Let us make du’a asking Allah to accept all our past Ramadans and to let us see many more Ramadans in good health and high eemaan. And to enable us to prepare for Ramadan so that we understand the virtues of the month and really make the most of it so that from one Ramadan to another we are better Muslims and closer to Him.
Start making du'a to Allah to take us to Ramadan in good health, strength and high eeman and to give us the tawfeeq to worship in the best of ways this month and to remain consistent after Ramadan. Let us make du'a to make this the BEST Ramadan yet, and every Ramadan better than the previous one. Let us make du'a for the best worship on Laylatul Qadr. Let us make du'a that Allah helps us to prepare ourselves in advance and really gear up for Ramadan so that when we sight the moon we are ready to welcome this month spiritually, physically and with full enthusiasm.
Ramadan Prep - Intention
On the authority of Ibn 'Abbaas, رضي الله عنه, from the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, from what he has related from his Lord, tabaaraka wa ta'ala, that He said: Verily Allah ta'ala has written down the Good deeds and the Evil deeds, and then explained it [by saying] : Whosoever intended to perform a Good deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as a complete Good deed. And if he intended to perform it and then did perform it, then Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten Good deeds up to seven hundred times, up to many times multiplied. And if he intended to perform an Evil deed, but did not do it, then Allah writes it down with Him as a complete Good deed. And if he intended it [i.e. the evil deed] and then performed it, then Allah writes it down as one Evil deed.
Imagine your life is a night sky. And you are standing and looking at your life, and some days/months are shining brighter. So imagine next Ramadan is one of those. Why is it shining so much? What is your intention for that month that would make it stand out in your life? This is what we are trying to capture in intentions. So let us make our intentions for Ramadan. Here are some examples...
Intention first and foremost, from the depths of your heart, to work hard to seek Allah's pleasure
Intention to emulate the example of RasoolAllah ﷺ to make the most of this month
Intention to have ikhlaas ( sincerity) in every deed done for the sake of Allah.
Intention that this month will be the starting point of doing khayr forever
Intention to make the best use of every second
Intention to work for this deen, leave a legacy
Intention to set up a program full of worship, obedience and commitment
Intention to make this the Best Ramadan Yet
Intention to be one of the people forgiven every night
Intention to be one of the people saved from the hellfire every night
Intention to stock up on secret ibadah
Intention to earn mountains of reward
Intention to strive in worship on Laylatul Qadr
Intention to enter jannah from ar-Rayyan
Intention to cleanse our hearts from sins (repent), from flaws (rectify) and bad feelings towards Muslims (reconcile)
These are just ideas. You don’t have to use any or all of these items, you can make your own.
Action item: What is your intention for Ramadan? Write down all your intentions.
Ramadan Prep - Planning for Ramadan
Planning for Ramadan is a sign of eeman. The feeling in your heart – the excitement, the wanting to prepare is an ibadah and Allah rewards small deeds with big rewards and He will إِن شَاءَ اللّٰه reward this.
Think about salah. When you are busy and the time of prayer is ending and you pray in a hurry, or worse still, you just listened to some gossip before prayer, what is the quality of that prayer? Compare that to a day when you do wudhu and sit in the place of prayer, reciting Quran until the time of prayer. What is that salah quality?
So even if you have never prepared, do so now. Don't underestimate the benefit of preparing.
Ramadan Prep - Outline
There is little time left for Ramadan. It seems like a long time, but time passes quickly, and before we know it, it will be the first taraweeh. We probably all know someone who passed away recently.
*They will not see any more Ramadans. And one day, neither will we.*
On the Day of Judgment, believers will regret not stocking up on more acts of worship. So even if you have never done this before, and even if you don't follow this program, but make one of your own, prepare for Ramadan.
Here are some basic aspects we'd like to include in our preparation:
Make sincere intention and dua.
Train your body to sleep less, and to fast.
Make the most of every second. Make a detailed program for your day and night. Don't just take it as it comes.
What will your daily program look like? What acts of worship will you include? What is the best time for each action?
Have clear goals of what you want to accomplish. How many khatams of Quran? How can you make your fast of a higher quality?
Learn the virtues of Ramadan and acts of worship so you are motivated to strive.
Do some of the work now - arrange charity, book vacation time, cook and freeze, buy your gifts.
Train yourself to do more by starting now - read more Quran, pray Qiyam, etc.
Think about changes you want to make, for example, a sin to give up - the hope is that from one Ramadhan to another, you want to strive to be a better Muslim.
These are the general aspects we will try to include in our preparation. From each action you can decide whether this is a one-time action or a consistent action. For example, buying gifts, once it is done, it is done. But reading Quran, it is something you keep working on, increasing every few days until you are able to reach the level you are aiming for in Ramadan.
Ramadan Prep - Why Prepare in Advance?
Reflect on 2 ahadith that will help us reflect on the virtue of the month of Ramadan so we understand why we are working from now.
The Messenger of Allah said: "On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the Shayateen are shackled, the jinns are restrained, the gates of the Fires are shut such that no gate among them would be opened. The gates of Paradise are opened such that no gate among them would be closed, and a caller calls: 'O seeker of the good; come near!' and 'O seeker of evil; stop! For there are those whom Allah سبحانه و تعالى frees from the Fire.' And that is every night."
What does it mean that the gates of paradise are open? It means رحمات of Allah are descending. There is nothing blocking duas.
We are invited to opportunities to do good.
And every night people who were written for hellfire but they are being freed.
The second Hadith is a long one so I will paraphrase.
There were 2 brothers who converted to Islam. One died a shaheed and the other died the following year. One of the sahabah had a dream that the brother who died one year later preceded the shaheed in jannah. The sahabah didn't understand how this was the case. Don't we know the virtues of those who are shaheed?
So they started talking and discussing what happened, why did he not go to jannah before. This news reached RasoolAllah ﷺ. RasoolAllah ﷺ inquired, what surprises you? They said, O messenger of Allah, the first one would work harder, he was martyred, yet the second brother was entered into jannah first, why? So RasoolAllah ﷺ replied, Did the other one not stay behind for a year? They said yes. Did he not fast the Ramadan and offer prayers during the year? They said yes. He said the difference between the 2 is greater than the difference between heaven and the earth.
All of this because of one Ramadan and the prayers that he prayed during that year. The difference extending between the heavens and the earth! And RasoolAllah specifically pointed to these 2 things out. It tells us something. it tells us that these 2 ibadat, fasting during Ramadan and praying these are the cash cows! These are the ibadaat that push you ahead.
When we talk about preparing for Ramadan, we are not doing it as a chore. We are talking about investing our hearts and our souls in it. Allahumma ballighna Ramadan. May Allah سبحانه و تعالى allow us to reach Ramadan in a state of eeman, in a state of ihsan. Aameen ya rabbil aalameen.
We want to reach a state until Ramadan where our sole focus becomes Ramadan. It doesn’t matter what each one of us is anticipating in our personal lives. From this day until Ramadan, our sole focus becomes Ramadan, and attaining the highest status with Allah سبحانه و تعالى by performing well in Ramadan.
Be with Allah during times of ease and He will be with you in times of hardship.
In Ramadan, we get multiplied reward for all ibadah for example fasting, reciting Quran, making du'a, giving charity, having good akhlaq, etc. So we want to maximize on all our ibadah in this month.
If we have been detached from doing all this outside of Ramadan, won't it be difficult for us to maximize in Ramadan?
Sometimes we see an old man in taraweeh and he will be full of energy and jumping up for every new set. And there may be another person who is distracted, lethargically getting up, wondering when they can go home and sleep.
Or sometimes we find we sit to recite Quran and then we pick up our phone and we're sitting on social media for the next hour without having read a page.
So the reason we are trying to prepare is that we hope we can do this outside Ramadan and Allah helps us do more and better in Ramadan إِن شَاءَ اللّٰه.
Ramadan Prep - Goals
The salaf would make dua 6 months before Ramadan that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى would allow them to live and experience Ramadan one more time. And after Ramadan 6 months they would make dua that Allah would accept their Ramadan. The whole year pivoted around Ramadan. We see they did not focus only on the last ten days.
Let us make some goals for Ramadan. We can work on this list, keep refining, but for now, list all you would like to achieve this Ramadan. Aim high.
Once you make the goals, start working on it. So if you want to read more Quran, start today. It is like a marathon. You don't start on day 1, prepare in advance.
Some examples:
Fast all the fasts
Perfect your salah
Pray all salaat on time, and with sunan
Be consistent in morning and evening azkar, and the azkar after salaah
Intention to renew your relationship with Quran, to bond strongly with the Book of Allah
Recite more Quran daily, with reflection - what is the goal for Ramadan? Complete once? Twice? Ten times?
Reflect on Quran/ memorize/ review/ study Quran
Pray taraweeh every night, in the masjid, until the imam finishes
Wake up to pray qiyaam
Do suhoor
Give lots of charity
Intention of making tawbah from all sins, minor or major
Give up a sin or bad habit for the whole month, making dua to Allah that you will never return to it
Do an act of worship with the intention of remaining consistent after Ramadan
Study the tafseer of one surah, really study that surah in depth for the whole month
Make dua at the times of acceptance
Do itikaf in the masjid for 1 day, or 10 days
Lots of istighfar
Intention of changing our behaviour to be better, treating people the way we want to be treated even if they don’t treat us well
What other goals can we make for Ramadan?
Ramadan Prep - Recite more Quran
“(It is) the month of Ramadan in which the Qur'an was revealed as a guidance for mankind, clear proofs giving guidance, and the Criterion (for distinguishing right and wrong).” [2:185]
The prophet ﷺ complains and testifies against those who abandon the Quran. And ibn al-Qayyim says abandoning recitation is one way of abandoning Quran.
