Eid Mubarak! Hope everyone is having fun and enjoying this special festival that we all wait for the whole year. The traditions and festivities of Eidul Fitr are all about enjoying and sharing with our loved ones — with the eidi and sheer khurma being my favourite parts.

But hey, we’ve got to remember that we are celebrating not because the month of Ramazan is over, but to express our gratitude to God for having been blessed with Ramazan and that we had the chance to obey His commandments.

Yes, Ramazan is over, but all the good things that we did in this holy month should not end with it. The good habits we got into for a month can be continued the whole year — after all, Muslims remain Muslims the whole year, and the teachings of Islam that applied in Ramazan continue to apply after it too.

Islam is a comprehensive way of life that has to be practiced consistently and sincerely, not just during a specific month or time period. By practicing the lessons of Ramazan throughout the year, we can become more compassionate, charitable and responsible, and make a positive impact on our family, community and the world at large.

Let’s avoid being what is known as a ‘Ramazan Muslim’ — a person who only practices their faith during Ramazan, and neglects their religious duties and obligations outside of this month. This is not the intended purpose of this month, as the teachings of Islam need to be a part of our daily life and upheld consistently throughout the year.

The lessons of Ramazan are many, and here are a few that we should carry forward.

Self-discipline

One of the most crucial lessons of Ramazan is self-discipline. Fasting from dawn to dusk requires a lot of self-control and willpower, which people easily display, without complaining or cheating.

And this self-discipline arises out of the awareness that Allah is always with us, watching all we do and knowing what is in our hearts. This helps in making us control our desires and impulses, makes us stay away from the things we should not be doing. This feeling of having God always with us and being answerable to Him for all that we do wrong and being blessed for all the good deeds should remain with us always.

We can carry forward this lesson by continuing to practice self-discipline in our daily lives, whether it’s in our work, relationships or personal habits.

Gratitude

During Ramazan, by depriving ourselves of some basic needs, we were able to appreciate the blessings we have, such as food, water, shelter and family. And when we are breaking the fast, there is this strong sense gratitude in us as we take sips of the cool juice or water, what we hardly appreciated the rest of the year.

Thus, let us continue to appreciate what we have, rather than focusing on what we don’t have. And we need to express this gratitude to Allah by sharing our blessing with others, and this is where the next part of the lessons of Ramazan applies.

Empathy and compassion

Ramazan is a time when we strive to practice empathy and compassion towards others. Giving to the needy, and spending time with family and friends are essential parts of the month.

We become more caring about the needs of others, especially those who are in some way weaker than us, such as the elders in the family, the servants, the poor people we meet on the street, etc.

These actions teach us to be more empathetic and compassionate towards others, which can help us build better relationships and make the world a better place. If we display this compassion during Ramazan, we can do so the rest of the year too.

Generosity

Generosity, particularly in the form of charity is one of the most profound acts that we indulge in during Ramazan. While this is because we want to make the most of the fact that each good deed is multiplied manifold during Ramazan, after this month, Allah still considers this a good deed and rewards it greatly. Plus, people remain in need of our help outside of Ramazan too, so let our generosity continue to make life better for others throughout the year.

If we realise that what we have isn’t really ours, it is Allah’s, He is the one who gave it to us, and He will continue to give us, then sharing it won’t be difficult.

Praying regularly

Have you noticed how easy it is to say our Salah or prayers in Ramazan? And right from the first day of Eid itself, some of us forget that praying is even obligatory.

But if we just make a little effort, it really isn’t very difficult to make praying a regular part of one’s life, especially after having done it for a month.

The same applies for the Holy Quran, which we recited and reflected on so regularly during Ramazan. Let us continue to make it our guiding light the rest of the year too.

And in all the festivities of Eid, take out a little time to continue doing some of the extra acts of remembrance of God that we did this past month.

Bonding and sharing

For a whole month, families, friends and sometimes communities, bonded over meals, prayers and other things. It was such a good way to strengthen existing relations and friendships, and form new ones.

Some of our favourite memories are those at the dining table when the whole family sat together for iftar. Let us continue be together for at least one meal each day, and without any TV or gadget taking our attention away, just like it was in Ramazan.

Spiritual growth

Our spiritual awareness is heightened during Ramazan, making us connect with our faith, deepen our understanding of ourselves and to try to be better human being. We can continue to keep this spiritual light shining on us the rest of the year, and seek out opportunities for reflection and self-improvement.

By focusing on our spiritual growth, we can improve our mental health, find inner peace and strengthen our relationship with others.

Time management

Time management is one of the key skills that we need to sail through Ramazan, and it is also one of the main reasons most of us are able to do more with our time in Ramazan than the rest of the year.

Time is a precious, since we have only a limited amount of it. If we become conscious of this fact, then we will utilise it carefully, making sure each moment is spend in some positive and fruitful activity. Thus, for the rest of the year, we need to manage our time with the same care that we exercised during Ramazan, in order to achieve success in all matters.

Overall, the lessons of Ramazan are universal and can be applied by people of all faiths and backgrounds, and in all situations. These lessons of self-discipline, gratitude, generosity, compassion and spiritual growth, when practiced yearlong, will lead to a better world for all.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 22nd, 2023