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javalove (m)
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Salam alykun borthers and sisters in Islam. Ramadan is around the corner and I hope we are all preparing to welcome the beautiful and the most rewarding month. May Allah in his infinite mercies preserve our soul till then and beyond. The month of ramadan is a month for intense prayers and seeking Allah's forgiveness.
Preparing for Ramadan should be our main concern now as we must not allow ourselves to get carried away by the things of this world. There are lots of rewards to be reaped this month and we must take full advantage of it. The first thing we must do now is for our mind to make Taubah (seek forgiveness) for sins committed between last year and this year. Then we set a program for ourselves for the 29 or 30 days of Ramadan. When to recite our Qur'an and and how many Juz' (parts) we can recite per day. Then our tahajjud (midnight prayers), how many would we always offer per night. And the our Zikhr, (remembrance of Allah), which ones we would concentrate on and when and how to do it. Give Allah from what he has given us, by making people happy and always thinking of who is in need, and then making the person happy. Lets not forget that we should walways start our charity from home because its the most rewarding. And then we use tis medium to inform Allah of what ever we want/need. Be it a job, wife/husband, or anything we feel will make us better in this world and the hereafter, May Allah make it easy for all of us.
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Queenisha
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don't forget to start looking out for the fat rams to celebrate with afterwards
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babs787 (m)
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Chance to Heal Those Broken Promises
Ramadan is on its way once more. Lucky are those who will be there when it arrives. Looking back at the last Ramadan, I remember the plans, promises and changes I intended to make which did not go exactly as planned. More sadly, I remember that I knew of people that were alive then, but this year they are gone! Who would have thought that they would not be able to get ‘one’ more Ramadan?
Some of us take it for granted. We tend to only think of it when an incident as such takes place, and once we get through Ramadan; the reality of life just happens to slip through our minds. Those who do not forget and keep a record of their promises will surely be the winners.
Fasting: Spiritual food for our souls
Since Ramadan has not yet arrived, we can prepare our own ‘to be’ and ‘to do’ lists from today. We can mend those broken promises.
Every job has its rewards, incentives and recognition. Islam is no different-for every good dead is multiplied by ten times. In the month of Ramadan, we have tremendous incentives given to us: mercy, forgiveness and endless opportunities to gain reward.
The month of Ramadan is one of the best months of the year, in which Allah Almighty grants us the opportunity to cleanse our hearts and feed our thirsty souls with something that is everlasting: piety.
Fasting: Frees your imprisoned soul
Fasting is one recipe that frees our souls from temptations and from every prison we unintentionally invent around our souls. At one point, our Dua’as taps the doors of the sky hoping they would be answered. Joy is for those whose calls are answered by Allah Almighty in which he says: I hear you My servant, I hear you.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told us: “Three supplications will not be rejected (by Allah) the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler. [Al-Bayhaqi, at-Tirmidhi - Sahih].
My plan in the upcoming Ramadan
Insha `Allah, this Ramadan, I plan on trying to be the best person I can in every aspect. I want to try getting close to Allah in understanding and acknowledging the deeper meaning behind things. Also, I want to try maintaining my 'Ramadan' persona throughout my life.
This Ramadan I'm planning on consolidating my relationship with my Creator. I want to gain more khushu and feel like a true Muslim who becomes humble and whose heart is filled with tranquility upon hearing the Lord’s words. To attain this state I want to become committed to the night prayer, which includes Taraweeh. I also want to ponder upon the meaning of the Quran rather than just recite it.
During Ramadan drastic changes occur to the normal routine of daily life and this can take a while to adapt to. When Ramadan arrives the whole atmosphere around me changes to become more peaceful and spiritual and that will reflect on the way I feel and the way I function.
The sort of activities I would like to have are things like group worship (such as congregation prayers, joint iftar, attending usrah etc), because that strengthens the bond between people and encourages them to continue the good deeds even after Ramadan departs. If it is done with a good intention then hopefully Allah will place the goodness in the person’s heart.
Through fasting, we strengthen our drives and we learn a great lesson in patience. For everything there is charity and a charity for our souls and bodies is fasting, and fasting is patience.
My tips for anyone wanting to feel or taste the beauty of the holy month of Ramadan would be to make sure that you use your time wisely, and to try to restrain from your bad habits.
