sarah shafi

ALLAH offers us a great blessing and opportunity for forgiveness during Ramadan.    The following programme is suggested for the blessed month.

1.      Make a commitment and go the Fajr prayer at the masjid and be there for the opening takbeer.

2.      Sit for a while after the prayer in the masjid and read the Quran, not just for recitation, but try to understand what you read, Remember Allah as much as you can until the sunrise and then make two rakaats to get the reward of a complete Hajj or Umrah, Inshaa Allah.

3.      Get some sleep before work or study to remain fresh and alert.

4.      Advise your muslim  friends  at work or at school to stay serious and keep busy and not appear lazy or lethargic.   Ramadan is the month of exertion, not a time to sleep behind the desk.  If you work around the non-muslims this becomes very important because it will give them a strong impression of how Muslims act in Ramadan.   It is a chance for giving da’wah.

5.      If you arrive home just before ‘Asr prayer, don’t go to sleep or you will miss it. Relax a little if you must and prepare your self early for the prayer.

6.      It is a good practice to read the Qur’an after Asr up to the time of  Maghrib.

7.      Remember that when the faster breaks his fast it is a time when the Prophet (sallal laahu alahih wa sallam) said the du’aa is not rejected , so make the most of this precious opportunity to remember your Muslim parents  and anyone else in your supplication.  If one’s relatives are not Muslims the earnestly pray that Allah guide them.

8.      After the Maghrib prayer (or whenever you sit to eat a full meal )it is advisable not to eat too much in order to help you to be ready to stand for the Isha prayer with full attention and ease.

9.      In the time between maghrib and Isha spend some quality time with your family and perhaps read the Quran together or remember stories of the Prophets (alai-himus salam),or the early Muslims and their deeds.Read the some of Hadith of the Prophets ( sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) or partake of any wholesome activity or speech especially with the chidren.

10.  Prepare yourself to go to the masjid early for salathul Ishaa and At tharaweeh .Many masjids  take only a little time between adaan  and iqamah during Ramadan so try to get there before the adaan.

11.  After the Taraweeh when people find themselves with more time. Don’t waste all of your free time on entertainment.try to spend more time reading the Quran or visiting relatives or friends or attending an Islamic lecture or function or visiting your neighbour. Any and all of this is better than watching a bad film or TV show or spending all of your extra time in shopping in the blessed nights of Ramadan.

12.  You should try to sleep in the night as opposed to staying up the entire night thus turning  the night into your day. Go to sleep and get up a little before fajr,say 30 minutes or so.

13.  Us that time before fajr to make 2 rakaath and ask Allah for forgiveness for it is the best time to make supplication during the last third of the night.

14.  After making 2 takaath it will be time for suhoor and you will have time to eat before adaan of fajr and prepare to go to the masjid and begin a new day.           

This  is just a suggested programme. Often circumstances do not allow one to implement all that is mentioned. The main point is not to lose the great blessing and opportunity for forgiveness that Allah offers us in Ramadan. We must be determined not be like those who come in to Islam during the Ramadan only to practically go out of it as soon as the month is over. We want to come out of the Ramadan more commited, with renewed faith and a rejuvenated spirit ready to devote ourselves as we should for the reminder of the year.