Preparing for the Month of Mercy

The Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque in Selangor, Malaysia. It is the country's largest mosque and also the second largest mosque in Southeast Asia (photo: iStock by Getty Images).

Category: Faith & Spirituality, Featured, Highlights Topics: Hadith And Sunnah, Ramadan Values: Compassion, Forgiveness, Mercy Channel: Ramadan - Day 1 Views: 25110
25110

A lot of us yearn to prepare for Ramadan, but we have no idea how to start. Below are a few tips to insha'Allah (Allah willing) help prepare our minds and hearts for this upcoming Month of Mercy.

Make the Intention

Simple to do, with a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and your other activities, you just have no idea how to fit in 'prepare for Ramadan' time. Instead of separating 'prepare for Ramadan' from your daily activities, make your daily activities a MEANS of preparation for Ramadan.

For example, perhaps your mom asked you to pick up your brother from school on the day you finally had time to read a few extra pages of Qur'an. Instead of feeling upset as if you have lost a great opportunity to prepare for Ramadan, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to please Allah and prepare for Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping your family members, building ties of kinship...and the list continues.

The point is that preparing for Ramadan does not have to be some magnificent, enormous, extra-special thing that needs to be done at a certain time of the day. Many of your daily actions can be turned into Ramadan preparation actions with a sincere intention insha'Allah.

Do these Easy-to-Reap-Reward Actions

  1. Ask Allah to forgive your brothers and sisters. "Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing women, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman." [at-Tabarani, classed as hasan by al-Albani]
  2. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah radi allahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) said "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever says subhan Allah wa bi hamdih (praise and glory be to Allah) 100 times, morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam on the sea." [Bukhari, Muslim]
  3. If a person says, "Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah)," 100 times, a thousand good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away. [Muslim 2073]
  4. Remember Allah when you go shopping. "Whoever enters a market and says: "Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa 'ala kulli shayin qadeer." [There is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise; He causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die; in His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent] Allah will write for them a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels." [at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

Up Your Worship

To help condition your heart for this blessed month, intensify your worship before Ramadan begins. Just a small, consistent amount is enough. The Prophet told us: "The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small." (Bukhari, Muslim)

For example, say I always pray 2 rak`at (units )of sunnah (compulsory prayer) after ishaa' (the night prayer) from this day until Ramadan begins-and even through Ramadan, let me make the intention that I will now pray 2 extra rak`at of sunnah after ishaa'. And every time I pray these extra 2 rak`at, which are more than what I normally pray, let me remember that I am doing these with the intention of asking Allah to help me be prepared to strive and exert my utmost effort during Ramadan.

Make a Du`a' (prayer) List Today

This is THE MONTH to ask for EVERYTHING, both related to this life and the Next. Let us not wait until the last 10 nights to make special du`a', and then once `Eid passes realize that we completely forgot about fifty other things we needed to make du`a' for. Let's start making our lists now, and add to it as more things come our way. Insha'Allah this should help us remember to make constant du`a' in this month where dua`a' is accepted, and help our hearts pour out to the One Who can make those du`a' happen .

Write out Your Objectives for Ramadan

Praying all of your fard (obligatory) prayers? Praying all of your sunnahs? Reading the entire Qur'an? Giving $1 in charity a day? Making itikaaf (a time for reflection and prayer in seclusion) in the masjid? Leaving one serious sin that you've been trying to get away from for some time now? Sincerely turning back to Allah ? Write out a list, put it somewhere you will see it, and make du`a' for your success in fulfilling your objectives.

Make a Plan!

Look at your objectives and try to plan out how to realize them in this month. For example, perhaps you are really struggling to pray your sunnah prayers. In this month, realize the enormity of the ajr (reward) of praying the sunnah prayers. Think that perhaps these sunnah will be the deeds that will be heavy on your scale of good deeds when you are intensely in need of them-on Yawm al-Qiyamah, the Day of Judgment. Therefore, fight to keep doing them all throughout Ramadan. If you can't pray your 2 rak`at after dhuhr (the afternoon prayer) right away, make sure to do them as soon as you get the chance.

Your plan might look something like this:

Objective: Pray all of my fardh prayers.

Method: Envision myself on the Day of Judgment seeing the weight of praying my sunnah consistently during this month. Make sure to pray sunnah immediately after salah (prayer). If I cannot, do it as soon as the opportunity arises-don't let myself put it off! Another example is that of finishing the Qur'an:

Objective: Finish the entire Qur'an in this month.

Method: Read 4 pages of the Qur'an after every salah. 5 prayers X 4 pages = 20 pages. 20 pages= about 1 juz. 1 juz X 30 = the entire Qur'an.

