Religion & Belief (Alor Pothay) > Ramadan and Fasting
A Quick preparation guide for RAMADHAN
Shamim Ansary:
THE NAME OF ALLAH, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
1.. Start reading Quran daily after Salat al-Fajr.
2.. Spend some time listening to recitations from the Quran.
3.. Train yourself to go to bed early so that you can wake up for Salat al-Fajr.
4.. Keep yourself in a state of Wudu (Ablution) most of the time.
5.. Evaluate yourself daily before going to bed.
6.. Thank Allah for good deeds, and repent to Him for your mistakes and sins.
7.. Start giving Sadaqah daily , no matter how little. Make it a habit like eating and d drinking.
8.. Find time to pray extras, such as Nafals andTahajjud prayers . Apply in conjunction with point 3 above.
9.. Spend more time reading Islamic books, especially the Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh.
10. Find time to help others with your wisdom, knowledge and other talents.
11. Try to write articles on Islam for Muslims as well as for non-Muslims.
12. Associate with Muslim scholars / ulama and other pious people so that you may learn from them.
13. Train yourself to do good, render free service to others to seek the pleasure of Allah.14. Avoid/reduce watching TV ; instead spend more time reading the Quran and other Islamic literature.15. Avoid looking at unlawful pictures, whether magazines, departmental store catalogs or otherwise.
16. Spend free time in Masajid , Islamic organizations and make that a daily habit.
17. If you smoke, try to reduce daily usage and cut it down for good; otherwise Ramadan will be very difficult for you to observe.
18. If you have friends who do not practice the teachings of Islam, try to avoid socializing with them.
19. If you travel a lot on business, try to do more local business, so you can be closer to your family and community.
20. If you are used to staying up till midnight, try to go to bed earlier, so that you will be able to wake up early for Salat al-Fajr and Tahajjud prayers as well.
To prepare ourselves before the month of Ramadan arrives is far better than waiting till it comes. To prepare ourselves for anything in life is a sign of wisdom and maturity. No one is assured of living one day more; tomorrow may not come. So hurry and benefit from blessings and rewards from Allah.
Remember: " Time is not money or gold; it is life itself and is limited . You must begin to appreciate every moment of your life and always strive to make the best use of it."
Shamim Ansary:
A Quick Checklist
1.. Make a resolve to win the maximum favor of Allah by performing extra Voluntary prayers (Nawafils), making frequent Dua and increased remembrance (Dhikr).
2.. Try to recite some Holy Quran after every Prayer. In fact if you read 3-4 pages after every Prayer you can easily finish the entire Quran in Ramadan!
3.. Study the Tafseer ( commentary) every morning.
4.. Invite a person you are not very close with or your relatives to your home for Iftaar, at least once a week (Weekend). You will notice the blessings in your relationships!
5.. Bring life to your family! Everyday, try to conclude the fast with your family and spend some quality time together to understand each other better.
6.. Give gifts on Eid to at least 5 people: 2 to your family members, 2 to your good friends, and 1 to a person whom you love purely for the sake of Allah. This is in addition to normal 'Iddiya' to children.
7.. Where applicable, make commitment to join Islamic study circles to learn more about Islam and improve your own life.
8.. Donate generously to the Masajid, Islamic organizations , and any where people are in need or oppressed. "Because Ramadan, is a month of sharing!"
9.. Share month of Ramadan and its teachings of peace and patience with your colleagues at work, neighbors and relatives.
10. Sleep little, eat little! Make sure you do not defeat the purpose of fasting by over-indulging in food and being lazy.
11. Seek the rare and oft-neglected rewards of the night better than 1000 months ( Laylatul-Qadr / Shab-e-Qadr ).
12. Weep in private for the forgiveness of your sins: Ramadan is the month of forgiveness and Allah's Mercy! It's never too late.
13. Learn to control your tongue and lower your gaze. Remember the Prophet's (pbuh) warning that lying, backbiting, and a lustful gaze all violate the Ramadan fast!
14. Encourage others to enjoin and love goodness, and to abandon everything that Allah dislikes. Play the role of a Da'ee (one who invites to Allah) with zeal, passion, and sympathy.
15. Experience the joy of Tahajjud prayers late at night and devote yourself purely and fully to Allah in the Itikaf retreat during Mahe Ramadan.
16. For extra concerted effort, try to be off work for few last days of Ramadhan for maximum Ibada. You never know you will be around next time around, so maximise your time in Ibada.
17. Make an effort to reconcile with the people you are not on good terms with. Forgive everyone and keep your heart clean.
