zainab bala
Allah is sufficient.
Sallaam Alaykum Warahamatulah Wabarakatuhu!
In this Ramadan, we should establish a close relationship with the Qur’an. We should give the top priority to knowing and understanding the contents and message of the Qur’an. We should recite and study the Qur’an with translation and tafseer regularly and steadily throughout the month.
In this Ramadan, we should sleep early. We should go to bed with clear and conscious intention of fasting the next day, as well as with the intention of getting up early for Tahajjud. We should get up well before Suhuur time, thanking Allaah for giving us life, offer Tahajjud and then make special Du’a for the mercy of Allaah on our Ummah, His help for its success and well being, and His interference to foil the plans of the enemy. We should also make special Du’a that Allaah protects us, our Ummah, and our families from the Dajjaal and his Fitnah.
Just for the month, we should not be carried away from watching TV at all. My knowing of what is shown in the news does not affect any affairs of the world. We should rather spend the month on our personal improvement, personal spirituality and building a close, personal relationship with Allaah, rather than on an activity where that cannot make any difference.
While fasting, we should make a special effort to speak only to add value and to say only what is true, factual, positive, meaningful and useful. When we do not have anything good and useful to talk about, instead of saying anything else, we should always remember Allaah through the beautiful words taught by our Prophet, while paying attention to their meanings and feeling the impact of the words on my heart, my mind, my thoughts and my attitude.
We should not lend our ears to anything that is useless, indecent, negative, spiteful or inappropriate. In our car, we should listen to the Qur’an or some good speech of a reputed scholar. If our car CD player has a feature that allows it to repeat the same piece over and over again, we should use it to help learn new verses or Surah. Similarly, while riding the transit or subway, we should use our pocket-sized Qur’an or book of Prophet's du’a to recite, practice or revise those we know or learn those we do not know.
In this Ramadan, we should particularly watch our gazes. While glancing on a member of opposite sex, we should move our gaze away before we start evaluating or assessing the attractive features of looks, appearance or personality or before we start paying attention to or begin enjoying those attractions. We should not participate or listen to the comments of sexual nature that our colleagues, peers or friends make.
While remembering Allah in many other ways, we should more frequently ask for Allaah's mercy in the first 10 days of Ramadan (Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyoomu, bi-rahmatika astagheethu), invoke Allah's forgiveness in the second 10 days (astaghfirullaah-al-azeem-alladhi laa ilaaha illaa huwa-al Hayyu-l-Qayyuum wa atuubu ilaehi) and seek salvation from the fire in the last 10 days (Rabbanaa aatinaa fi-ddunyaa hasanatanwa fil-aakhirati hasanatanwa qinaa adzaab-annaar). During the last ten nights, we should frequent recite this du’a: Allaahumma innaka 'afuwwun, tuhibbul 'afwa, fa'afu 'annee.
In this Ramadan, we should be exceptionally charitable. our heart should be ameliorated and our purse should be widely opened, when tears fill our eyes on seeing, hearing or thinking of the scenes of devastation, disease, starvation, agony, displacement, killings, blown up bodies and severed limbs of poor, helpless people caused by man-made disasters as in Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Chechnya and Kashmir or by natural disasters as in New Orleans or in the areas hit by Tsunami.
We should send all our Zakaat for their help right at the beginning of Ramadan through trustworthy Islamic charities. In addition to our Zakaat, we should help our relatives from our other savings and resources. We should even pay our Zakaatul Fitr very early in Ramadan so that it can reach those displaced from their homes before 'Eid and before the weather becomes too cold.
Also in this Ramadan, we should be generous and forgiving to our family, friends and the Muslim community at large. We should clear our heart from anger complaints, suspicion, jealousy, grudges or dislike against any of them. We should be extra kind, accommodating, courteous, supportive and helpful to our non-Muslims neighbours and colleagues.
We should kick at least one of our bad habits such as arriving late for appointments or breaking promises. We should show up or do what we indicate we will do and we should show up or do so on time. If we are a smoker, this Ramadan, we should not smoke even after Iftaar, before Suhuur or at night. We should keep our mouth odour free for prayers and Allah's remembrance and our lungs, blood and heart from disease.