So many Muslims have passed away since last month. So many people have not made it to Ramadan this year. Last year was their very last Ramadan. Will you make it to this Ramadan? Will this be your last Ramadan?

Aim to strive this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, such as just making a small intention or adding a few extra acts of worship, we pray that Allah will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.

May Allah make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen.

( Source: SuhaibWebb - Maryam Amir-Ebrahimi )


  Category: Faith & Spirituality, Featured, Highlights
  Topics: Hadith And Sunnah, Ramadan  Values: Compassion, Forgiveness, Mercy  Channel: Ramadan - Day 1
Views: 25110

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Older Comments:
BABANDI A. GUMEL FROM U.K said:
Allah in His Infinite Wisdom and Mercy created the heavens without any pillars that you see and has set on the earth firm mountains lest it shake with you. And He has scattered therein moving living creatures of all kinds. And We (Allah) send down water (rain) from the sky and We cause plants of every goodly kind to grow therein. This is the creation of Allah.(Now question) show Me that which those (whom you worship besides Allah) Him have created. Allah then continued in Surah Lukman the wrongdoers (and all those who do not believe in Oneness of Allah)are in plain error. Now correct me if I am wrong can you bring similar Verse anywhere in any Book that can match these kind of scientific proofs and facts given in the Quran to show the Mercy and kindness of Allah the Only Creator who sustains. Now we are preparing to enter the Month of Mercy the Month of Ramadan full of Mercy and Blessing. Many of our brothers and sisters who were here last Ramadan will not be here with us this Ramadan they already begun and started their long journey towards the Mercy of Allah in the Hereafter which we are also eventually heading. May Allah continue to shower His Blessings and Mercies on the Ummah we also become the means of guidance for the entire mankind.
2015-06-11

TESLIMKUNLE FROM NIGERIA said:
Surat Maryam,'Mary"Vs24-29, Allah says: When his mother met her ppl as she was carrying the baby in her hands they darted accusations at her. She pointed to the baby, who cam to her rescue..He spoke & preached to an unbelieving ppl. It s noteworth that the holy quran did nt mention anything about maryam(mary), the trustworthy, the moment 'isa(jesus),hws.Spoke.The last thing mentioned was that she pointed to him (as a baby).
2013-07-04

BABANDI A. GUMEL FROM U.K said:
May Allah bring His Infinite Rahamah (Mercy and Benevolence) to the Ummah of the Beloved Prophet (S.A.W) in the Month of Mercy i.e Ramadan and accept all our Ibadah during this Blessed Month.
2013-07-03

SORIF FROM BANGLADESH said:
Assalamualaikum.
thanks for such efforts. you put thousand instead of hundred. its not correct.but you may have the logic that its multiplied the amount by 10 on the basis of hadith "every good action is rewarded by ten times. however, the hadith is mentioned here in a form of tarjamah/translation. it is for ordinary people and who do not arabic but study islam similar to the text of hadith. in this way it resembles change in hadith which is prohibited strongly. even muhaddesin said if any body mis interpret the hadis he will be among those who tell a lie on prophet. so what about this translation. you may think me as conservetive or some else. no. i am very wide minded and accept all disagrements in our shariah. but my specialization is in hadith from one of the most popular university.that is why i wrote this for your concern. plz reflect and be careful. jazakallah.
2012-07-19

ADEGBOYEGA A. LUKMON FROM NIGERIA said:
Thanks for the timely reminder. It's a practical approach that will help in maximising the benefit of Ramadan. May Allah reward you and everyone of us. Amin
2012-07-18

HALIMA ABDALLAH FROM KENYA said:
JAZAKA-ALLAHU.
2012-07-15

HASSAN BARRE FROM KENYA said:
Thanks to islamicity may ALLAH reward with everything good,we want more daawad from you.
2012-07-14

ABDULRAZAK ABDULLAHI FROM NIGERIA said:
Mashaallah, may Allah in his infinite mercy reward you abundantly. May he give us the heart to follow all these interesting suggestions. Ramadan mubaraq in advance.
2012-07-13

MUHAMMAD TIHAMI FROM NIGERIA said:
assalam! this is interesting, jazakumullahu khairan.
2012-07-12

KHADAR FROM AMERICA said:
Thank you for inspiring us. One way to avoid sugar shock is by
starting two days before Ramadan not to eat the first three to five
hours of those days. May Allah accept our du'a.
2012-07-11

KHADEEJAH OPAKUNLE FROM NIGERIA said:
thanks you for the tips. may ALLAH soften our minds
and accept our ibadah.
2011-07-24

DHIKRULAHI BELLO FROM NIGERIA said:
may Allah make our ibadat in Ramadan worthy of acceptance.
2011-07-21