How to get ready for Ramadan

With the blessed month of Ramadan almost upon us, a lot of us promise ourselves that: “This will be the year I will bring about a major change in myself and my acts!”. Nevertheless, do we really change? Is the change in our lifestyle during Ramadan transitory or permanent? The reality is most of us who consciously incorporate religious habits and righteous deeds into our lives during Ramadan, end up going back to their normal routines once Ramadan ends. So why not start preparing for Ramadan a little early?

The blessed companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) really looked forward to the holy month and started their Ramadan preparations six months in advance so they were properly equipped to reap its benefits. Ramadan is a month of fasting, jam packed with blessings and unlimited rewards for this life and the Hereafter. It serves as a channel to strengthen our bonds with Allah (SWT) and reignites our sense of reverence, remembrance, humility and humanity.

“And it is better for you that ye fast if ye only knew." (Quran 2:184)

So stop waiting for Ramadan to bring about that change in you and your actions, start today. Follow these basic and simple ways to prepare yourself for your best Ramadan:

1.Repent with all your heart and soul

The act of repentance should be carried out consistently and continuously. It is not limited to any time or day. Do not wait for tomorrow to ask for forgiveness for your sins. Get started today so you may enter Ramadan with a clean state. Take a moment every day and repent for your sins and ask for forgiveness from the Almighty for He is All-forgiving and All-merciful. This way you may proceed with the worship in Ramadan with a lighter and purer heart. Allah (SWT) says:

“And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers that you might succeed.”(Quran 24:31).

2.Fast voluntarily

Fasting on a voluntary basis before Ramadan gears your body and mind for the upcoming holy month of worship and fasting. It is also our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) sunnah to fast in the month preceding Ramadan i.e. the month of Shabaan. However, if it is not possible for you to fast on a daily basis, skip a few days and do it alternately. You may:

• Fast on Mondays and on Thursdays
• Fast on the ‘white days’ of each Islamic month, which are basically the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every

3.Step up your Quranic recitation habit

At the start of Ramadan, every Muslim sets a personal goal of finishing the whole Quran. However, most of us fail to fulfill that goal. Hence, in order for you to not fall short this year, get into the habit of reciting the Holy Quran on a daily basis. This will eventually incline you towards reciting the Quran for longer periods. Take baby steps; begin by reading a little bit every day, even if it is one page or a few surahs. Every bit counts, no matter how small. Recitation invites showers of blessings, especially during the month of Ramadan.

4.Pray some extra prayers

Seeing as Ramadan is a month full of extra voluntary prayers and worship, it’s good to get into the practice of it beforehand so it becomes easier for you to continue and that too, on a greater scale. Aside from the obligatory prayers, take out some time to pray those extra nafal and tahajjud prayers. A little extra effort right now will go a long way! Rewards and blessings of every act of worship are magnified and doubled in the month of Ramadan, so why wouldn’t anyone want to grab that opportunity? Take it one day at a time, set a schedule for yourself, sacrifice those minutes of sleep or leisure, and turn to your Lord. Moreover, don’t forget to make dua to Allah (SWT)- an act he loves most.

5.Introspect and start with yourself

Fasting is more than just the outward acts of abstinence from food, drink, and sexual relations, it is about something much more. The fast is as much of an external act as it is an internal one. It is about purifying your inner sense of self and your relation with Allah (SWT). Our relation with Allah (SWT) is strengthened by our good deeds, good intentions and the purity of our inner character. Ramadan is also about refraining from things that could potentially taint our heart and soul. So take a moment to introspect and question what all do we do in our daily lives that may harm the purity of our heart, mind, and soul. Once you know, make a daily effort to break those habits and steer yourself towards things that nurture your inner self and the world around you and things that bring you closer to Allah (SWT). Work on being a good person; be kind, be gentle, be helpful and be a source of comfort to the people around you. If you feel there is room for improvement in becoming a better person, make a conscious effort to do more good and abstain from evil.

These early preparations and a little extra effort will bring about a permanent change in our lives inshaAllah. So do bit by bit every day and inshaAllah you will be well equipped for the sacred month of Ramadan and the rest of your life.

The secret of staying healthy in Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is here and so are the scorching sun and the hot summers in most parts of the world. Fasting requires a lot of energy and commitment on part of each individual, especially when Ramadan is being accompanied by a recurring heat wave. To not fall sick due to dehydration and the demands of this month, there are certain tips and tricks that one should definitely keep in mind.

