Verily Allah, only accepts those from those who fear Him. (i.e. possess Taqwa).' (Qur'an, 5:27)” (Lata'if-ul-Ma`arif, p. 246) Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah concerning the verse, “And the one who are given what they are given and their hearts tremble with fear.” Are they the ones who drink alcohol and steal?” He said: “No, O daughter of As-Siddiq. Rather, they are the ones who fast and pray and give in charity yet fear that it won't be accepted from them. They are the ones who rush to do good deeds and they are the first to do them.” (Al-Tirmidhi; Sahih) So be warned of turning backward after having attained guidance, of going astray after learning to persevere. Ask Allah to provide you with the ability to do righteous deeds consistently. – Ahadith-us
