PREPARING FOR RAMADAN- BY DR. UTHMAN BOLAWAYE

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem.

Ramadan is knokcking. 

It is four weeks and four days to Ramadan. If you have not prepared yet, take action soon. Don't wait for Ramadan to arrive before you have a plan. Here are some things  from Sheikh Younus Katheerah I came across that you can do to prepare for the Glorious Month of Ramadan.

SCHEDULE

Make a detailed schedule for your day. Include time for all you need to do, when you will pray, when you will recite Qur'an, when you will make dua, even when you will sleep. Don't leave a moment except that you must have a plan for it. Make the plan realistic but ambitious. 

GOALS

Have some clear goals about what you want to achieve this Ramadan. The goals can be ones that will impact your approach to Ramadan (e.g., to be one of those whom Allah forgives every night), or ones that help you aspire to achieve specific ibadah (e.g. to recite Qur'an cover to cover twice)

DUA LIST

Prepare a dua list. Write it down, or save it on your phone. Don't assume you will remember your duas. List them out. Make these duas throughout the day, and when you break your fast, and in sujood. Ensure you make these duas in the last ten nights, and in sha Allah you will have made the duas on Laylatul-Qadr . When you make your list, think about the value of making this dua for more than a 1,000 months. Let that motivate you to make duas for dunya and akhirah, not only focusing on the here and now. Please remember the ummah in your duas, especially those who are in places of war and in captivity.

CHANGE

The shayateen are chained and this month is a great time for change. Make a list of some bad habits or sins you want to give up, or some acts of worship or good deeds you want to become consistent in. Make the positive change every day in Ramadan and remember to add it to your dua list, asking Allah to help you remain consistent. A sign of acceptance is being able to remain consistent in it after Ramadan.

FASTING

We don't know the exact reward for fasting, but expect it to be tremendous because of the way the ahadith describe it. Perfect your fast so that you can maximize the reward. Wake up for suhoor, don't miss this blessing. After suhoor, don't sit and chat with the family, rather go and sit alone somewhere and do istighfar. Don't spend your day sleeping to conserve energy. Rather, alternate different acts of worship. Take an afternoon nap with the intention to enable you to worship better at night. Make dua before iftar, and don't delay breaking the fast unnecessarily. When you break the fast, don't stuff yourself with fried and sweet food that will make you lethargic. Eat energizing foods and drink water to remain hydrated. Be conscious of what you say and do. Mind your tongue, lower your gaze, and protect your limbs from doing anything wrong. If you live in a country where the fasts are extremely long (some countries have fasts of 17 hours or more), anticipate more reward In-Shaa-Allāh. If you have people working for you who are fasting, especially in warmer countries, try and support them by giving them breaks for prayer and rest, shorten their working hours if you can, and try to minimize the time they spend in the sun.

QUR'AN

This is the month of the Qur'an. Ensure you include Qur'an in your schedule. Don't make this the month in which you annually dust off the mushaf after 11 months, but try and make this month the start of a lifelong relationship. Recite daily intending to recite a portion daily as long as you live. Strive to understand and implement. Reflect and respond. Make the Qur'an your best friend forever starting now.

TARAWEEH

Try and fulfill the sunnah of taraweeh each night. Try to go to the masjid to observe your taraweeh.

I'TIKAF

If you are able to, do i'tikaf for the last ten days, or any number of days that you can. Don't spend time chatting with others in the masjid, focus on ibadah. I'tikaf is only in the masjid, you cannot isolate yourself and do i'tikaf in the home. 

CHARITY

Plan your charity for the month. Especially for the last ten nights, try and give a specific amount EACH NIGHT. For example, if you want to give ₦5,000, then give ₦500 each night, and if you want to give ₦10,000, then give ₦1,000 each night. If you do this every night, you would have In-Shaa-Allāh given charity on laylatul Qadr. The reward for any act of worship on laylatul qadr is like doing that act for more than 1000 months! 

FAMILY

As a family, help and support each other in 'ibādah. This is not a month of socializing, parties and eating, although it is common to see this around us. This is a month to rectify what is between us and Allah. We need to reflect, spend some time in devoted 'ibādah, with no distractions. As a family, agree on how you will support each other. If one person is preparing food before iftar, the other can clear up, and if one person is putting the kids to bed, the other can get them ready in the morning. Ensure everyone gets some time when they can worship without interruptions, and don't forget to include the kids in this effort.

FORGIVENESS

Ramadan is the month of forgiveness. We have seen so many ahadith about forgiveness in Ramadan. So be conscious of this, seek forgiveness from Allah. Ask forgiveness at different times in the day, but remember to add to your schedule to seek forgiveness before Fajr. (see surah Aal-Imran 3:17 and surah Adh-Dhariyaat, 51:19)

CLEANSE THE HEART

This is a great month to cleanse our hearts. Not only cleansing from sins, as we know this is a month where forgiveness comes to us from all sides, but also cleansing from our hearts any grudges or anger we have towards anyone. Reconcile, be the one to initiate, to apologize, and imagine how bright your heart will be, when it is cleansed of sin as well as any negative emotions towards people!

LAYLATUL QADR

Don't lose momentum towards the end of the month, and don't get distracted with preparation for Eid. Strive more in the last ten nights, and remember the special dua for laylatul-qadr.

SISTERS IN THEIR MENSES

Sisters, when you are in your menses, Ramadan programming is not switched off. You cannot fast and pray, but you can do pretty much everything else. If you have a mushaf on your smart phone or tablet, you can read from it. You can do thikr and dua. Don't lose the blessed days. Don't feel despondent, because when you refrain from fasting and prayer during menses, that is an act of obedience, and in sha Allah you will be rewarded for it.

Start implementing the schedule NOW to whatever extent you can. Increase in istighfar, reciting Quran and Dhikr. You cannot expect your body to go into marathon mode with no preparation at all. 

We ask Allah to help us prepare for Ramadan and help us make our Ramadan the best Ramadan yet, full of accepted good deeds and make us those whom He forgives every night! 

Ramadan Mubaarak in advance.

[Zaid Ibn Ibrahim, Rajab 28, 1444 A.H.]

IMAM DR. R. UTHMAN BOLAWAYE

-Nigeria