Do not skip Suhoor

First and foremost, one should never skip Suhoor. Not only is eating Suhoor a Sunnah, but it is also the most crucial meal of the day – it provides you with the energy to keep you going throughout the day.

Choose your meals wisely

To stay fit and healthy during Ramadan, it is highly recommended that you choose your meals with great consideration. Avoid salty foods during Suhoor as they cause one to feel thirstier. Aim for a well-balanced meal rich in carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. Eating lots of fruit will keep you hydrated because of the high water content and provide energy as well.

In addition to what you should eat, you should also be weary of what you shouldn’t eat – be sure to avoid fried foods during Ramadan. The meals should be light and fulfilling so that you don’t feel bloated and heavy after either Suhoor or Iftar.

Keep yourself hydrated in Ramadan

It is recommended by health experts that drinking 10-12 glasses of water each day is highly beneficial for the human body in the short run as well as in the long term. While you cannot drink water during the day, make sure to drink as much water during Suhoor as possible and make up for the rest of it, during Iftar. Try to keep yourself hydrated by water mainly. Sugary drinks and juices can be your next best alternative but should not be your first priority.

Exercise appropriately in Ramadan

Having a workout routine is one of the best ways to keep and remain healthy. It allows your body to have a routine. However, one has to be extra careful with this routine in Ramadan. It is best to exercise a couple of hours after you have had your Iftar – it will not only help digest food but also keeps your blood flowing and your metabolism working.

Sleep right

It is imperative, especially during Ramadan to spend most if not all of your time in the remembrance of Allah Almighty. But it is also essential to take care of yourself in the process. Make sure to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep so that your body does not get exhausted more than is necessary. You need this sleep so that you can function well during the day and to not allow your fasting to get in the middle of all the work you have to get done.

To avoid falling sick and make the most of this blessed month of Ramadan, be sure to follow these tips. You do not want to miss out on the glories of this month just because you fall sick. You can easily avoid this by keeping in mind these few simple rules and make the most of this Ramadan and every Ramadan to come.

Top Ramadan: Books for Adults

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by Huda

Updated June 20, 2013

If you are looking beyond a basic introduction to the Islamic month of fasting, these books go deeper into the spiritual meaning of Ramadan and the details of the fast. Appropriate for Muslims, and for non-Muslims wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the faith.

01

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"RAMADAN: MOTIVATING BELIEVERS INTO ACTION" - BY LALEH BAKHTIAR, PH.D.

$23

A deeper look at Ramadan, through the collected writings of al-Ghazzali, Jilani, Imam Jawziyya, Ibn Sireen, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Mawlana Mawdudi and others. Presented from an interfaith perspective.

02

of 10

"FASTING IN RAMADAAN AS OBSERVED BY THE PROPHET" - BY SHEIKH AL-HILAALEE

Using authoritative sources, the authors address the legal issues of fasting during Ramadan. Topics include: sighting of the moon, Lailatul-Qadr, taraaweeh prayers, Zakaatul-Fitr and itikaaf.More »

03

of 10

"RAMADAAN COMPANION: SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS" - BY FAISAL ABDUR-RAZAK

One of the benefits of Ramadan is to have an opportunity to spend more time in the remembrance of Allah (dhikr). This title seeks to assist the reader by providing guidance in dhikr.

04

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"RAMADAN RHAPSODY: A DAILY CELEBRATION" - BY LINDA (ILHAM) BARTO

A unique daily devotional book for Ramadan, new in 2009. Each page contains a passage from the Qur'an, a quotation from the Prophet, along with a bit of poetry or other inspiring words or illustrations. This text is meant to inspire the reader into further reflection, and "add spice to your Ramadan experience" (quotation from the publisher, Amana Publications). More »

05

of 10

"FASTS AS ORDAINED BEFORE YOU" - BY MUHAMMAD UMAR CHAND

An interfaith look at fasting in the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. More »

06

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"5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO TASTE THE SWEETNESS OF RAMADAN" - BY IMAM SUHAIB WEBB

This book guides the reader to reflecting upon the main objectives of Ramadan.  Written by a Muslim American leader from Oklahoma. More »

07

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"LIFE IS AN OPEN SECRET: RAMADAN SPECIAL" - BY ZABRINA A. BAKAR

This interesting book is subtitled: "25 Inspirational Stories From Ordinary Life Experiences."  In the style of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series, the author shares inspirational stories specifically suited for the month of Ramadan.  These true stories serve as a reminder of what Ramadan is all about. More »