We ask Allah Almighty to grant us the opportunity and the strength to be part of those who will be there and to take the chance to review our hearts and restore the love and faith we might have missed at one point of our lives.
Quick Things to keep in mind
The month of Ramadan is an invitation from Allah to boost our faith; do not turn it away
Protect yourself from yourself
The fruit of fasting is piety; our way to Paradise
Do not overload yourself with big plans
Do one good thing at a time, and add items as you go
Let it be the month in which you start the new ‘you’
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javalove (m)
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Jaxa Kumu Lah Khairan brother @babs
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Frizy (m)
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Salam
Preparing for ramadan is very important. I have started watching Peace TV and Huda TV on satellite, which I implore other Muslims also to do the same. The campanions of the prophet used not to seek knowledge(worldly) during this time but race towards purity and good works.
For those who read, try and read the Quran(Arabic) and other beneficial Islamic related Books. Avoid wasting time by watching movies(Nollywood/Hollywood). If you have kids please don't let them waste time watching boomerang or cartoon network. This month is to be observed with complete devotion.
Salam.
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littleb (m)
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Salam Alaykum, Quick Things to keep in mind
The month of Ramadan is an invitation from Allah to boost our faith; do not turn it away
Protect yourself from yourself
The fruit of fasting is piety; our way to Paradise
Do not overload yourself with big plans
Do one good thing at a time, and add items as you go
Let it be the month in which you start the new ‘you’ And Always remember: SAW said: 1. "Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving then times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said, 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me.' for the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk." [Saheeh Bukhari] 2. "Fasting is a shield with which a servant protects himself from the Fire." [Ahmad, Saheeh] 3."Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer's sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast, shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the Fire of Hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all." [Ibn Khuzaymah] 4. There are in the month of Ramadhan in every day and night those to whom Allah grants freedom from the Fire, and there is for every Muslim an supplication which he can make and will be granted." [al-Bazzaar, Ahmad, Saheeh] More importanlty is to remember and imbibe the spirit of Ikhlaz(sincerity) in all our deeds. For it will be too bad for one to suffer him/herself for a whole good month and not getting any reward for such action. Imam Bukhari said the compilation of A-Jamiu saheeh took him sixteen years, and if his intention was not for the pleasure of Allah, then all his sixteen years would be in vain. So, the same person who is fasting not for Allah's sake. Sincerity is an attitude of the heart, and Allah views an individual according to his or her heart’s inclination. Thus SAW declares: Assuredly, God does not consider your bodies, nor your appearances. Rather, He considers your hearts. Dear brothes and sisters, let perfect our intention and don't let our fasting be a show-off(A-riyaa), whatever ibadah we will be doing during ramadan, let it be for the pleasure of Allah alone. May almighty Allah purify our heart from any kind of hypocrisy and our actions from riyaa and place the light of Ikhlaz in our hearts. May He guide and keep us on the straight path so that we achieve certainty. Amin. |
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babs787 (m)
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Quick preparation for RAMADAN
1. Start reading Quran daily after Salat al-Fajr.
2.Spend some time listening to recitations from the Quran.
3.Train yourself to go bed early so that you can wake up far Salat al-Fajr.
4.Keep yourself in a state of Wudu (Ablution) most of the time.
5.Evaluate yourself daily before going 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 drinking.
8.Find time to pray extras, such as Tahajjud prayers.
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.
What to avoid
1. Avoid/reduce watching TV; instead spend more time reading the Quran and other Islamic literature.
2. Avoid looking at unlawful pictures, whether magazines, department store catalogs or otherwise.
3.Spend free time in Masajid, Islamic organizations and make that a daily habit.
4 .If you smoke, try to reduce daily usage; otherwise Ramadan will be very difficult for you to observe.
5 .If you have friends who do not practice the teaching of Islam, try to avoid socializing with them.
6 . If you travel a lot on business, try to do more local business, so you can be more closer to your family and community.
7 . 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."
A Quick Checklist
1. Make a resolve to win the maximum favor of Allah by performing extra Voluntary prayers (Nawaafil), 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.
7. 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 neighbors.
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 the last 10 days of Ramadan
Continue the above practice till next Ramadan and so on.
Maa Salam
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