Post-Ramaḍān Thoughts 2018/1439

[From unpublished archives 2018 — posting this now to serve as a motivation in preparing for the upcoming Ramaḍān.]  

The thing with social media is that you have the learned, the outright unlearned and everyone in between sharing their wisdom or lack thereof. Often the advice spouted is presented well and so appreciated by the masses though it might be poor and misleading.
Consider the month that just passed. I came across dozens and dozens of posts lulling people into mediocrity. Giving them reasons to not do better. Celebrating their lack of interest in excelling. It’s okay if you don’t pray, it’s okay if you don’t fast! Don’t worry about reciting the Qurʾān much! And on and on. 
The people’s īmān is not what it used to be, they say, just be grateful they do the minimal that they do.

If we accepted this, then what will become of the future generations to come?! 
Doing less because a person is unable to do more is an exception—it is not the norm and certainly not applicable to the majority. When a person is physically not able to perform acts of worship due to sickness, age or other circumstances, then Allāh gives him leeway out of His Mercy. The majority should not be encouraged to do the bare minimum. 

Remember: When you bring people’s standards down, next year they’ll be even lower.

The nafs is strange, often it needs reassurances that its efforts are appreciated and are not wasted, and Allāh gives plenty of these in the Qurʾān. But the nafs also needs to be told that it can aspire and aim higher.
This is true for both the dīn and the dunyā. True for physical, intellectual and spiritual everyday achievements. To a non-Muslim, who has never fasted or seen anyone fast, the idea of going 15+ hours without food or water might seem insane. A physical feat! But a Muslim will tell you that it’s doable and easy, and can be done for 30 days straight without breaking a sweat. This confirmation opens a world of possibilities! It may have sounded impossible but here is proof that it IS doable.
Waking up at 3:30 am to start the day sounds impossible but there are many who routinely do so. You have the ability that only needs to be set alight.

Recently I was listening to a scholar who was asked by a person recovering from drug addiction regarding fasting; does he need to fast all of Ramaḍān? 
The scholar advised him to try and do it, knowing very well that this person will not physically be able to do so. The scholar explained later that had he told him to settle for less, he would have settled for less without trying to do better.
The stories of the righteous in the Qurʾān, the Prophetic Sunnah and Islāmic history are filled with examples of average people who strove to do more and to do better for Allāh. 
If they did less because of circumstance, they were reminded that Allāh is ash-Shakūr, One who accepts the little and rewards it abundantly.
But once circumstance passed, they were told that to earn Allāh’s love they should increase in supererogatory acts of worship—to do more and try harder and to know that Allāh is al-Ghafūr, ash-Shakūr, ar-Raḥīm.

Once the Ramaḍān marathon ends, Allāh promises the reward (of a year!) for those who fast an additional six fasts. If you have missed fasts to make up for then do that first before you fast the 6 of shawwāl, as many scholars favour this approach. It might sound daunting but it’s doable and days pass by quickly, and before you know it, the month will have passed and you’ll be done with all of your fasts.