Everything has a beloved, and the beloved of Ramadan is Quran.
The best thing a slave can be advised with is to be plentiful in reciting Quran. If you are plentiful in reciting Quran, Allah will rectify your heart. So if your heart is healed, and Allah makes the Quran your intimate companion, for then your chest will expand and be willing to perform good deeds and your hearts will find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah and in His obedience. And you will busy yourself in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure.
In the Qur'an, Allah سبحانه و تعالى often compares the effects of Qur'an to rain water. It washes the surface and removes dust, dirt and debris. When it rains, the dead earth comes to life. Plants and crops that were dead start growing. So also, the Qur'an can have amazing changes. It cures the heart, soul and body. It purifies the heart, increases eemaan, brings tranquility, cures, guides, brings barakah, removed worries, anxiety and depression... but do we experience this?
Imagine there were just a few droplets of rain every now and again. It may make it slightly cooler, remove a bit of dust. Is that the same as a heavy downpour? *In order for the Qur'an to have the effect we are seeking, it has to POUR on our hearts.* A few droplets are good. But if we want to see momentous impact, we need continuous downpour.
It is good to have a goal to recite lots of Quran in Ramadan, and to try and complete reciting the whole Quran at least once. This is if you currently recite less than 10 pages a day. If you recite more than 10 pages a day now, then aim to complete several recitations.
And the way to achieve that is to start now. You MUST recite Qur'an daily. You are not allowed to say I recite once a week. EVERYDAY!!!
If you don't recite right now then start with 1 page and keep adding. Whatever portion of Quran you recite at present, push yourself and increase it. The goal is to recite a minimum of half a juz (para) a day on a regular basis. If you already recite, then the goal is 1 juz or more.
Make the intention. Make dua to Allah to help you recite more and more. ان شاء الله you will find barakah in your time if you recite more. Recite a fixed portion after each salah, or while you commute.
Ensure you have a Qur'an app on your phone. Don't wait for some a special hour to open up in your schedule, in which Qur'an will fall from the sky into your lap. Keep reciting all through the day. Instead of checking Whats app, recite a page. Keep it on your kitchen counter, and as you wait for the tea to boil, or the rice to cook, recite. Waiting in a line? Out comes the app. You should never feel annoyed at any line up or delay. Recite, keep reciting and you will be surprised how much you can recite in this way.
*Become addicted so you feel restless when you don't recite and your heart asks for a larger daily portion.*
Here are some articles which show how the prophet ﷺ, sahabahs, and famous scholars gave priority to this goal.
The prophet ﷺ said, “Verily actions are but by intentions, and every person shall have (be rewarded for) what they intended” [Reported in Bukhari & Muslim]
Maximizing the intentions is the trade of the hearts of the sahabah رضي الله عنهم and the scholars, and those who know Allah very well. They used to carry out one action whilst having many intentions behind this action, so that they are rewarded abundantly for every intention. It is due to this that Ibn Kathir said, “The intention reaches further than the action”.
Below are some intentions that would maximise our reward if we have them when reciting the Qur’an: For it to intercede for us on the day of judgement. The prophet ﷺ said, “Recite the Qur’an for it will come as an intercessor for its people on the day of judgement” [Reported in Muslim]
So that we can increase in reward. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud narrated the prophet ﷺ mentioned that “whoever recites one letter/word from the book of Allah, then for him is a reward, and a reward is multiplied by ten” [Reported in Tirmidhi]
For us to memorise and act on every verse we recite so that we can ascend in Jannah. The prophet ﷺ said, “It is said to the one who recites the Qur’an, recite and ascend, and read like you used to read in the dunya, for your place (in Jannah) is at the last verse you recite” [Reported in Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]
For it to remove the illnesses from our hearts and cure our bodies, and for mercy to envelope us. Allah says in Surah Al-Israa’ [17:82] {We send the Qur’an as healing and mercy for those who believe}
For it to give our hearts tranquility and peace. Allah says in Surah Al-Ra’d [13:28] {Verily in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest}
For it to give life to our hearts, light to our chest, and to remove our anxieties and worries. The Qur’an is the spring of the believer, as rainfall is the spring of the Earth. The prophet ﷺ used to say in his Du’aa “..that you make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sorrow, and the remover of my worries” [Reported in Ahmad]
For it to guide us. Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah [2:2] {This book of which there is no doubt, (is) guidance for the pious}. And in a hadith Qudsi, Allah says, “Oh my slaves, you are all astray except those whom I guide, so seek my guidance and I will guide you” [Reported in Muslim]
For us to die while reciting the Qur’an as Uthman (RadhiyAllahu ‘anhu) became a martyr whilst reciting the Qur’an. Ibn Kathir said, “Whoever lives upon something will die upon it, and whoever dies upon something will be resurrected upon it”. He based this on the verse in Surah Al-Jathiyah [45:21] {Do those who commit evil deeds really think that We will deal with them in the same way as those who believe and do righteous deeds, that they will be alike in their living and their dying? How badly they judge!}
For it to bring us closer to Allah by loving His words. The prophet ﷺ said, “You are (on the day of judgement) with whom you love” [Reported in Muslim]
For it to increase our Iman. Allah says in Surah At-Tawbah [9:124] {And when a surah is revealed, some of them ask “which of you did this increase him in Iman?”. As for the ones who believe, it increased them in Iman and they rejoice}
So that we can increase in our knowledge of our Lord so that we can increase in showing humility before Him and manifesting our need for Him, so that we can rely on Him at all instances
For it to be a reason for Allah to make us from His people. The prophet ﷺ said, “Allah has His people (from the creation)”. The sahaba asked, “Who are they?”. He ﷺ replied, “They are the people of the Qur’an. They are Allah’s people, and His close ones” [Declared Sahih by Al-Albanee]
For you to fulfil the purpose of the revelation of the Qur’an by contemplating on its verses and acting upon it. Allah says in Surah Sad [38:29] {A blessed book we have revealed to you so that they may ponder over its verses and so that it serves as a reminder for those with a heart}
From the greatest intentions that we can have and the most important one is to intend to this as an act of worship, as it was commanded and legislated by Allah. Allah says in Surah Al-Muzzamil [73:4] {And recite the Qur’an}
After reading all of this, have you ever asked yourself what your intention is when reading the Qur’an? And will you carry on constraining it to just one intention only? [Much of this is a translation from an Arabic article]
Ramadan Prep - Morning and Evening Azkar
وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا} [الأحزاب : 35] and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.
Try to start being consistent in our daily azkar. Morning and evening azkar, azkar when you wake and before sleeping, azkar after salah, don't leave these for anything. This is one of those habits that we should try to keep consistent all our lives. It takes a few minutes a day, but the rewards, benefits and protection are amazing.
here are many booklets and apps from which you can get the prescribed remembrances for the morning and evening. Set reminders and try and becoming consistent in them. Not only is it a great way to incorporate a sunnah in your life, but you will have the benefit of the protection that these azkar have to offer. Try and start these now, and then remain consistent in them.
Ramadan Prep - 2 Actions, 2 Conditions, Great Reward
من قام رمضان إيمانًا واحتسابًا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه Whoever *stands in prayer* during the nights of Ramadan with faith and expecting good reward from Allah, all his past sins will be forgiven.
مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ Whoever *fasts the month* of Ramadan with faith and expecting good reward from Allah, all his past sins will be forgiven.
2 actions: prayer and fasting
2 conditions: eeman and ihtisab
1 reward: all his part sins forgiven
إِن شَاءَ اللّٰه we will try to work on the 2 actions and 2 conditions as we prepare for Ramadan and hope Allah grants us this special reward.
Ramadan Prep - Assess your Salaah
We know salaah is the first to be reckoned. If our salaah is complete then reckoning will be easy. We ask Allah for aafiyah.
The quality of our salah is an indication of our relationship with Allah.
Assess your salah. How can we perfect our salah?
Don't let shaytan tell you that it's all or nothing. And so you try to do *everything* in one day and then get exhausted and give up. Rather work on one thing a day or for a few days.
Examples of things to work on,
Khushu
Early time
Praying the sunnah rakat
Being mindful
Pausing after every ayah in Fatihah
Memorize more of the duas for ruku and sujood etc.
Sitting in place after salah and doing Zikr
Prolong sujood and make du'a
Prolong ruku and sujood and if you usually say 3 times, say it more times.
So if I am about to pray zuhr then I can decide today I will pause after every ayah of Fatihah. So I will pause and I will reflect on Allah's response. Then asr time I can say I have some time as I am home so I can sit and do zikr.
*Keep polishing and polishing from now every salah until Ramadan.*
Don't forget to make du'a for this. Whatever daily action item we have, always make intention and du'a.
Ramadan Prep - Quality of Salaah
Focus on your salaah. Really work on the quality of your salaah. Ibn 'Abbaas, [may Allaah be pleased with him], said: "Praying two short Rak'ahs with contemplation is better than praying the entire night with one's heart heedless." - Az-Zuhd Az-Zuhd (228, 1147) by Ibn Al-Mubaarak.
We should try to perfect our fardh acts before we proceed to naafilah. So this week, let us really focus on salaah.
Let us try and understand the meaning of what we are reciting. Recite every ayah very consciously, and if you are distracted, then repeat the ayah. Work on your focus.
Ramadan Prep - Al-Sunan al-Rawatib
The Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) in which he said: "Allah will build a house in jannah for whoever is diligent in observing 12 Sunnah Rak'aat (as follows): 4 Rak'aat before and 2 after the Dhuhr (Midday) Prayer, 2 after the Maghrib (Sunset Prayer), 2 after the ‘Ishaa’ (Evening) Prayer and 2 before the Fajr (Dawn) Prayer." Hadith sahih narrated by at-Tirmidhi No. 379 and by others. Hadith No. 6183 in Sahih al-Jaami’.