18. In all your dhikr, do not forget your parents, your neighbors', relatives, dead people and Muslims at large including those fiy sabiliLLAH.
MAY ALLAH HELP US ALL IN OUR EFFORT TO EARN THE MAXIMUM DURING THIS HOLY MONTH SUCH THAT WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE THE DISCIPLINE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
skaka:
May Allah help us all to follow the guide line of Ramadan Karim.
Shamim Ansary:
Blessings of Fasting
“Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter,
and defend us from the torment of the Fire!†(Qur’an 2:201)
Rabbanā ‘Ātinā Fī Ad-Dunyā Ĥasanatan Wa Fī Al-’Ākhirati Ĥasanatan
Wa Qinā `Adhāba An-Nāri
The benefits of the Ramadhan month of fasting are too many to be counted. If one does recognize them and realize their importance, he wishes to have the month of Ramadhan to be throughout the whole year.These blessings are given by Allah to the fasting Muslims, who are to fast with full faith and expectation.
These blessings and benefits of the month of fasting during Ramadhan have been grouped and summarized into different categories. They are summarized here without commentary. It should be remembered that all of these blessings were taken directly from Holy Quran and Hadith.
The following is a partial list for the blessings and benefits of the month of fasting during Ramadhan:
01. Taqwa:
Fearing Allah(SWT)
Practicing the Revelations of Allah(SWT)
Accepting the little things that one has achieved
Preparing for departure from this world to the Hereafter
Self-discipline
Self-control
Self-restraint
Self-education
Self-evaluation
By accepting these criteria and by practicing them, the Muslim will achieve the concept of Taqwa in his private and public life.
02. Protection:
Avoiding Immorality
Avoiding anger/outcry/uproar
Avoiding stupidity
Avoiding all makrooh/mashbooh/haram
By achieving these good manners, a Muslim will come out of fasting a better human being in the society.
03. Revelation of Holy Quran:
The Holy Quran was revealed during the month of Ramadhan. The Holy Quran is meant to be:
A Guidance to mankind
A Manifestation of right from wrong
A Summation and culmination of all previous revelations
A Glad-tiding to the believers
A Healer
A Mercy
04. Doors of heaven are open
05. Doors of hell are closed
06. Devils are chained down
07. Fasting with Iman (faith) and expectation:
Such type of intention leads to forgiveness by Allah (SWT) to the individual’s sins.
08. Door of Rayyan:
There is in Paradise a door called Al-Rayyan. It is for the fasting Muslims. Only those who fasted the month of Ramadhan are the ones to enjoy the bliss of Paradise inside that area.
09. Rejoices:
There are two types of rejoices for the Muslims who fast. These are:
When breaking fast
When meeting Allah (SWT) on the day of Judgment
10. Mouth Smell:
The smell of the mouth of the fasting Muslim will be better than the smell of musk during the day of Judgement. (Bad Breath)
(Contunued)
Shamim Ansary:
Blessings of Fasting
11. Glad-Tidings:
These glad-tidings are given to the well-wishers while the ill-wishers are to be stopped during fasting.
12. Ramadhan -to- Ramadhan:
Whoever fasts two consecutive months of Ramadhan with good intention will receive forgiveness for the mistakes committed throughout the year.
13. Multiplication of Rewards:
Doing good = 10x, 70x, 700x or more during the month of Ramadhan.
14. Feeding Others:
Whoever invites others to break the fast, and whoever takes care of the hungry, needy, during the last ten days of Ramadhan will receive equal rewards to the fasting person(s).
15. Blessing of Iftar:
Dua is accepted by ALLAH (SWT) at Iftar time.
16. Blessings of Sahoor (The late night meal):
This meal time gives the opportunity for:
Night Prayers
Zikr, Remembrance, Contemplation
Recitation of Holy Quran
Fajr Salat in Jamaat
Dua of Fajr
17. Night Prayers:
Whoever performs the Night prayers with sincerity and good intention will receive forgiveness of his past mistakes.
18. Shafa’at (Pleading One’s Case for Forgiveness):
Whoever fasts Ramadhan will receive on the day of Judgement the Shafa’at of:
Ramadhan
Holy Quran
19. Ihya (Passing Nights Awake):
Last ten days of Ramadhan. When a Muslim makes this type of effort, he will get rewards, forgiveness, and multiples of blessings.
20. Itikaf (Retreat):
A Muslim who performs Itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadhan will get:
Blessings and rewards
Peace of mind
Contemplation and evaluation
Better citizen
(Continued)
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