Rituals vs Worship

Only a few days left till Ramadan will be over. We prayed, we fasted, we read Quran and performed optional prayers and gave charity. Mashallah! But then what?? I've heard a term before being used by some people, they call it 'RAMADAN MUSLIMS'. We are muslims in one month out of 12. But then we go downhill in the rest of the months. We are not ready to challenge the shaytan and continue to uphold the good stuff we achieved in Ramadan. Do we really want to be of those who are just Ramadan muslims??

Now this brings me onto a point which is kinda related to this. It is the aspect of rituals.
Rituals are defined as a customary practice or actions performed for their symbolic value. You can see fasting as such a thing. We perform this act of fasting in Ramadan. But do you not think we should be fasting not as a ritual but as an act of worship. Do you understand the difference between the two?? Ritual is something customary whereas worship is an act of devotion towards a God or anything else. In Islam worship is act of devotion for the sake of Allah (the creator).

Do you realise the difference between the two now? Isn't devotion something more deeper than a customary act. An act which is just repeated for the sake of it. Just like maybe it becomes a habit to brush your teeth everyday or to put your watch on your left hand. It is an act that you just do without much devotion. It just becomes a habit, automatically you just do it. It doesn't involve much feelings or passion.

But worship is far more greater than rituals. If you do an act of worship it involves feelings, devotion, passion and many more things. It comes from the heart and it changes your life. But I see people fasting just for the sake of it. I see people praying just for the sake of it. It has become a ritual with many people. They have removed the devotion aspect from their acts and that is the core reason why we would see mosques full but we see no feeling of goodness from our muslim community. We see no return? Why??? Because prayer is meant to be worship rather than ritual. Because Fasting is meant to be worship rather than ritual. Not only that but we have so many things apart from fasting and prayer that are considered acts of worship. Even smiling or removing harm from the way of a person can be considered worship. It is a really deep act full of emotions, done for the sake of Allah to improve your character and dealings with humans, animals and the earth around us. But unfortunately we have forgotten this and we do acts of worship without devotion, which turn it into a ritual. This is why such rituals never change the heart of our people, it wont turn them into citizens who will be of service to their community and it definately doesn't help them to stop doing acts which are disgraceful or bad to the community.

If we all were to do our acts of worship with full devotion, real meaning and purpose. It would mean that we will definately find it harder to do wrong acts and find it more easier to do good acts. I hear this question many times, people say our mosques are full. Isn't that a good indication of how good the people are?? But then you see that at the same time that community has so many ills while they mosques are full. That would mean praying doesn't change people and rather it makes them do wrong acts. But no this is because of the individual who is praying, is it from the heart? Is it with a purpose or is it just a ritual he has to do? To just get it out of the way?? I think it is the latter most definately. Let us think deeply about the actions which we do and do we do it truly for the sake of Allah or do we just do it because we feel it is a burden and we have to do it??