‘Anbasah ibn Abi Sufyan quoted Umm Habibah as saying "Allaah’s Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A house will be built in jannah for one who prays 12 Rak'aat in a day and evening as follows: 4 Rak'aat before and 2 after the Dhuhr Prayer, 2 after the Maghrib Prayer, 2 after the ‘Ishaa’ Prayer and 2 before the Fajr Prayer." Narrated by at-Tirmizi under No. 380. He said: The Hadith narrated by ‘Anbasah quoting Umm Habibah in this chapter is a hassan and sahih hadith. It is under No. 6362 in Sahih al-Jaami’.
Pray these 12 rakaat as much as you can and keep increasing until you are consistent.
Ramadan Prep - Prayer in its Early Time
This week we are working on our salaah. This is so important. It is the first action that will be judged. If our salaat is complete, then our reckoning will be easy.
Let us try and pray all the prayers in their early time. Let us try and work on this. Automate it. Set an alarm, do wudhu, be ready.
Let us really work on these. Insha Allah once we do this for a few weeks it will become a habit.
Ramadan Prep - Qiyam ul Layl
O you who wraps himself (in clothing), arise (to pray) the night, except a little - half of it - or subtract from it a little or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation. [73:1-4]
It is reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah, our Lord descends (in a manner that befits His majesty) to the nearest heaven to us of this universe during the last third of the night and says, "Is there anyone to call upon Me so that I shall respond to him (fulfill his prayer)? Is there anyone to ask of Me that I may grant his request? Is there anyone to seek My forgiveness so that I shall pardon him (and forgive his sins)? [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Try and wake up for qiyaam al-layl. It is not too hard, you can just wake up a little before Fajr, and pray qiyam then. Try to do this even once a week or as much as you can.
Ramadan Prep - Last Third of the Night
How to calculate the precise one third end of the night when Allah descends to the earth's sky?
n the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: 'Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?'" [Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).] In a version by Muslim the Hadith ends with the words: "And thus He continues till [the light of] dawn shines."
Here is how you figure the exact time using an easy example: You start off by figuring out the number of hours between {Maghrib} and time of {fajr} in your area.
Let's assume Maghrib is 6:00pm Let's also assume Fajr is 6:00am
Between Maghrib and Fajr in this example is 12 hours.
3(the three portions of the night) divided into 12 hours(total hours between Maghrib and Isha) = you get 4.
a) 6pm maghrib time plus 4 hours = 10pm (6pm to 10pm) is the 1st 1/3 of the night
b) 10pm plus 4 hours = (10am - 2am) the 2nd 1/3 of the night
**c) ***2am plus 4 hours = (2am -6am) the final 1/3 end of the night**** <~~That's what you are aiming for inshallah
**Also, note for Fiqh purposes the middle of the night is NOT fixed at 12am as many assume. The middle of the night in the above scenario would be to take the 12 hours between Maghrib and Isha and get half of that = 6
6pm maghrib plus 6 hours = 12am is middle of the nights in the scenario but it will vary according to your area
لحديث عبد الله بن عمرو –رضي الله عنهما- قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ”من قام بعشر آيات لم يكتب من الغافلين، ومن قام بمائة آية كتب من القانتين، ومن قام بألف آية كتب من المقنطرين (16)“(17).
Narrated Abdu-Allah Ibn Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the messenger of Allah, SAAW, said: “Whoever prays Qiyam with ten verses he will not be written as one of those who are in a state of unawareness (Al Ghafileen), and whoever prays Qiyam with one hundred verses he will be written as one of those who are devoted in worship (al Qaaniteen), and whoever prays Qiyam with a thousand verses he will be written as one of those who have acquired mountains of rewards (al Muqantireen). Sunan Abi Dawood, Ibn Khuzaimah and ibn Hibban
Reciting 10 verses in the night
Imaam Haakim narrates from Abu Hurairah (RadhiAllaahu Anhu) who said the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, “Whoever recites 10 verses of the Quraan in the night he will not be counted amongst the lazy/neglectful ones.” (al-Mustadrak Alas –Saheehain (1/555) Haakim authenticated it on the condition of Muslim, Imaam Dhahabee agreed Talkhees (1/155-156), Shaikh al-Albaanee graded it Saheeh Li–Ghayrihi refer to Saheeh at-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb (1/169)
Reciting 100 Verses In The Night Is As If You Have Recited The Whole Night
Imaam Ahmad narrates from Tameem ad-Daaree (RadhiAllaahu Anhu) who said the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, “Whoever recited 100 verses in the night then it is written form him as if he recited the whole night.” (Musnad Ahmad 28/156 no.16958) al-Arnaa’oot and his associates authenticated it.
The One Who Recites 1000 verses In the Prayer will have Written for Him To Be The Owner Of Treasures.
Imaam Abu Dawood transmits from Abdullaah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas (RadhiAllaahu Anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said, “Whoever prayed and recited 1000 verses will have written form him to be the owner of treasures.” (Sunan Abee Dawood 4/195 no.1395), Shaikh al-Albaanee authenticated refer to Saheeh Sunan Abee Dawood 1/263 and Saheeh at-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb 1/406)
Allaamah Shams ul-Haqq A’dheemaabadee said, “This means a lot of reward and virtue will be written for him. It has also been said a lofty virtuous reward will be assigned for him.” (A’un al-Ma’bood 4/192)
Note: There are 1000 verses from the Soorah Tabarakallaadhi Biyadihil Mulk till the end of the Quraan
The majority opinion is that this refers to recitation in salah
Make it a goal for this Ramadan to recite 1000 ayaat in Qiyam AT LEAST ONCE in the month!
Ramadan Prep - Fast
The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah said: كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ، إِلاَّ الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي، وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ Every good deed of the sons of Adam is for them except fasting, it is for Me and I shall reward the fasting person for it.
For YOU, Allah?
In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said every deed has ten to seven hundred folds except fasting, it is for Allah.
No one knows or calculates the reward for fasting but Allah.
When a king or prominent person on this earth gives a gift, he gives it in such generosity to suit the position he is in. So imagine the King of all kings when He says fasting, I got you on that reward. Meaning that إِن شَاءَ اللّٰه fasting is even way more than seven hundred. One who contemplates and thinks about that fully, will make most of his life a Ramadan.
One of the things we can do to prepare for Ramadan is get our bodies ready and used to fasting.
Your day of fasting should not be like any other day.
Have you noticed that when you don't fast for long, and then you fast, you feel really lethargic and drained? It is because your body goes into detox. We don't want to experience that in Ramadan, because we need the energy. If we fast now, it gives your body a chance to adjust.If you get used to fasting, as your body gets used to detoxing, إِن شَاءَ اللّٰه you will experience benefits like feeling energetic, light and healthy. And that is a great way to enter Ramadan.
Start keeping sunnah fasts - Monday and Thursday every week, and the "White Days" (13 to 15 of the Islamic month).
Make up any missed fasts. In general, a good practice, if you are in good health, is to make up the missed fasts BEFORE fasting the 6 of Shawwal.
Make the intention to keep sunnah fasts and make du'a to Allah to help.
Our intention would not be to fast Rajab per se, but rather, we are just keeping the fasts that are sunnah in ANY month. The reason for fasting is to prepare your body to detox, and definitely NOT to keep up any innovation that there is some special virtue of fasting the month over and above any other.
In Shaban on the other hand, it is mustahabb to fast a great deal in that month.
Muslim (1156) narrated that Abu Salamah said: “I asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) about the fasting of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she said: ‘He used to fast until we thought that he would always fast, then he would not fast until we thought that he would always not fast, but I never saw him fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha’baan. He used to fast all of Sha’baan, and he used to fast all of Sha’baan apart from a few days.’”
SALAT AL-DUHA = 360 charities Minimum: 2 units Max: unlimited Timing: from approx. 10 minutes after sunrise to approx 10 min before Thuhur
Ayisha used to pray 8 units for SALAT ALDUHA and say: If both my parents came back to life I would not leave SALAT ALDUHA to go see them!
~ Shaykh Ahmad Jibrīl(حفظه الله)
Ramadan Prep - Wisdom behind Fasting
O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become people having taqwa [Surah al-Baqarah 2:183]
From this ayah we learn that fasting has been made obligatory on us. But a matter which very few of the general people notice, is that here, the wisdom behind the command is mentioned. When Allah commands His believing servants, He usually mentions the command without mentioning the wisdom. However, here the reason for fasting is mentioned. So the wisdom behind fasting is not only to prevent the permissible good things, even though this is an obligation, but this is not the only thing that is required and intended by this fasting. The wisdom is that the Muslim should increase in obedience in the month of fasting and become more obedient than he was before it.
The fasting person should also withhold from sins and acts of disobedience to Him. So withhold from forbidden actions such as backbiting, carrying tales to cause harm to people, false witnesses, lying, and so on, with regard to those forbidden manners that we are all aware of.
Some scholars divide those things with disrupt the fast into two categories. The first category is eating, drinking and sexual intercourse. One must concentrate a great deal on the second category of things which disrupt the fast. People have become used to thinking fasting is from the first category.
Whoever does not abandon falsehood in speech and action, then Allah has no need that he should leave his food and drink.
Every fasting person should examine himself and see: is he just withholding from the non-material things? has he made his manners and behaviour good when the blessed month of Ramadan comes? If one continues to persist in the evil manners which he was upon before Ramadan, then this is not the fasting that is desired and required from the wisdom behind the legislation of this noble month.
The Prophet would eat 3 dates and then pray Maghrib and then eat if he needed.
Hasten to pray maghrib and then eat dinner. As for suhoor, delay it to right before fajr.
Ramadan Prep - Abandoned Sunnah - Break the fast with dates and water
Break your fast with dates or water if dates are not available.
