Asalam o Alaykum Wrwb!
Ramadaan is just round the corner.
Its never to late to start preparing for it.
A good reminder and beneficial tips to get ourselves prepared & enjoy Ramadaan at its fullest.
Ramadaan is just round the corner.
Its never to late to start preparing for it.
A good reminder and beneficial tips to get ourselves prepared & enjoy Ramadaan at its fullest.
Preparing For Ramadaan
The scholars’ advice is to fast a lot in shabaan, and increase acts of worship in the same way, by getting up at night for Tahajjud, more Qur’aan, more Dhikr and to make it a month of Ibaadah, to prepare ourselves for Ramadaan.
Sweetness of any Ibaadah does not come straight away. It requires a lot of patience and striving. We have to start early to taste the sweetness of Ibaadah in Ramadaan.
Make the Intention
Simple to do, with a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and your other activities, you just have no idea how to fit in ‘prepare for Ramadan’ time. Instead of separating ‘prepare for Ramadan’ from your daily activities, make your daily activities a MEANS of preparation for Ramadan.
For example, perhaps your mom asked you to pick up your brother from school on the day you finally had time to read a few extra pages of Qur’an. Instead of feeling upset as if you have lost a great opportunity to prepare for Ramadan, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to please Allahsubhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) and prepare for Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping your family members, building ties of kinship…and the list continues.
The point is that preparing for Ramadan does not have to be some magnificent, enormous, extra-special thing that needs to be done at a certain time of the day. Many of your daily actions can be turned into Ramadan preparation actions with a sincere intention insha’Allah.
Before running a marathon one has to do some preparation. In the same way, we need to do some Preparatory/ Warm Up exercises.
Make a Plan!
Look at your objectives and try to plan out how to realize them in this month. For example, perhaps you are really struggling to pray your sunnah prayers. In this month, realize the enormity of the ajr (reward) of praying the sunnah prayers. Think that perhaps these sunnah will be the deeds that will be heavy on your scale of good deeds when you are intensely in need of them—on Yawm al-Qiyamah, the Day of Judgment. Therefore, fight to keep doing them all throughout Ramadan. If you can’t pray your 2 rak`at after dhuhr (the afternoon prayer) right away, make sure to do them as soon as you get the chance.
Your plan might look something like this:
Objective: Pray all of my fardh prayers.
Method: Envision myself on the Day of Judgment seeing the weight of praying my sunnah consistently during this month. Make sure to pray sunnah immediately after salah (prayer). If I cannot, do it as soon as the opportunity arises—don’t let myself put it off!
Another example is that of finishing the Qur’an:
Objective: Finish the entire Qur’an in this month.
Method: Read 4 pages of the Qur’an after every salah. 5 prayers X 4 pages = 20 pages. 20 pages= about 1juz. 1 juz X 30= the entire Qur’an.
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Exercise:
We have to renew our Tawbah (repentance) and practice perfecting it. Tawbah is a lifetime affair. We have to clean our hearts from all the dirt, junk and rust of the sins before we decorate & fill them with the beautiful, powerful acts of worship in Ramadaan.
We have to make Tawbah from:
- Sins of the tongue (backbiting, lies, slander, speaking to people in an insulting way, making fun of others).
- Sins of the heart (show-off, self admiration, arrogance, envy, hatred)
- Lack of modesty (in dressing, mannerism, way of speaking with the Non-Mahrams)
- Tawbah from pleasing others while its displeasing to Allaah
- Tawbah from all the time wasted (in shopping, telephone, long chat, browsing net).
When making Tawbah, remember that there is no sin too great/huge that Allaah does not forgive. Be confident that Allaah will forgive your sins.
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Exercise:
Increase your level of motivation by increasing Ibaadah (act of worship)during Shabaan.
- Pray/increase the nawafil (supererogatory) prayers.
