When Ramadan Leaves

March 27th, 2025

As the blessed month of Ramadan draws to a close, we reflect on the spiritual heights we've reached and the longing that follows. How do we keep its light alive in our hearts?

Introduction

Ramadan comes like a gentle breeze, bringing mercy, forgiveness, and unmatched closeness to Allah. And just as it settles into our hearts, it prepares to leave. The departure of Ramadan is bittersweet — a moment of both gratitude and grief. Many of us feel a deep emptiness as the final days pass, and the nights of worship begin to fade.

Each year, it seems to pass more quickly than the last — a sacred guest that now barely has time to sit before it rises to leave again. And we can’t help but wonder: is it time that’s rushing, or are the blessings within it slipping away?

Time used to carry blessings. Ramadan used to stay. But now, even the holiest of months slips away, and we’re left chasing its scent in a world that smells more like smoke than sweetness.

But the real test lies in what we do after it’s gone.


Ramadan's Impact on the Heart

Ramadan softens our hearts, awakens our souls, and renews our relationship with the Quran. Fasting disciplines the body, while taraweeh and tahajjud elevate the spirit. Our duas feel more sincere, and our sins feel heavier.

"Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the decisive authority."
The Quran
| Chapter 2, Verse 185

We begin to taste the sweetness of worship — not just out of duty, but out of love. Ramadan gives us a glimpse of who we could be all year long.


The Pain of Saying Goodbye

As Eid approaches, our hearts carry a strange sadness. Will we live to witness another Ramadan? Were our fasts accepted? Did we make the most of Laylat al-Qadr?

The early generations of Muslims treated the departure of Ramadan with great seriousness. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that they would spend six months after Ramadan asking Allah to accept their efforts, and six months before it praying to reach it.
Lata’if al-Ma’arif by Ibn Rajab

Their sense of loss reflected how deeply they valued the blessings of this sacred month.


Holding On to the Light

Though Ramadan leaves, its light doesn’t have to fade. We can carry its lessons forward:

  • Keep a portion of the night for prayer, even if it's just two rak’ahs.

  • Continue fasting, especially on Mondays and Thursdays or during the White Days — the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each Islamic month. These days are known for the bright full moon, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged fasting on them as a way to maintain spiritual momentum.

  • Stay connected to the Quran, reciting even a few verses daily.

  • Make du’a regularly, trusting that Allah never tires of hearing us.

  • Guard your character, remembering how you held back anger and gossip during fasting.

The goal of Ramadan was taqwa — consciousness of Allah. If that remains, then Ramadan never truly leaves.


A Gentle Reminder

Allah says:

"Establish prayer, and pay alms-tax. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will ˹certainly˺ find ˹its reward˺ with Allah. Surely Allah is All-Seeing of what you do."
The Quran
| Chapter 2, Verse 110

Ramadan was a training ground. Life after it is the real battlefield.


Final Thoughts

When Ramadan leaves, it doesn’t just mark the end of a month. It leaves behind a silence that echoes in the soul. But that silence is not emptiness. It’s an invitation. An invitation to remember what it felt like to be near Allah, to taste the sweetness of late-night prayers, and to walk lightly in a world that often weighs us down.

The real gift of Ramadan isn’t just what happens within its days, but how it transforms what comes after. If the longing we feel becomes fuel for change, then perhaps Ramadan hasn’t left at all. Perhaps it now lives within us.

Let us not simply miss Ramadan. Let us continue it — in spirit, in worship, in character — even as the moon fades and the world returns to its noise.