The Prophet would break fast without delay and
he encouraged others to do so as well. He also encouraged them to break
fast with dates, or to do so with water if dates were unavailable.
As for dates, a sweet substance consumed on an empty stomach aids
digestion. As for water, the liver becomes dehydrated due to fasting, so once
water is consumed, it may benefit from the food which is digested
afterward. This is why one who is hungry and thirsty should begin with
dates and water before eating, and their positive effect upon the heart is
known only to physicians.
He would break fast with water and dates before prayer.
Ramadan Prep - Eemaan
Eemaan is you are fasting and praying at night in Ramadan believing that it is Allah سبحانه و تعالى’s command to you.
When Ramadan begins, we have plans... I will recite the whole Quran. I will go for taraweeh every night. I will a huge list. Then after a few days we realize we are lagging behind. We think, no worries, last ten days I will catch up... then we find we are too short of time and we feel dejected. But why does this happen? Doesn't eemaan increases with good actions and decreases with bad actions? So if I am reading and praying on Day 1, then I should just keep going up up up... right?
Indeed eeman tears within your chests like a cloth would tear. So ask Allah to renew your eeman.
If our eeman is strong, then it will keep going up up up as we do more good deeds in Ramadan. But if our eeman is worn out, our ability to benefit from these increased good deeds is less.
Ramadan Prep - Get Your Heart Ready
Eeman increases and decreases. And as we sin, our hearts get 'rusted'. Ramadan is a great opportunity to recharge our eemaan. But before Ramadan, we should prepare our hearts so we can benefit most from Ramadan.
A few things we can do to get our hearts ready:
Recite Quran, but read the meaning and tafseer. We should be eager to respond and obey.
Everyday, spend some time reflecting and being grateful for the bounties Allah has granted.
Seek forgiveness from Allah for all the sins we have committed, time spent without worship, or in vain.
We can also make dua to Allah to revive and renew our eeman.
Ramadan Prep - Ihtisab
Ihtisab
We discussed 2 actions (salah and fasting) and 2 conditions.
The second condition is Ihtisab. An-Nawawi said it is that you do an act of worship sincerely for Allah سبحانه و تعالى. Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said ihtisab is that you anticipate the good reward for what you do from Allah سبحانه و تعالى. Al-Khattabi said ihtisab is a strong will.
We fast the month of Ramadan desiring the rewards from Allah سبحانه و تعالى. And we are pleased in fasting the month of Ramadan. We don’t find it bothersome. We don’t find the act of fasting during the hot days bothersome. And we don’t complain about the long duration of it. That’s ihtisab. In other words, ihtisab is for a person to stand and fast the days and every moment he thinks within himself, Allah سبحانه و تعالى I anticipate the reward for this action from you. I am doing this action for You. I am awaiting the reward for this action from You. The people, what they say and what they think is irrelevant to me. I don’t want their praise. I don’t want their pleasure. I want Your pleasure. I want Your praise. This is ihtisab.
Sometimes, Ramadan becomes a group action for us. We fast when others do. We go for taraweeh with others. If we don't have the company for some reason, we say it does not feel like Ramadan. Now, you need ihtisab.
When we cannot drink coffee and we slept late because of taraweeh and then woke up for suhoor and then we woke up with a headache, we need ihtisab.
When the fast is long and we find it hard to hold our thirst and hunger... and temper, we need ihtisab.
Ihtisab is an action of the heart. And these become stronger as we practice them.
In order for ihtisab to come when we need it, we have to practice it now. So try to practice ihtisab, consciously in your fasting and praying, and whatever you do.
O Allah, I am so tired today, I feel like sleeping without Isha. But I will try to pray, and not in a hurry, because I want You to be pleased, so i will focus as best as I can. O Allah, I am fasting today, and my children are troubling me so much, I need to rest but they won't let me. I am being patient for Your sake, so I am anticipating reward.
We will stumble, we will forget. But then we return to Allah. Allah, I slipped there. I was impatient with my friend because I was feeling so tired from my fast. But I will try again... help me.
Ihtisab depends on eemaan. So we keep working on both إِن شَاءَ اللّٰه.
Ramadan Prep - Relieve Someone's Need
A desire that one should, in this month, have between him and his Lord is a hidden charity of feeding the hungry or clothing the naked, or relieving someone’s distress. Some scholars said that Allah made Ramadan so that the rich may remember the poor, and that the strong remember the weak, and the healthy remember the sick.
So we check the affairs of others, and some show goodness to others. So let there be for you this noble month, some hidden charity. Let your fasting, as your hunger and thirst intensifies, remind you of the distressed one, and let it remind you of the hungry, the widow and the orphan, so that you curb the tears of the orphan, and mend the hearts of the widows and needy, seeking the immense reward of Allah.
Fear the fire, even by giving half a date.
For goodness remains and is never forgotten. So let your deeds this month increase you in kindness. Rectify the condition of others with a good deed or charity. And if you cannot yourself, then fundraise, or encourage someone who is able to do so. So use your position which Allah has granted you in a righteous manner and so you cause happiness to enter the homes of the Muslims.
So excellent is what you did, for indeed, the one who looks after widows and orphans is like the fasting person who never breaks his fast and the praying person who never stops praying (Bukhari)
And this difficulty and pain of fasting, and also the joy of this act of worship, then also, the relieving of the distressed and widows equals all of that in rewards. Now you are aware of the value of this fasting and you have tasted the sweetness of this worship, know then, that you should also relieve the distress of widows and orphans, or at least by your intercession of someone who is able to help.
Likewise, similar to this, is the paying off of debts and relieving the problems of the grief-stricken. If you know of any relative with debts, or a neighbour, and you are able to intercede with someone who can help – especially now in this month when the souls are eager to do good, so seek reward from Allah in the paying off of debt. So if you know your brother is debt-ridden and is in distress or he has a need, then intercede on his behalf, for intercession in such matters is great, especially in this noble month, causing happiness and joy to enter upon the homes and families of the Muslims by relieving the debt of the household and relieving their calamities. So this is what is to be sought from Allah. Some of the predecessors would prefer assisting the grief stricken to i’tikaf in the last ten nights. So they would leave their places of i’tikaf in order to help the distressed ones. Because this is of the best matters by which the scale is made heavy with Allah. For how many widows who are in extremely straitened circumstances, not having a relative who may help, nor a friend or loved one, so you turn to her difficulty and relieve her distress. So if you assisted her night or day, and caused her to be joyful by your charity, or giving food, and then left her whilst she is making goodly supplication for you, asking Allah all goodness for you, for indeed Allah will never waste such a supplication!
Even a dog, when a prostitute from Bani Israeel passed by it, and it was eating the earth from extreme thirst, so she descended the well and gave it water with her shoe, so Allah thanked her for it! in other words, the dog was not able to thank her, so it supplicated to Allah to thank her for her kindness. So Allah forgave her sins! So if that is the case (with a dog), then how about the supplication of a Muslimah who is widowed?
Ramadan Prep - Arrange for Charity in advance
The prophet صل الله عليه و سلم was generous all the time, but in Ramadan he was even more generous.
Time is precious for a Muslim. And time in Ramadan is especially precious. We want to use every moment productively, more so than in the rest of the year. We can try and plan our charity in advance for the month of Ramadan. We can pay now, and have the money distributed in Ramadan. When we come across virtuous seasons let's try and take full advantage of them through all the ibadaat possible.
Here are examples of things we can plan to spend for:
Groceries before Ramadan_: Some families are so poor that they don't even have basic groceries for the month of Ramadan. Provide ration to poor families so they have some basic things for suhoor and iftar for the month.
Last ten nights: Try and give lots of charity in the month of Ramadan. Especially for the last ten nights, try and give a specific amount EACH NIGHT. For example, if you want to give $10, then give $1 each night, and if you want to give $1000, then give $100 each night. If you do this every night, you would have إِن شَاءَ اللّٰه given charity on laylatul Qadr. The reward for any act of worship on laylatul qadr is like doing that act for more than 1000 months! When you consider the reward, then push yourself to donate as much as you possibly can so you can maximize the reward. I recommend giving the money locally as far as possible, so that the money will be donated the NIGHT when it is also night for you.
Sponsor an iftar. You can arrange for this in poor countries where people may not get much to eat to break their fasts. The reward for fasting is so much that Allah calculates it for us. And if you help someone break their fast you get an identical reward! So here is a way of doubling the reward!
Zakaat: Although zakat is payable according to your hawl, some people have their hawl in Ramadan.
Buy some books or dawah materials and arrange for them to be distributed.
These are some suggestions of charity you can do. Try and arrange all your charity in advance, to be distributed during Ramadan as you request. This not only frees up your precious time in Ramadan, but it also helps the people who are arranging it to plan and coordinate.
When arranging for charity in Ramadan, please remember that the poor need the charity throughout the year. So give in Ramadan, but try and keep giving throughout the year.
Make the intention and make du'a
Add to our dua list to ask Allah to make us generous for His sake.
Ramadan Prep - Plan a Vacation
Try and plan where you will be and what you will do in Ramadan. If you can, plan an Umrah trip during Ramadan. If you are working, try and book vacation days. Or encourage your family members to book time off. We use our vacation days to travel, to visit people and have fun. People often take vacations right after Ramadan. Consider taking some vacation days to be able to worship better in Ramadan. For example, book the last 10 days off so you can worship at night and rest during the day, or do i'tikaf in the masjid. Or book every Friday off, or a few days off as and when you can. The goal should not be to use the handy time to shop for your Ramadan outfit or socialize, or cook and bake fancy foods and have lavish iftars. Rather, try and use the time to recite more Quran, pray at night, or whatever your goals for Ramadan are.