- Pray Duhaa (If you are already praying, increase the raka3h)
- Tahajjud (night prayer)
- Fast (Monday & Thursday / make up your missed fast)
- Morning and Evening Adhkaar (these are protection/shield against Jinn &Shayateen. Do not leave them ever)
- Make a lot of Duaa’ (at last 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] part of night, accepted times, last hour of Friday)
- Read Qur’aan after Fajr.
3[SUP]rd[/SUP] Exercise:
We need to train our senses (tongue/ears/eye-sight). These are the avenues/ways to the heart. We have to train them to get them used to the act of worship and to refrain from sins.
We have to train ourselves/our nafs to hate the sins. Naturally our fitrah (inborn natural state) hates sins, but we have become so accustomed to sins that we have become numb to them. Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa ssallam said:”Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand (by taking action); if he cannot, then with his tongue (by speaking out); and if he cannot, then with his heart (by hating it and feeling that it is wrong).” (Narrated by Muslim, 49).
All this is part of cleaning the inside/heart/soul for Ramadaan to take effect & to feel the real sweetness of Ibaadah.
4[SUP]th[/SUP] Exercise:
Train your self to humiliate/break yourself apart before Allaah. Understand that you are in desperate need of Allaah.
Human beings transgress when they feel self sufficient. Teenagers rebel against parents when they feel they no longer need them. Ask Allaah to keep us steadfast upon His Path, we are in desperate need of Allaah to survive in our Dunya and Deen. If Allaah doesn’t keep us steadfast on his way, we can never last!
We are in need of Allaah to fulfill any act of worship. We have to realize ourselves how badly we are in need of Allaah for everything.
5[SUP]th[/SUP] Exercise
Magnify the (شعائر) symbols of Allaah.
Salaah (prayer), Hajj, Fasting, Masaajid, these are all the symbols of Allaah.We should magnify and elevate the symbols of Allaah. We should not take these acts of worship routinely and lightly. We have to give them their right & take them as something huge/heavy and serious.
Having Ghaflah (heedlessness) is very dangerous to our religion. We must awake ourselves.
Ramadaan is a big symbol of Allaah. It comes once a Year. The doors of Jannah are open, doors of Jahannam are closed, Allaah is boasting to His angels about people, it has “laylatul-Qadr”.
One way to help to magnify the symbols is to get ourselves used to reflecting on acts of worship before we do them. e.g., when you are starting the salaah, reflect and think:
“I am about to pray, I am going to meet Allah, put Jannah (Paradise) to your right and the Naar (Hellfire) to your left, think what if I am on the Siraat (Path over Hellfire on day of Judgement) now?”
The nafs will start talking and reminding you of this and that, say be quiet I am the only one talking now and I am talking to Allaah.
So many Muslims have passed away since last month. So many people have not made it to Ramadan this year. Last year was their very last Ramadan. Will you make it to this Ramadan? Will this be your last Ramadan?
Aim to strive this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, such as just making a small intention or adding a few extra acts of worship, we pray that Allah (swt) will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.
Keep struggling and fighting to have Khushoo (humility and attentiveness) in Salaah and Allaah will grant it.
May Allah (swt) make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen.
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Share this POST with maximum number of people you can.
Guiding one soul to knowledge and faith
is a momentous achievement.
It is what will earn us great blessings, Insha Allah!
May Allah accept this little service from us!
(Allahumma-Aameen)
Please take a moment to forgive me for all mistakes
and make du`a' for me if you have received anything of benefit.
Jazak Allahu khairan !!!
-Sabah
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Share this POST with maximum number of people you can.
Guiding one soul to knowledge and faith
is a momentous achievement.
It is what will earn us great blessings, Insha Allah!
May Allah accept this little service from us!
(Allahumma-Aameen)
Please take a moment to forgive me for all mistakes
and make du`a' for me if you have received anything of benefit.
Jazak Allahu khairan !!!
-Sabah
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Summarized from Ramadaan course “Reaping the fruits of Ramadaan” .(Notes taken by students)
