Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Plans for Ramadan |
|---|
| traveller |
| 11/17/01 at 13:24:41 |
| Asalamu Alaikum - Here's an e-mail that I received which I thought I'd share with you all. Hope Ramadan is going well for you all Insha-Allah. _________________________________________________________________ > As-salaamu Alaykum, > > Living in North America, how should I -- a simple, > ordinary Muslim -- spend this fasting month so that at > the end of the month I feel inner joy and true > happiness knowing that my Eed day is the day of > celebrating rewards from Allaah SWT? > > Here is my plan for that purpose: > > For this Ramadhaan, I will not worry about the > appearance of the moon or lack thereof in the country > of my origin. Rather I will be satisfied with the > decision of the country of my residence. I will > graciously accept and follow the decision or the > announcement of my neighbourhood Masjid regarding the > starting and end of Ramadhaan. I will not question, > argue, discuss or complain or even mention anything > about the accuracy or inaccuracy of their decision. > > This Ramadhaan, I will establish a close relationship > with the Qur-aan. I will give the top priority to > knowing and understanding the contents and message of > the Qur-aan. I will finish the whole Qur-aan with > translation and tafseer by studying it steadily > throughout the month from a good, authentic English > translation and Tafseer such as the one by Imam > Maudoodi (The Meaning of the Qur-aan) or by Syed Qutb > (In the shade of the Qur-aan). I will not sleep after > Fajr, but instead study the Qur-aan until I am ready > to go to school or work. Throughout the day, I will > find time to revise and re-learn the Soorahs and > Aayaat I already know. Once that is completed, I will > learn at least one Aayah a day from a Soorah I do not > already know. > > This Ramadhaan, I will sleep early, soon after Ishaa. > I will 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. Then, while remembering > Allaah, I will fall asleep. I will get up around 4:00 > AM, thanking Allaah for giving me life, offer Tahajjud > and then make special Duaa 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. I > will also make special Duaa that Allaah protects me, > my family and my Ummah from the Dajjaal and his > Fitnah. > > Just for this month, I will not watch TV at all. My > knowing of what is shown in the news does not affect > any affairs of the world. Watching the news causes > only frustration, despair and anxiety. If I do not > watch for a month, it will not have any impact either > on me, my Ummah or the world at large. I would rather > spend the month on my personal improvement, personal > spirituality and building a close, personal > relationship with Allaah, rather than on an activity > where I cannot make any difference. (Unless I am one > of those few Muslims who write letters, articles or > op-ed pieces to TV producers / anchors, paper editors > / columnists, politicians and media in general to make > Islamic points or to stand up for the Ummah. If I am > one of those, I should continue this Jihaad in > Ramadhaan). > > While fasting, I will make a special effort to speak > only to add value and to say only what is true, > factual, positive, meaningful and useful. When I do > not have anything good and useful to talk about, > instead of saying anything else, I will 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. Or, if I do not know > them, I will learn those words of remembrance or > prayer. Or, I will spend those moments to recite the > portions of the Qur-aan that I know or learning those > I do not. > > I will not lend my ears to anything that is useless, > indecent, negative, spiteful or inappropriate. In my > car, I will listen to the Qur-aan or some good speech > of a reputed scholar. My car CD player has a feature > that allows it to repeat the same piece over and over > again. It can help me learn new verses or Soorah. > Similarly, while riding the transit or subway, I will > use my pocket-sized Qur-aan or book of Prophet's Duaas > to recite, practise or revise those I know or learn > those I do not know. > > This Ramadhaan, I will particularly watch my gaze. > While glancing on a member of opposite sex, I will > move my gaze away before I start evaluating or > assessing the attractive features of looks, appearance > or personality or before I start paying attention to > or begin enjoying those attractions. I will not > participate or listen to the comments of sexual nature > that my colleagues, peers or friends make. > > While remembering Allaah in many other ways, I will > more frequently ask for Allaah's mercy in the first 10 > days of Ramadhaan (Yaa Hayyu Yaa Qayyoomu, > bi-rahmatika astagheethu), invoke Allaah's forgiveness > in the second 10 days > (astaghfirullaah-al-azeem-alladzi laa ilaaha illaa > huwa-al Hayyu-l-Qayyoomu wa atoobu ilayh) 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, I will frequent the Duaa: Allaahumma innaka > 'afuwwun, tuhibbul 'afwa, fa'fu 'annee. > > This Ramadhaan, I will be exceptionally charitable. > The tears that fill my eyes when I see the scenes of > devastation, disease, starvation, agony, displacement, > killings, blown up bodies and severed limbs of poor, > helpless people of Afghanistan, Palestine, Chechnya > and Kashmir will ameliorate my heart and open my > purse. I will send all my Zakaah to them right at the > beginning of Ramadhaan through trustworthy Islamic > charities. In addition to my Zakaah, I will pay > whatever I can spare from my family's necessities for > helping those in dire need. If I have been paying my > Zakaah to my relatives, this Ramadhaan, I will help my > relatives from my other savings and resources, so that > I can pay Zakaah to the victims of terrorism being > inflicted by the enemies of Islam. I will avoid > spending money on my home decoration or getting new > clothes for Eed or buying more video games and toys > for my children, so that those who are in more need > then me and my family can be helped. I will even pay > my Fitrah very early in Ramadhaan so that it can reach > those displaced from their homes before the severity > of winter. > > Also this Ramadhaan, I will be generous and forgiving > to my family, friends and the Muslim community at > large. I will clear my heart from anger complaints, > suspicion, jealousy, grudges or dislike against any of > them. I will be extra kind, accommodating, courteous, > supportive and helpful to my non-Muslims neighbours > and colleagues. I will find ways to have them > participate in the blessings of Ramadhaan and > happiness of Eed by sharing my food specialties with > them or giving gifts and chocolates to them. > > This Ramadhaan, I will decline all invitations to > Christmas dinners, because every moment in this month > is too precious to be spent on those activities. And > this Ramadhaan, I am going to take my vacations in its > last 10 days, so that the precious opportunity offered > by those days can be fully utilized for developing my > spiritual relationship with Allaah SWT. > > I will kick at least one of my bad habits such as > arriving late for appointments or breaking promises. I > will show up or do what I indicate I will do and I > will show up or do so on time. If I am a smoker, this > Ramadhaan, I will not smoke even after Iftaar, before > Suhoor or at night. I will keep my mouth odour free > for prayers and Allaah's remembrance and my lungs, > blood and heart from disease. > > If I am a university student whose final exams are > falling in Ramadhaan, my act of worship is to do my > utmost best to study hard and get the best possible > results, given that any moment that is not spent on > studying is not spent in any other pursuit except in > the remembrance of Allaah or study of the Qur-aan. > While travelling to/from or within campus or while > taking a break from studies, I will automatically > shift to remembrance of Allaah or recitation of the > Qur-aan. For my studies, I will keep timings that are > consistent with the spirit of Ramadhaan, i.e. sleep > early and get up very early. Instead of staying up > late at the risk of missing Suhoor or Fajr, I will > adjust my body clock to Islamic lifestyle instead of > the western lifestyle. When I get up to study at 2 or > 3 AM, I will start with two Raka'at of Tahajjud and > then continue with my studies. After Fajr, I will > still spend 15-20 minutes on the study of Tafseer even > on exam days. > > If I succeed this Ramadhaan in living as planned > above, I will be able to look back and rejoice on the > day of Eed. > > *********** > > May Allaah help us with our pious plans. > > Ayub Hamid |
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