Ramadan Prep - Give up a Sin or Bad Habit
The Messenger of Allah said: "On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the Shayateen are shackled, the jinns are restrained, the gates of the Fires are shut such that no gate among them would be opened. The gates of Paradise are opened such that no gate among them would be closed, and a caller calls: 'O seeker of the good; come near!' and 'O seeker of evil; stop! For there are those whom Allah سبحانه و تعالى frees from the Fire.' And that is every night."
Now is the time to subdue and defeat that Nafs. As the Shaytaan is shackled, you need to shackle your Nafs al-Ammaarah Bis-Soo’ (the evil inclination). Ramadhaan dusts your heart off. It re-patches your clothes, it revives your Imaan and it ignites it for a take off. You start off this Imaanic therapy by directing your inclination and fighting your desires, shackling your inclination like the Shaytaan was shackled. If you leave eating and drinking and your wife, which is otherwise Halaal on normal days, this is a boot camp to train you never to do what is Haraam throughout the entire year.
Think of a sin or a bad habit that you are struggling with. Intend to give up that sin or bad habit for the sake of Allah. Make a sincere and conscious effort to avoid it, and add this item to your goal list and dua list - meaning, make dua that Allah helps you give up this habit in Ramadan and NEVER return to it. One of the signs of acceptance is remaining consistent, so really work on the dua and the effort.
If you have an act of worship you are finding it hard to be consistent in, then you can make a similar goal - add it to your goal list and dua list, keep doing that action in Ramadan and make dua to remain consistent for the rest of your life.
The Shayateen are chained, and this is a great opportunity to make changes and work on ourselves.
Ramadan Prep - Sujood and Iftar Dua List
Write out the 10 things you really wish Allaah will grant you… and then make these duas for the rest of Ramadhaan… in sajdah in fardh salaat, taraweeh, qiyaamul layl, dhuha…. And don’t forget to make these duas while breaking your fast, during the day (while fasting).
Remember to make dua for dunya and akhirah (remember to ask for Jannah, a good end, ask to see Allah in jannah, etc. But we rely on Allah for everything, so don't feel guilty to make dua for a new toy, or some need of the dunya)
Remember to make dua for acceptance of your Ramadan and to be granted laylatul Qadr
If you have taken on a good deed in Ramadan or given up a bad deed, hoping to remain consistent after Ramadan, add that to your dua list! You cannot achieve success without Allah's help
Make dua for others, those who have passed away, those who are sick, those who are widows and orphans, those who are in captivity but have been wrongfully accused, those who are defending Muslim lands...
Do istighfar
Are there other good duas? Please share them.
Write down the duas and keep the list handy so you make the dua consistently throughRamadan, especially at the time of acceptance of duas.
2 Dua Lists
The Messenger of Allah said: "On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the Shayateen are shackled, the jinns are restrained, the gates of the Fires are shut such that no gate among them would be opened. The gates of Paradise are opened such that no gate among them would be closed, and a caller calls: 'O seeker of the good; come near!' and 'O seeker of evil; stop! For there are those whom Allah سبحانه و تعالى frees from the Fire.' And that is every night."
One of ways we understand the gates of paradise being opened is that there is nothing blocking your duas.
When we know this, then won't we want to make the most of this month to increase in du'a?
Try and have 2 dua lists. One is the TOP TEN dua list. These are the most important items, the ones you will make dua for at every iftar, qiyam and in sajdah.
The other list is the Ultimate Dua list. This is the list you will refer to so that you ensure that you make some beneficial duas frequently when you have a little more time to make dua.
Your dua list is your vision for your life and hereafter. You cannot achieve anything or get anywhere without tawfeeq from Allah. So ask Him, and make the effort.
Don't just assume you will remember what you need to ask for. Quite often, when we make du'a, we made du'a for the things that are on our minds. But we need way more because we are completely dependent on Allah for all our big and small matters of dunya and akhirah.
So get on your computer or grab a notebook and start writing out your duas.
Start linking your du'a list to everything you want and need. If you want to achieve something, and it's not on your du'a list, you don't really want it. If you need a new fry pan, it needs to be on the list.
Think about all the things you want and start listing them.
Include duas for dunya and akhirah. Make du'a for others. Include duas from Quran and sunnah.
Your du'a list needs to be so long that it takes about one hour to make all the duas. Yup, that's not a typo. One hour.
Tips on what to include (please share your tips so others can benefit):
Dua for dunya as well as akhirah
Forgiveness
Allah's love
Things that would make you a better person, for example, generosity, control on anger, kind nature
Acceptance of Ramadan, tawfeeq to remain steadfast
To be granted the best worship on Laylatul Qadr
Knowledge
Dua for others
your family
your friends and their families
your teachers
your students
those who have passed away
those who are sick
those who are going through difficulties
those who are protecting Muslim lands
thore who are orphaned
those who want to get married
those who want to have kids
those who need jobs
those who are struggling in their faith
Dua for your 'dunya' goals, such as education, career, etc.
To have righteous believing family and friends who will intercede for you on the day of qiyamah and ask for you if they don't find you in jannah
Soft heart, sound heart
These are just some ideas.
Ramadan Prep - Prepare a Daily Schedule
Let us try and write down our schedule for Ramadan. Find out the local salaah times for the month. Write down the times of the 5 fardh prayers
Write down the items already committed to, such as school, work, all the items where you do NOT have flexibility about the time and duration. (For example, don't write cooking, or bathing, because you can modify that to suit your schedule.
Here are 8 things to add to your schedule and Ramadan plan. (Source: Shaykh Ahmad Jibril)
Recite Quran and remain consistent after Ramadan
Sunnah prayers in every salaah
Zikr throughout the day
Dua for yourself, family the ummah
Taraweeh
Dawah
Charity
Now go through your list of goals. Against each item, write down how much time you will need. Keep in mind the time you will take to achieve that goal. For example, if your goal was to recite 1 juz a day, and you take an hour to recite a juz, if you do not allocate an hour a day, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Write down all your goals and the duration next to it. Once you add it up, you may find that you don't have enough hours in the day. If you find you have tons of spare time, you are not pushing yourself enough - revisit your goals.
Keep this rough draft ready. You can edit if necessary in the next few days.
Excellence in Ramadan - The Three Golden Hours
We want to do our best in Ramaḍān. We don’t want to spend a month forgoing food and drink. We want excellence in Ramaḍān.
We have a general idea; fasting, praying, reciting Qurʾān. But how can you do this better?
Allow me to suggest the following: Be mindful of three golden hours every day. If you guard these, then you’ll come out of the month having spent a solid 90 hours doing what pleases Allāh.
The First: Finish preparing fuṭūr early, and spend an hour before Ifṭār making duʿāʾ. Allāh promises the Ṣāʾim answered duʿās.
Spend this hour (or more or less!) asking Allāh for the goodness of this world and the Hereafter, for yourself, your family and friends, and the Muslims.
The Second: An hour before Fajr, spend with in worship of Allāh, praying and asking Him to fulfil your needs. In the last third of the night, Allāh calls out, “Is there anyone supplicating that I may give him his need; is there anyone seeking forgiveness that I may forgive him.”
The Third: From Fajr until sunrise. This is the time that you sow the seeds of barakah. Remembrance of Allāh in this hour is an investment, and you will reap the rewards and see success in your day and time.
These don’t *need* to be an hour, but it’s a good amount of time to apportion. Sticking to the above requires diligence, dedication, patience, and some more patience. If you strive to do the above while asking Allāh for success, you’ll achieve a good amount of work this Ramaḍān. May Allāh give us all tawfīq.
Abeer Sadary
Ramadan Prep - Automate Everything
Automate everything. Don't take the risk of relying on your motivation.
How can you automate everything?
Have a buddy. For example, agree with a friend to wake each other up for qiyaam, suhoor and fajr.
Prepare a schedule. Really write down all you want to do, hour by hour.
Set alarms. Set reminders - time for salaah. time for Quran. time for dua. and so on.
Build a routine now so it becomes a habit.
Write your goals and schedule down and put it somewhere so you see it all the time. Stay focused.
Ramadan Prep - Focus on the Foundations
We live in a time where we keep looking for new things. We try to do many actions that aren't fardh, sometimes not doing the fardh properly. This is not to discourage you from doing any supererogatory acts. But keep the Hadith in mind:
My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him.
Think about the passages in Quran about Ramadan. They mention fasting, Quran, dua.
Think about the Hadith we have read about Ramadan. What acts of worship do they focus on? Salah, fasting, laylatul qadr. And actions of the heart eeman, ihtisab.
Read the advice that major scholars give. They also focus on obligatory first. They focus on quality and mastery.
I advise myself first and then you. Focus first on your faraidh. If standing for long hours in qiyam during short nights means missing fajr then it is better to stand less time in qiyam and pray fajr. And so on for all acts of worship.
Another thing. Remember this is the month of Quran. Don't give Quran your free time. Free up your time for Quran. We need Quran to pour on our hearts in large quantities in order to heal the damage we have caused due to heedlessness and sin.
You may say, I want to focus on translation and tafseer. Sure, this is good. But tilawah and tafseer are not mutually exclusive. It doesn't mean if you do one you can't do the other. Do some of this and some of that. But I really encourage you to focus on reading. The noor, Huda, rahmah, shifa, barakah, the ten rewards for each letter, if you want these gifts, then read.
Variety is good if it helps you do more. So when you feel tired from one thing, refresh yourself with the other. But don't focus so much on variety that you lack focus.
The fact that we feel tired when we recite Quran or do Zikr tells us the state of our hearts.
Indeed in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility.
I ask Allah to give us the tawfeeq to maximize our benefit from this month and keep us sincere. Indeed, many ramadans have passed and we have fallen short. And we don't know how many more ramadans we will witness.