08

of 10

"THE NIGHT PRAYER IN RAMADAN" - BY IMAAM AL-ALBAANEE

This book is a translation of the book “Qiyaamu Ramadan” (The Night Prayer in Ramadan) written by the renouned scholar Imam Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee.  The Arabic text for all Qur'an and hadith citations is given to aid in research and review. More »

09

of 10

"A GUIDE TO RAMADAN AND FASTING" - BY DR. HUSSAIN & DR. AFSAR-SIDDIQUI

A concise but comprehensive guide to Ramadan and fasting, covering the fiqh of fasting, Salat at-Tarawih, I'tikaf, Sadqat al-Fitr and 'Eid, as well as the spiritual aspect of Ramadan. More »

10

of 10

"MATTERS RELATED TO FASTING" - BY MUHAMMAD SALIH AL-MUNAJJID

This book is a good summary of the rulings, etiquettes, and Sunnah of fasting. More »

Fasting

IBN QAYYIM AL-JAWZIYYAH

RAMADHAN

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… Let us return to the commentary on the hadith of Harith, where he Prophet speaks of what will rescue a servant from the Foe:

"And [God] enjoins upon you the fast. Verily, the similitude of that is a man carrying a sack-full of musk in a crowd of people, all of them marvelling at its fragrance—for the breath of someone lasting is more fragrant to God, Most High, than the scent of musk."

At-Tirmidhi, Amthal, 2790; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 16542

The Prophet uses the image of someone carrying a sack-full of musk concealed from view, hidden under his garments, after the habit of those who carry musk. Fasting is, likewise, hidden from the eyes of men and unperceived by their senses.

The fasting person's limbs fast from sins; his tongue fasts from lies, base language and false witness; his stomach fasts from food and drink; and his pudenda fast from union. If he speaks, he says nothing to violate his fast; and if he acts, he does nothing to spoil his fast. All his speech is salutary and wholesome, as are his deeds—like the fragrance one smells while sitting next to the bearer of musk. Anyone who sits with a fasting person benefits from his presence and is safe from false witness, lies, base language and wrongdoing. This is the fast prescribed by the Sacred Law, not simply abstinence from eating and drinking.

Hence, a sound hadith states:

"When someone does not refrain from speaking falsely and the action that springs from it and from ignorance, God does not need him to refrain from food and drink."

Al-Bukhari, Adab, 5597; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 1679; also in Al-Bukhari, Sawm, 1770, without the word 'ignorance'

And in [another] hadith:

"Some who fast obtain nothing from it but hunger and thirst."

Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 8501, with the ending 'And some may stand for prayer at night and receive nothing from it but sleeplessness.' Also in Bahyaqi, Shu'ab al-Iman, 3542, with 'standing at night' mentioned first

True fasting is when the limbs fast from sin and the stomach fasts from food and drink. As food and drink can break the fast or spoil it, so sins can cut off its reward and spoil its fruits, as if one had not fasted at all.

From The Invocation of God - Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib, ©2000, Michael Abdurrahman Fitzgerald & Moulay Youssef Slitine (Translators), Islamic Texts Society, UK

Ramadan: Striving for God Consciousness

 BY: LOUAY M. SAFI   SOURCE: ISLAMICITY  JUL 3, 2014 14 COMMENTS

Category: Faith & Spirituality, Featured Topics: Allah, Fasting (Sawm), Ramadan, Taqwa (God Conciousness) Views: 35308

Ramadan is the month of fasting for Muslims the world over. Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk for the duration of Ramadan. For some, fasting may appear as a form of deprivation and of bodily exertion. On one level, abstaining from sensual needs and pleasures is indeed a physical experience. But those who stop at the physical aspects of fasting miss the essence of Ramadan and its purpose.

Fasting the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. These are the foundation upon which the entire structure of Islam is built. These consist of the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting Ramadan, paying of Zakah [the annual charity payment], and performing the pilgrimage to Makkah, known as hajj. Three of the five pilars of Islam are rituals, that is, prescribed religious acts whose rationale is not immediately available for understanding. These are prayer, fasting, and hajj. Muslims are required to do them because they are part of their religious duties, that is, they are part of their covenant with God.

As a ritual, fasting is a symbolic act whose meaning becomes gradually apparent through experience. The meaning embodied in a ritual is always unveiled when one immerses himself or herself in the act itself. This does not mean that fasting is not open to intellectual delineation, but rather any intellectual delineation either presupposes or predicts a meaning that can best become apparent through performing the symbolic act itself.

