By Rose of Madinah

Alhamdulillah thumma Alhamdulillah. Allah ﷻ has allowed us to reach the blessed month of Ramadhan.

Allah ﷻ has made fasting in this month a compulsory act for the believers, and the nights recommended for prayers. The one who prays with sincerity in the nights of Ramadhan, Allah ﷻ  wipes away the sins for the believer to be free of accountability.

(Ahmad and al-Nasa’i)

Fasting this month is the fourth pillar of Islam. It is also a reminder to be grateful that Allah ﷻ has chosen us to be people who declare La ilaha illAllah, hence making us people who are detached from the means and believers who depend (and love to depend) solely on Allah ﷻ.

Allah ﷻ has also revealed the Noble Quran in the month of Ramadhan, thus making this month the month of the Quran. It is strongly recommended and virtuous to get connected with the Quran not only through recitation, but also to ponder over the tafsir of the exalted words of Allah ﷻ.

Ramadhan is also a month for sabr (patience for the sake of Allah ﷻ), and the reward for sabr is nothing else but the pleasure of paradise. It is also the month of charity so be generous, for everything that is given for the sake of Allah ﷻ, Allah ﷻ will give us even more whether in this life or in the akhirah (afterlife).

This month, the gates of Jannah opens, hence making it easy to do good deeds by the Will of Allah ﷻ the Most Exalted. When Ramadhan enters, Allah ﷻ orders the angels who carry his arsh (His Throne) to stop praising Him and commands them to seek forgiveness for the ummah of Rasulullah ﷺ

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ 

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ 

لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍۢ 

تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍۢ 

سَلَـٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ 

“Indeed, ˹it is˺ We ˹Who˺ sent this ˹Quran˺ down on the Night of Glory. And what will make you realise what the Night of Glory is? The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months. That night the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit descend, by the permission of their Lord, for every ˹decreed˺ matter. It is all peace until the break of dawn.”

Quran 97: 1–5

Virtues of Ramadhan 

The Prophet ﷺ said: “My Ummah has been given in Ramadhan five things that no prophet before me was given: On the first night of Ramadhan Allah gazes upon the ummah of Rasulullah ﷺ and if Allah gazes upon someone, He will never punish them. The smell emanating from the mouths of the fasting person is a sweeter smell to Allah than the scent of the most expensive musk. Only someone who is close to you will know the breath of your mouth so ponder about the closeness of Allah, if He says that the breath of the fasting person is a sweet smell to Him. The angels seek forgiveness for them every day and night. Allah says to Paradise: ‘Prepare yourself and beautify yourself for My slaves for they will soon find rest in My Abode in the place of My generosity after the hardship of this life.’ On the last night, those who fasted and prayed with sincerity (and respected Allah), will be forgiven.

This is not in reference to Laylatul Qadr (The Night of Power). This is a reward from Allah for obeying His Commands during the entirety of Ramadhan.

(Narrated by al-Bayhaqi)

A recommended schedule this Ramadhan

Before sahur (pre-dawn meal) –

1. Establish sunnah Tahajjud Prayer & Doa to Him (Supplication)
2. Minimum of 2 rep (Rakaat) to 8 rep (Rakaat) of Prayers
3. Istighfar
4. 100 x Astaghfirullah wa atuubu ilaih (I seek forgiveness from Allah ﷻ and repent towards Him  ﷻ)
5. Have sahur for it is a sunnah.
6. Establish fardh Fajr in congregation.
7. Finish wird (daily dhikr routine).
8. Recite Surah Yaseen.
9. Recite at least one to two pages of Al-Quran with tafsir (try to do this after every prayer too, InshaAllah).

After Syuruk (sunrise) – 

1. Establish sunnah Ishraq / Dhuha Prayers of min two Rakaat up to twelve Rakaat (start off with two to four Rakaat with consistency).
2. Recite Wird al-Latif before Zuhor.
3. Keep tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah ﷻ throughout your day (istighfar, tahlil, selawat, muraqaba etc).

Zuhor, Asar –

1. Try to perform your prayers in congregation.
2. Try to recite and reflect upon at least 1 page of the Quran after the prayer.
3. If time permits, to perform one set of Wird after every prayer (Istighfar, Tahlil, Selawat, Muraqaba).

10 – 15 minutes before Maghrib – 

1. Make lots of du’a.
2. Finish wird.

Maghrib – 

1. Try to break your fast (iftar) lightly with the sunnah of dates and water.
2. Perform Maghrib promptly and continue to have your meal after Maghrib if need be but avoid overeating.
3. Avoid delaying Maghrib to the very last moment due to indulgence in the iftar.
4. Perform Salat al–Awwabīn, Prayer of the oft-repentent (two to six rakaat of additional sunnah prayer after Maghrib).
5. Finish the evening wird (e.g. Ratib al-Haddad) if not yet completed before Maghrib.
6. Prepare for Isyak congregation & terawih.

Isyak – 

1. Pray Isyak & Terawih in congregation.
2. Remember to make the intention for fasting for the next day i.e. (I intend to dedicate my day tomorrow to fast with His Help & Companionship, for the Pleasure of my Lord Allah ﷻ).
3. Join our Converts Central Quran Club to recite and reflect upon the Quran after Terawih and sleep in a state of physical and spiritual and physical purity.
4. Sleep with many good intentions to gain strength to worship and win His ﷻ Pleasure the following day, InshaAllah,

Daily Surah Recitations:

1. Min one page of the Quran everyday with Tafsir (one should increase this routine gradually)
2. After Subuh: Surah Yasin
3. After Asar: Surah Waqiah
4. After Maghrib/Isyak: Surah Sajdah & Surah Mulk

Sidenote: On top of refraining from food, drink and sexual relations from Fajr to Maghrib, a Muslim should also avoid the following acts that will break the fast spiritually:

1. Lying
2. Backbiting
3. Gossiping
4. Perjury (slander, tale-bearing)
5. Lustful gaze
6. Cracking pointless jokes (do not lie even if you joke)

Let us also continue to keep our Love for Him alive by intending to follow up the goodness that He Showered Us by seeking His Help to perform more acts of Gratitude by the following in the month of Syawal:

Let us intend to fast 6 days of sunnah fasts in the month of Syawal to reap the blessings and pardon of Allah swt.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Fasting Ramadan and following it with six days from Shawwal is like continual fasting.”
(Muslim, on the authority of Abu Ayyub, Allah be pleased with him)

This is because the reward of actions is multiplied (at least) ten-fold. So Ramadan is like fasting 300 days, and the six days of Shawwal like fasting 60 days.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) himself stated this explicitly:

“Fasting Ramadan is like fasting ten months and fasting six days [of Shawwal] is like fasting two months. That is like fasting a full year.”

Ahmad; Nasa’i

 Let us also renew our intentions to renew seeking Knowledge of Him for Him.

Mu’awiyah reported: 

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “To whomever Allah wills goodness, He grants him understanding of the religion.” 

Bukhari / Muslim

Do You Believe in One God
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