Make du'a, for yourself and your families and all of us. Let's ask Allah to help us to maximize our benefit and not deprive ourselves on account of our neglect and shortcomings.
Ramadan Prep - Gain More Time
There is so much extra reward during Ramadan, that we really want to try and make the most of every minute. In fact, you want more minutes in each day!
You can gain this time by sleeping less. We need a minimum of 5 hours of sleep a day. So think about how much you sleep now, and your goal should be to sleep AT LEAST an hour less by Ramadan. (If you sleep 9 or 10 hours, you can do way better than an hour!)
Wake up 15 minutes earlier every day for a week, then another 15 minutes earlier for the next week, etc. In a month, you will be waking up an hour earlier. Waking up early gives you the additional blessing of being part of the dua of the prophet (he made dua for his ummah to be blessed in the morning). If your goal is to sleep 2 hours less by Ramadan, then wake up 15 minutes earlier every day for 3 days, then 15 minutes earlier than that, and so on.
Now this part is IMPORTANT. Fill those 15 minutes with something - don't lie in bed and think, oh I am awake. Wake up, do wudhu, and pray qiyam, or read Qur'an, or make dua. But have a plan to do the same thing each day when you wake up. And in case you decide to do zikr or dua, don't sit on your bed. Go somewhere else. Don't risk going back for a quick nap. Do NOT use the time to check FB or email! Do something really positive and useful.
Try and nap after Asr.
For each hour you gain, you will have gained 30 hours in Ramadan - that is more than a day! And for 2 hours, you gain 2.5 days! And so on...
Ramadan Prep - Zikr
Spend some time doing zikr daily.
La ilala illa Allah Salat and Salam on the prophet Istighfar
Do zikr everyday, Try and work on being mindful and not heedless.
Ramadan Prep - Surah Mulk
Let us recite Surah Mulk after Maghrib. Try and recite it right after salaah, before you get up and do something else.
Ramadan Prep - Focus on your Vision
What is your vision for Ramadan? Have a vision in mind. At the end of Ramadan, how do you want to have spent your days? AIM HIGH!
Think about the qaari who leads taraweeh salaah. What is his day in Ramadan like? Here is what it probably looks like:
Starting after fajr, and throughout the day, he reviews the portion he is to recite in taraweeh that night. So he recites and repeats and reviews. All day. He spends his day with Quran.
He probably takes a nap in the afternoon to ensure he has enough energy.
When he breaks his fast, he probably avoids overeating, because then he would feel lethargic and unable to lead taraweeh properly.
If he is invited for iftar, he probably does not stick around to chat, because taraweeh won't start until he gets there!
How do we want our day in Ramadan to be? Do we want our day to be like the qaari, or quite the opposite - sleep all day, overeat at iftar, etc.
Aim high, have that high goal in mind and keep focused on it.
Ramadan Prep - Reconcile
Reconcile.
Reconcile with someone that you have not been speaking to. Don't just call or email and leave the animosity in your heart. Really let go. Don't worry who was right and who was wrong. Don't rehash what happened and feel bitter that the person did not apologize. Don't harbour a grudge. Just let go!
And if you know of someone else who is not talking to a friend or relative, reconcile them.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Shall I not tell you of something that is better than fasting, prayer and charity?” They said: Yes. He said: “Reconciling between two people, for the corruption of that which is between the hearts is the shaver (destroyer). It is the shaver, and I do not say that it shaves hair, rather that it shaves religious commitment.”(al-Tirmidhi- hasan)
Here are 2 links where you can learn more about reconciling.
Is your list of Ramadan goals ready? Don't forget, you cannot make a goal without including it in your Ramadan daily schedule. And you cannot make a goal to do a good thing or give up a bad habit without adding it to your schedule AND dua list - tawfeeq is from Allah.
One of the goals of these reminders is to build some discipline and consistency. It is similar to training for a marathon - you cannot just go and run the distance without any training.
Keep reminding yourself why you are doing it (to please Allah, to prepare for the BEST Ramadan, etc.)
Be consistent. Don't think, oh I can slack off now, once Ramadan comes I will be consistent. Build the discipline now.
If you are not managing to be consistent, check your goal. Is it unrealistic? (e.g. read 5 juz of tafseer daily) Is the timing wrong? (e.g. read 5 juz at night before sleeping, you could be tired at the end of the day). If you are just slipping because of lack of discipline or not feeling accountable to reach your goal. then find out how you can be more accountable. For example, make a public commitment, tell a friend or family member what you intend to achieve and let them help you become accountable.
Most important, make dua! Ask Allah to help you achieve your goals and remain consistent.
Ramadan Prep - Meals
Try and set your iftar and suhoor menus so you don't waste any time on it during Ramadan.
Choose items that are nutritious and healthy.
Select recipes that are quick and easy to make so that you do not waste time in the kitchen.
Discuss your plan with your family that your goal in Ramadan is to focus on ibadah so they may not have a wide assortment of food, but that you will make them nutritious meals to help them fast and also be able to worship better (as they won't feel heavy after eating lavish meals).
Make a shopping list. Try and buy as much as you can in advance so you don't have to shop in Ramadan.
If you can make and freeze food, do so as much as you can.
If possible, avoid throwing lavish iftar parties. You can get the reward of someone's iftar by sponsoring the iftar of a poor person or family.
If you must throw an iftar party, make the intention of keeping ties of kinship.
Set a trend. Tell your family and friends that the iftar party you throw will have a simple and healthy menu. Let them know your party ends early so there is enough time for everyone to get to the Isha and Taraweeh prayers.
If you can, have a potluck iftar. Join with a few friends to throw a joint iftar party so that you have a common party on one day and save the remaining days to focus on ibadah (instead of having several parties at different homes).
Remember that the time of iftar is excellent for dua. So be sure to remind everyone to be busy in zikr and dua before iftar, and not to be busy in useless talk.
Make a plan to involve kids in useful activity as well.
Be a good hostess, but remind your guests that they can come back to the table - make sure everyone prays Maghrib on time.
Ramadan Prep - Kids
We all want to make Ramadan memorable for children. We want them to love Ramadan and have good memories and look forward to it with excitement.
Instead of doing that by giving children expensive gifts and removing the focus from the gifts of Ramadan, here are some things you could do for kids:
Ask your children to make goals for themselves for Ramadan. For small kids, it could simply be something like reciting Surah al-Fatihah daily. For older kids, ask them to make more challenging goals, for example, completing recitation of the Quran in the month.
Don't let them make the goal something they already do - if you go for taraweeh as a family, then your kid cannot make it a goal to attend taraweeh - they are doing that already.
The goal should be measurable, have a slight challenge, not something they can do without effort.
The goal should have some aspect of consistency. For example, if they agree to pray Dhuha everyday, they must commit to continuing after Ramadan. If they commit to reading 5 pages of Quran daily, after Ramadan they can commit to a page a day.
Ask them to make dua to achieve the goal and remain consistent.
If they are able to do this, give them a special gift and let them know this is how they earned it.
Not only will they be quite happy with the gift, but they will also learn that they can change habits in Ramadan.
Encourage your kids to write down dua lists and make dua daily in Ramadan. Once they see some of their duas being accepted they will learn a beautiful lesson about this month.
Encourage them to fast, even if they are going to school.
Make sure they remain occupied with good things, and don't while away their time.
Ramadan Prep - Laylatul Qadr
Make yourself a schedule for Laylatul Qadr. Don't let the last ten nights be like the rest of Ramadan. Gear up, and finish strong.
Strive ALL the ten nights. Don't get into speculation that it is this day or even or odd, etc Just work the ten.
If you are able, do i'tiqaf. I'tiqaf is only in the masjid.
Remember the dua for these nights اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعفو عنى Allahumma innaka ‘Afuwwun tuhibul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘anna. O Allah, You are The Pardoner, You love to Pardon, so Pardon us.
Make a full program. Try and nap well in the afternoons so you can stay up more at night. You can add acts of worship that you enjoy. When you get tired, don't give up, switch to another act of worship.
Try and include some time for Qiyam, dua, tilawah, zikr, really work hard. Don't forget istighfar right before Fajr. Focus on acts that really connect you with Allah. Listening to lectures is great, but why not use the time for zikr or dua? So choose your acts of worship.
Ramadan Prep - Suggested Program for Laylatul Qadr
{The Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) is better than a thousand months.} (97:3)
Rewards for deeds done on that night will multiplied, so it will be as though one did those deeds for more than a thousand months!
'Aishah reported: When the last ten days of Ramadan arrived, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would tighten his belt, spend the night in worship, and awaken his family.
In another narration, 'Aishah said, “The Prophet would exert himself in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadan more so than any other time.” (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Therefore, we need to make certain that when we reach those nights, we take full advantage of them.
Start making du'a from now that Allah delivers us till that blessed night.
What can we do on that night?
1. Prepare for it from the morning. Say the adhkar of the morning, particularly saying "لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير" one hundred times; whoever does so, then from the benefits of it is that one will be protected from the Shaytan for the entire day. Thus, adhere to the dhikr so the Shaytan does not steer us away from worshiping Allah.
2. Try to provide a fasting person iftar (meal at the time of breaking the fast), either by inviting them, or sending them the food or sending money to purchase a meal for them. Seeking out the needy is obviously best.
3. At the time of breaking the fast also, ask Allah to assist you in spending the night in worship.
4. Set aside an amount of money such that you will give charity on each and every one of those (10) nights.
5. From the time the sun sets, be keen to not miss just the faraid, but the sunan also. For example, repeat after the muadhdhin when he calls the adhan, say the legislated du'a after the adhan, etc...