Spiritual Development
The essence of fasting Ramadan and its goal is summed in the Qur'an in one word: taqwa. "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may attain taqwa." (Qur'an 2:183)

But what is taqwa? And how does it relate to the physical act of fasting?

Taqwa is a recurring theme in the Qur'an and a paramount Qur'anic value. Taqwa is both an attitude and a process. It is the proper attitude of the human toward the divine that denotes love, devotion, and fear. Love to the source of good and beauty that make life worth living; devotion to God's boundless wisdom and majesty; and fear of misunderstanding the divine intent or failing in maintaining the appropriate posture and relationship.

The attitude of taqwa cannot and does not stay in the confines of the human spirit, but is ultimately revealed in expression and action. The attitude of taqwa is ultimately revealed in, and in turn reveals, the true character it nurtures: the commitment to the sublime values stressed by divine revelations of courage, generosity, compassion, honesty, steadfastness, and cooperation in pursuing what is right and true.

Taqwa is equally the process by which the believers internalize the sublime values of revelation and develop their character. Thus the Qur'an reminds the believers that they should not reduce religious practices to a set of blind rituals, of religiously ordained procedures performed at the level of physical movement, and that they should always be mindful that religious practices, like praying and fasting, ultimately aim at bringing about moral and spiritual uplifting: "It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West: But it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last day, and the Angels, the Book, and the Messengers; to give out of the things you hold dear to your kin, the orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, the one who asks, and to free the slave. And to be steadfast in prayer and to give for charity. To fulfill the covenants you have made, and to be firm and patient in times of pain, adversity, and panic. Such are the people of truth, and such are the God-conscious." (Qur'an 2:177)

As Ramadan helps us to develop our moral discipline, it also reminds us of the plight of those who live in constant hunger and deprivation. We are reminded time and again by the revealed book that religiosity is meaningless and pointless if it does not lead people to care and share: "Have you seen one who belies judgment; it is the one who repulses the orphan, and does not insist on feeding the needy. So woe to those who pray but are neglectful of their prayers. Those who are guilty of duplicity and refuse to provide for the ones in need." (Qur'an 107:1-7)

Commitment
Fasting Ramadan, like other religious practices in Islam, is an occasion for pursuing moral excellence that can also be translated into excellence in social organization and interaction. In a tradition that was reported in the books of Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet was once asked: "O messenger of God! who is the most honored of people? He said: the one who has most taqwa. They said: this is not what we are asking about.... He said: ... the best of them prior to Islam is the best of them in Islam if they comprehend (the revealed message)."

It is not difficult to see that the Prophet's companions did not have immediate access to the meaning of taqwq, as many Muslims today still don't. When they did not accept his first statement as an answer, the Prophet gave them an explanation of what he meant when he responded to their question about "the most honored of people." In responding with the question, the Prophet was reiterated the meaning provided by the Qur'an: "Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous (mutaqi)." (Qu'an 49:13) The Prophet's statement underscores the fact that taqwa as a moral and spiritual quality is significant in the human world insofar as it leads people to act with compassion and respect toward others.

Empowerment
Nothing does empower a community more than the development of the moral character of its members. By embodying the moral values of revelation, people can have a higher social life, one that is based on mutual respect and help, as it is based on honest and fair dealings, and a sense of duty that encourages people to observe the principles of right and justice as they pursue their varying and competing interests. The theme that moral life based on the notion of taqwa leads to societal strength and prosperity is an oft repeated theme in the Qur'an: "Whoever has taqwa of God, He prepares a way out for them, and He provides them from sources they never could imagine." (Qur'an 65:2-3) And again: "Verily the earth is God's to give as a heritage to such of His servants as He pleases; and the end is best for the God-conscious." (7:128)

Fasting is not simply a time during which people deprive themselves from physical pleasures, but is an occasion to exercise moral restrain and experience spiritual growth. Ramadan is a time of remembrance of God and renewal of commitment to the high and noble values he revealed to mankind. And nothing would give us the sense of spiritual fulfillment than a state of taqwq, of God-consciousness, that Ramadan helps us to realize.

Dr. Louay M. Safi serves as the executive director of ISNA Leadership Development Center, an Indiana based organization dedicated to enhancing leadership awareness and skills among American Muslim leaders, and a founding board member of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy. He writes and lectures on issues relating to Islam, American Muslims, democracy, human rights, leadership, and world peace. His commentaries are available at his Blog: http://blog.lsinsight.org