“All these should be applied to our daily life style even after Ramadan”
In this Ramadan, we should establish a close relationship with the Qur’an. We should give the top priority to knowing and understanding the contents and message of the Qur’an. We should recite and study the Qur’an with translation and tafseer regularly and steadily throughout the month.
In this Ramadan, we should sleep early. We should go to bed with clear and conscious intention of fasting the next day, as well as with the intention of getting up early for Tahajjud. We should get up well before Suhuur time, thanking Allaah for giving us life, offer Tahajjud and then make special Du’a for the mercy of Allaah on our Ummah, His help for its success and well being, and His interference to foil the plans of the enemy. We should also make special Du’a that Allaah protects us, our Ummah, and our families from the Dajjaal and his Fitnah.
Just for the month, we should not be carried away from watching TV at all. My knowing of what is shown in the news does not affect any affairs of the world. We should rather spend the month on our personal improvement, personal spirituality and building a close, personal relationship with Allaah, rather than on an activity where that cannot make any difference.
While fasting, we should make a special effort to speak only to add value and to say only what is true, factual, positive, meaningful and useful. When we do not have anything good and useful to talk about, instead of saying anything else, we should always remember Allaah through the beautiful words taught by our Prophet, while paying attention to their meanings and feeling the impact of the words on my heart, my mind, my thoughts and my attitude.
We should not lend our ears to anything that is useless, indecent, negative, spiteful or inappropriate. In our car, we should listen to the Qur’an or some good speech of a reputed scholar. If our car CD player has a feature that allows it to repeat the same piece over and over again, we should use it to help learn new verses or Surah. Similarly, while riding the transit or subway, we should use our pocket-sized Qur’an or book of Prophet's du’a to recite, practice or revise those we know or learn those we do not know.
In this Ramadan, we should particularly watch our gazes. While glancing on a member of opposite sex, we should move our gaze away before we start evaluating or assessing the attractive features of looks, appearance or personality or before we start paying attention to or begin enjoying those attractions. We should not participate or listen to the comments of sexual nature that our colleagues, peers or friends make.
While remembering Allah in many other ways, we should more frequently ask for Allaah's mercy in the first 10 days of Ramadan (Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyoomu, bi-rahmatika astagheethu), invoke Allah's forgiveness in the second 10 days (astaghfirullaah-al-azeem-alladhi laa ilaaha illaa huwa-al Hayyu-l-Qayyuum wa atuubu ilaehi) and seek salvation from the fire in the last 10 days (Rabbanaa aatinaa fi-ddunyaa hasanatanwa fil-aakhirati hasanatanwa qinaa adzaab-annaar). During the last ten nights, we should frequent recite this du’a: Allaahumma innaka 'afuwwun, tuhibbul 'afwa, fa'afu 'annee.
In this Ramadan, we should be exceptionally charitable. our heart should be ameliorated and our purse should be widely opened, when tears fill our eyes on seeing, hearing or thinking of the scenes of devastation, disease, starvation, agony, displacement, killings, blown up bodies and severed limbs of poor, helpless people caused by man-made disasters as in Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Chechnya and Kashmir or by natural disasters as in New Orleans or in the areas hit by Tsunami.
We should send all our Zakaat for their help right at the beginning of Ramadan through trustworthy Islamic charities. In addition to our Zakaat, we should help our relatives from our other savings and resources. We should even pay our Zakaatul Fitr very early in Ramadan so that it can reach those displaced from their homes before 'Eid and before the weather becomes too cold.
Also in this Ramadan, we should be generous and forgiving to our family, friends and the Muslim community at large. We should clear our heart from anger complaints, suspicion, jealousy, grudges or dislike against any of them. We should be extra kind, accommodating, courteous, supportive and helpful to our non-Muslims neighbours and colleagues.
We should kick at least one of our bad habits such as arriving late for appointments or breaking promises. We should show up or do what we indicate we will do and we should show up or do so on time. If we are a smoker, this Ramadan, we should not smoke even after Iftaar, before Suhuur or at night. We should keep our mouth odour free for prayers and Allah's remembrance and our lungs, blood and heart from disease.
“All these should be applied to our daily life style even after Ramadan”