6. Be hasty in breaking your fast, as it is the sunnah, and don't forget du'a at that time.
7. Keep busy with all sorts of 'ibadah. Make it a point to repeat this du'a often throughout the night, "اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني"
8. Be early for salah at the masjid so you can pray tahiyyat al-masjid, then 'Isha in congregation from the beginning.
9. Remain for the entire duration of taraweeh, including the witr, with the imam.
10. Use the time while waiting for salah to recite Quran.
11. If you have your parents with you or near you, see to their needs.
12. On your way to and from the masjid, remember to keep busy with dhikr and/or recitation of Quran.
13. Awaken before suhoor so you can engage in du'a, pray at least two raka'ahs and recite Quran.
by Shaykh Younus Kathrada
Ramadan Prep - Charity for More than a Thousand Months
Have you already planned all your charity for Ramadan? Here is one thing to be certain to include on your list.
We all know the reward for our ibadaat on Laylat al Qadr which falls in these nights is better than a thousand months. As we try to spend time attending taraweeh and qiyaam ul layl and making dua in order to maximise our reward, here are a couple of easy good deeds to add to your must-do list.
Charity is a deed that is beloved to Allaah subhanahu wa ta’ala and the best of charity is that which is given in Ramadhaan. If we give charity in the lastten nights and catch laylatul qadr, the rewards for it will be multiplied. If the reward for ibadah on laylat al Qadr is greater than the reward of doing it for 1000 months, then the same applies for charity Inshaa Allaah.
Keep aside an amount of money, whatever you can afford, and put a certain amount of it in the collection box every night. For example, if you keep aside $100, then contribute $10 every night. Remember, this charity is not zakatul fitr or zakatul maal, but it is over and above that. By contributing on a nightly basis (not just a lump sum for the 10 nights), inshaAllaah you will be assured of getting the reward of giving charity on laylatul qadr! Be as generous as you can. Remember that Allaah will replace whatever you pay, and that the Prophet (SAW) was the most generous in this month.
If you decide to contribute towards the construction or renovation of a masjid, not only do you get the reward for charity on laylatul qadr, but you also get the reward of contributing to a Masjid, which is a house in jannah.
Advise your children and other family members to contribute as well, even if just a dollar a night. If the women and children are not going to the Masjid, they can give it to the men who can put it in the collection box on their behalf. Because you guided them to it, you would also receive a similar reward for whatever they contribute!
Another easy good deed is to call your family members, especially people whom you do not speak to very often. Call and ask how they are and speak to them kindly. Then tell them about this amazing way to earn rewards, and inshaAllaah you will also be rewarded if they implement it!
Ramadan Prep - Avoid Guilt After Ramadan
I was going through an e-book about Ramadan and I wanted to share something I learnt: there are several reasons why most of us feel guilty at the end of Ramadan - guilty we did not do enough.
Unrealistic expectations (e.g. reading 5 juz a day when we currently read 2 pages a week); not easing into Ramadan; lack of consistency; lack of time management, lack of training...
Go through this list and think how much more you could accomplish if you plan now and start getting into intensifying your effort, for example, recite more Quran, more sunnah.
Don't delay any further.
Ramadan Prep - Muhasabah in Shabaan
It is reported that Usāmah b. Zayd (may Allāh be pleased with them both) said:
“I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in Sha’bān.’ He ﷺ said, ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadān, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.’”
Our deeds are lifted up in Shaban. So reflect on the last year and think about what actions will be going to be put forth before Allah.
How many sins have you committed?
How much of your brother and sister's flesh did you eat through backbiting?
If you were present when others were backbiting, how many times did you try to stop them, or leave that gathering?
How many family members did you break ties with?
How many times did you neglect to lower your gaze?
How many times did you listen to haram (e.g. music, gossip)
How many times did you use your hands for haram?
How many times did your feet lead you to haram?
How many times did you eat or drink haram?
How many times did you speak something that is displeasing to Allah?
How much haram wealth did you earn or consume?
How many times did you fail to enjoin good and forbid evil because you didn't want to be unpopular?
How much time did you waste?
How many salat did you delay or miss?
How many salat did you offer distracted and heedless?
Now think about these actions being presented before Allah. Will your actions raise your status before Allah or lower your status?
So what now? What can we do? Sincerely regret your sins and disobedience. Increase in seeking Allah's forgiveness. Make a sincere intention and effort to reform. Work hard on rectifying your actions.
And as we get ready for Ramadan, remember this - Allah has not asked us to ONLY worship Him in Ramadan. We relax as we wait for Ramadan, assuming we will live until then, and that we will have energy and motivation to do an amazing job. Then we don't work hard enough in Ramadan, we worship when we are free instead of freeing up time to worship. And then we leave Ramadan thinking we did an amazing job, pat ourselves on the back and go back into hibernation.
Certainly, we are given virtuous seasons for worship, so our Ramadan and first ten days of Zul Hijjah should not be like other days, and the last ten nights of Ramadan should not be like the rest of Ramadan. But we should also work on consistency - in acts of worship and obedience, and in giving up sins and disobedience.
What will our last few days on earth be like? What will our final action be?
Death comes so suddenly, there is no time to react. We cannot take away that rude word we were saying, or walk out of the bar we were in, or undo anything wrong. It was said that when Imam Ahmad was dying, he could be heard saying, “Not yet, not yet.” When he came to, he was asked about that and he said: The Shaytaan was biting his fingertips and saying, “You got away from me, O Ahmad.” He was biting his fingers out of regret that he had not deceived Imam Ahmad, and Ahmad said to him, “Not yet, not yet” – i.e., the soul has not yet departed.
So long as the soul is in the body, anything is possible.
It is said you die as you live. So let us try to be more conscious how we live.
We think we are 'ok', we think we pray and recite Quran.
How is our akhlaq?
How are our relations with our parents, siblings, spouses, kids? The closest relationships matter the most. How are our closest relationships?
How is our earning?
How is our spending?
So we have to do muhasabah. We have to do our hisaab before our hisaab is done to us. We have to account for ourselves, evaluate ourselves.
Reflecting on Death - Dua
Thinking about death brings up several emotions - fear, hope, anticipation. What can we do to prepare for death? One of the things we can do is make dua. So add reflection about death to your Ramadan schedule, even if you do it just once. And add some of these duas to your ULTIMATE dua list.
We can make dua for a good end, husn al khatmah.
We can make dua for forgiveness.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When one of you has finished the final tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allaah from four things: from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the Dajjaal.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1311; Muslim, 588
There are two interpretations of what is meant by the trials of death:
1- It is the trials and temptations that happen at the time of death.
2- It is the trials and temptations that happen after death, when the two angels question a man about his Lord, his religion and his Prophet.
It may refer both to the trials that come before death and at the time of death, because these are the greatest tribulations that a man ever faces. Mention is also made of what is feared of a bad end if Allaah does not save a person from this tribulation.
Based on this, the one who prays for refuge from the trials of death should bear both situations in mind.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/185-188
We can make general duas such as these:
Have mercy on us when the angel of death approaches us. Have mercy on us when our soul is removed. Have mercy on us when we are washed. Have mercy on us when we are shrouded. Have mercy on us when we are lowered in our grave. Have mercy on us when they pour dirt on us. Have mercy on us during our questioning. Have mercy on us during our time in our grave. Have mercy on us during our reckoning. Have mercy on us in our end and everything that follows it. Have mercy on us, grant us jannatul firdaws without any account.
Ramadan Prep - Seeking Forgiveness
It was narrated from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Iblees said: ‘By Your glory, I will not stop tempting Your slaves so long as their souls are in their bodies.’ [Allaah] said: ‘By My Glory and Majesty, I will continue to forgive them so long as they ask Me for forgiveness.’” Narrated by Ahmad, 10974; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1617.
We know what to do. Istighfar. So lets add that to our dua list!
Ramadan Prep - Contemplating Death
In the last few posts, we mentioned reflections about death.
The reason for mentioning it is so that we can try and reflect on our deaths now.
We don't know if we will live until Ramadan. It is less than a month away, but we don't know. And we don't know if this is our last Ramadan. It does not matter how old you are, or how healthy you are.
We don't know.
If we knew today was our last day, would we do things any differently? That salah we delayed and then hurried through, would it have more khushoo? The time we were rude to a parent or spouse or child or anyone else - would we hold our tongue? That gossip we relished, would we hold back?
Today we hide our faults and sins. When we die, unless Allah hides them for us, we can be exposed (May Allah protect us from a bad ending).
Reflecting on death Let us make it a goal to reflect on death regularly. Maybe daily, or once a week. Lets take one aspect of it, think about it, make dua for you to have a favourable outcome.
For example, if you are thinking about the grave, think about how it would feel to be alone on the confined dark place. Think about how, when we are scared, we reach out to people. In the grave we can each out tono one.
Read about the subject so your reflections are more effective. So read about how the grave is, what are the trials of the grave. What happens when we are placed in the grave. Then make dua for your grave to be wide and bright, make dua to be protected from those trials. (the more you read, the more you know, the better your dua can be)
Some topics to read about
Death.
Signs of a good and bad end.
The process of preparing a body for burial.
The grave.
Questioning in the grave.
The day of judgment.
Anything about the akhirah in general.
When you go to a funeral or receive the news of a death, reflect on your own. When you see your own grey hair, or become ill, remember that these are 2 messengers of death.
The goals for reflecting on death include:
encourages us to prepare for death
softens the heart
makes the hardships of dunya less significant
reduction in attachment to dunya
yearning to meet Allah
sincere tawbah
reformation
hastening to do good
avoiding evil
quality of ibadah
While thinking and contemplating death is important, one should always remember that it should not cause us to give up hope and not live this life. It should drive us to mould our lives a certain way. Look at the one who was most fearful of Allah; he prayed and fasted, but he also slept and broke his fast and he married women. Thinking of death does not mean we become morbid or give up on life, it means we prepare for it by rectifying our behavior and lifestyles.
Ramadan Prep - Dawah in Ramadan
Plan to do some dawah in Ramadan. It is an amazing opportunity! People who don't usually pray are praying. People who don't go to the masjid are going. You don't havw to be a khateeb or da'ee to do dawah. Buy booklets or dua books to distribute. Or recycle your collection of little booklets that you have received over the years. And if you cannot distribute anything in person, send an email.
Think of something you can do to inspire others. As Muslims, we want the best for others as we do for ourselves. Besides, if someone implements it, you can expect the same reward.
And another tip: if you plan to send daily emails in Ramadan, get them ready now so you don't waste time in Ramadan. Keep the 29/ 30 emails as draft and click send everyday!
Ramadan Prep - Secret Ibadah
Ramadan is really close now, have your dua lists, goals and schedule ready.
Try and do some secret acts of worship this Ramadan. Much of what we do in Ramadan is in congregation, like taraweeh, for example. But try and do some acts that are secret between you and Allah. Whether it is some qiyam, or pondering over Quran, or charity, do some act that only Allah knows about.
If ever you face a trial (may Allah protect us), you can make dua asking Allah to help you because of that secret ibadah. And better still, forget about the secret ibadah and let Allah remind you on that day your actions are weighed.
Credit for this idea goes to Shaykh Ahmad Jibril.
Ramadan Prep - Abandoned Worships: Istighfar before Fajr
We tend to have certain acts of worship we do, and we stick to those. This is a good thing, because it is nice to be consistent. But it is also nice to revive abandoned worships.
Do istighfar before Fajr so you can be of the وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالَْْسْحَارِ mentioned in Aal Imraan, ayah 17. This is for the last part of the night, after Suhoor and before Fajr. Slip away from your family for a few minutes and seek Allah's forgiveness.
There are so many benefits of istighfar, such as Allah's forgiveness, more wealth and children, strength, rain,being saved from evil, mercy of Allah, etc.
Ramadan Prep - Abandoned Worships: Ponder the Quran
Another abandoned worship: ponder the Quran, the signs of Allah, names and attributes of Allah.
Pondering unlocks and brightens the heart, helps build certainty in Allah, fear of Allah and love of Allah.
How can we contemplate Quran?
When you recite, heed it as if YOU are being addressed. YOU personally. Every ayah is addressing you.
Read the seerah
Read the asbab an nuzool (circumstances of revelation)
Live in the time. So think about being there, when the verse was revealed, what was going on then?
Recite as if you are addressing someone
Recite without haste
Stop after each ayah. Contemplate. If there is a dua, make the dua. If there is mention of jannah, ask for it. And so on.
Beautify your voice when you recite
One of the ways to contemplate is to have a particular subject in mind when you read. For example, think about huda (guidance), and then, as you read, pay attention to what Qur'an says about this subject.
Another way is to find out the theme of the surah and then try to find the theme as you read the surah. For example, if you know the theme is submission, then as you read, try and find out how this theme is conveyed. Note that themes are based on analysis and opinions of scholars, so it is evolving, and there is no one ONE set of themes.
Another way is to set a daily or weekly portion. For example, each day or week, we read one page with translation (this is separate from your reading portion), and then decide to contemplate any one ayah in that page, So we read it, and then whichever ayah stands out on that day, we spend some time pondering about it.
Read reflections others write, or study a surah with a qualified teacher and then try to learn how scholars analyze and seek these gems.
Contemplate the signs of Allah such as the sky, the earth.
Contemplate the names and attributes of Allah so you understand each of them.
It may seem challenging at first, but keep trying different things. No friend tells you their secrets until you spend time and build a deep relationship.
Ramadan Prep - Abandoned Worships: Tabattul
We are continuing discussing abandoned worships. Another abandoned worship is tabattul (devotion). تبتل It means to sever yourself from worldly matters and go to Allah.
So how can we do this?
One way of doing this is taking a certain time in your day or night - 5 minutes, 1 hour, and be in seclusion with Allah, devoting yourself in worship such as reciting Qur'aan, zikr, dua, or any ibadah. The best time is the time of Qiyam, but any time is suitable for this. But remember, it means you isolate yourself, no distractions, complete devotion. Don't check Facebook or Whats App or sit in front of the TV. It is really quality time.
Inspiration from Stories of the Salaf
Let us consider some examples of the salaf, not in Ramadan but in general. If this is how they were through the year, we can only imagine what Ramadan was like for them.
The following are excerpts from a dars by Shaykh Ahmad Musa Jibril
Abu Musa strived hard in his Ibaadah during his life. When they saw him in that fashion, they told him why do you not relax a little bit Abu Musa? He said when the horses are about to get at the end of the race or when they see and spot water and they are about to reach the water, they sprint to it. And I am at the end so let me continue until I die, and he did, radhiallahu ‘anhu.
they did not say these kind of statements at the retirement age, they used to say such statements in their youth.
It is amazing to read in the books that detail the biographies of the Salaf, statements like they said about so and so that if you were to tell him that he would die tomorrow, there is nothing he could fit in his schedule of Ibaadah. Every day of their lives was as if they are going to die that day or the following day.
Qataadah said Mawriq al-‘Ajli said the ideal example of a believer on this earth is a man whose ship has sunk and he is floating on a small piece of wood shouting Yaa Allah, Yaa Allah so that Allah can deliver him out of the water safely. That is how life should be. Their entire lives were like a man in an ocean, his life depends on a small piece of wood, desperate that Allah delivers him to the shore (what they meant by that is Jannah).
They used to describe Sufyaan ath-Thawri as though he was on a sinking ship. Most of his saying was Yaa Rabb Sallim (يا رب سلم ), Yaa Rabb Sallim (O Allah safety, O Allah safety), the Du’aa of the Messengers on the Day of Terror.
They asked ‘Aamir Ibn Abdillah how do you sustain so much Ibaadah? He said simple, all I do is delay my food until night and move my sleep a little bit to the day.
Another time they asked him and he said when I get tired, I remember Jahannam and it blows the sleep out of my eyes and keeps me up all night. Ahmad Ibn Harb said it astonishes me that one may know Jannah is getting decorated above him and Jahannam is blazing under him and he rests in sleep in between them.
In the life of Safwaan Ibn Saleem, he used to have pain in his feet from standing all night every day. They said he reached the point of Ibaadah where if you tell him the Judgment Day is tomorrow, he could not add anymore Ibaadah to his schedule. He would say all the time: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُحِبُّ لِقَاءَكَ فَأَحِبَّ لِقَائِي O Allah I love to meet You, so love to meet me.
Ramadan Prep - The day begins at Maghrib
Remember that in Islam, the day begins at Maghrib.
Ramadan begins at Maghrib the day before the first fast. Start striving right away. You may think, well, I pray taraweeh on that night. Yes, but taraweeh is after Isha. What did you do between Maghrib and Isha? Start striving at maghrib.
On the last day of Ramadan, as everyone is focused on whether or not the next day is Eid, many people waste these valuable hours focusing on Eid preparations. They will be marinating, and buying ingredients for desserts, or calling guests to confirm their attendance at their Eid party. Strive until the last second. Don't miss that precious time.
Ramadan Prep - The Week after Ramadan
How should you spend the week after Ramadan?
You may feel tired after Ramadan. Take the day of Eid and really enjoy it. Ensure you don't do haram, like wearing make up, listening to music or intermingling. Eat well, be happy.
The day after Eid, it is time to get serious again. We just worshiped Allah and we seriously intended to reform, to be consistent. So build that quickly before you get out of the striving mode.
For starters, keep the six fasts of Shawwal. If you are in good health and can do so, I highly recommend making up the missed fasts before fasting the six of Shawwal. So you may need to fast a couple of weeks at a stretch. I know it seems a lot, but you have fasted a month and your body is used to it. Give yourself this push.
The first week, you may just be able to keep to regular worship, and that is fine but work hard. So pray in the early time, read some Quran daily, even if it is not as much as your planned daily portion. (For example, your Ramadan portion was 2 juz, planned daily portion is 1/2 juz, and that week maybe you read 2 pages)... this is okay.
In those 2 weeks as you are fasting, slowly pick up your pace again. Slowly build up to your planned daily wird of all acts of worship. You must have a daily portion of Quran, some regular fasting every month, some time making dua daily or weekly, etc.
Ramadan Prep - Attitude
Focus on your attitude. The way you prepared for Ramadan. The way you worked hard in Ramadan.
It's all about our relationship with Allah.
We just soaked our heart in the basin of Ramadan poured over it the river of Quran and polished it with the light of Zikr. We decorated it with good deeds.
How will we be when we come out? Will we spend the day attached to dunya, or worse, in disobedience? Will we listen to music, wear make up, miss our salah?
Will we relish the delicate sweetness of this renewal or will we focus on the dunyawi gifts?
Make the choice now, and hold on to the gifts of Ramadan.
Ramadan Prep - Life Plan
Make a life plan. Divide you life into slices. You can decide what those slices are. Some slices could be worship, family, finance, etc. You can have smaller slices, like salah, Quran, etc.
Now decide what is your vision for each slice. Your salah, how would you like it to be? Your relationship with Quran, what is your goal? Write all this down.
Make a sincere intention. Make dua for what you plan to achieve. Take steps so you have a concrete plan, action items.
You may not achieve everything in one year. So every year, a few months before Ramadan, as you prepare for Ramadan, think about what small improvements you can make the following year.
This should now be a cycle, and your life plan should be a work in progress all your life - something you keep revisiting, and working on.
Every time you change something, or bring it forward as a current goal, you will need to revise your intention, dua and action items.
And so on... always strive to be the best you can be. Keep checking and evaluating. From one Ramadan to another, are you a better slave of Allah?