Are you ready for the Ramadan ahead? We bid farewell to one Ramadan, and prepare ourselves for the next Insha’Allah. We hope we are blessed to open our arms again to another blessed month full of Allah’s mercy. Some of us really made use of this month, and others may feel they lacked in ibadah, and lost connection with Allah. FEAR NOT, let’s stay optimistic and really reflect on what we can improve on. Do you feel you have made the most of this month? Do you see a change in yourself for the better? Did you do enough dhikr? If not, Nour is here to prepare you for the next 11 months in good time for Ramadan 2013. I’m sure we can relate to this and say we plan and prepare weeks, and months ahead for a wedding or an important event but fail to do the same for Ramadan. So why not make Ramadan 2013 a Ramadan to remember. Our imaan, faith always needs a boost, so why not keep it charged up like you would with your mobile phone. If you make the intention sincerely to make the next 11 months in preparation for Ramadan to be the best one yet, but do not fulfill it for whatever reason, you will still get the same reward as if you had. Let’s rewind back the last 30 days and see what we can improve on, really reflecting upon ourselves. When we are under-prepared our body gets into a shock, and decides to become pious over night as soon as the moon has been sighted. How do we expect to get that Ramadan feeling and make it last for the next 11 months?! So you need to train ourselves and prepare now for the next Ramadan. How many of you have mobile phones? How do you know you can make a call? How do you know you can hear the other person on the line? Or what do you say when you can’t hear the other person? *It’s all down to ‘Signal’.* Now bare that in mind The strongest possible signal between you and Allah is when you’re fasting and performing Salah. The only thing that can interfere with your connection with Allah is Shaytan. So when you’re standing in front of Allah, praying Salah, and you’re thinking ‘oh when is this going to end’ and your twiddling your thumb, remember that’s Shaytan. O Ramadan, be gentle, the tears of the believers pour forth, and their hearts are anxious from the pain of separation. And why shouldn’t the tears flow from the believers upon the parting (of Ramadan), whilst he knows not whether he shall live to see its return. – Ibn Rajab (Ra). So grab a note pad and pen, or whatever you can to make a note on the following…. • write down what you have done this Ramadan that was different from last year • how you could improve • write what you haven’t so you can do it in the next Ramadan Lastly….. Write up a time table or a check list which you have to fill out every day containing what you have done…. • Do the 6 fasts of shawal • All of the five Salah’s fardh and Sunnah • Make up for missed fasts • Do the optional fasts if you can • Try and complete a page or 2 daily of the Quran daily after Salah • Give charity even if its as little as a smile • Breakfast with dates or water • Eat modestly • Do dhikr • Get into a habit to do daily duas, either by sticking it on your mirror, reminders on your phone etc. • Make someone smile, as its Sunnah and effortless :) • Give iftar to the neighbors if possible • Helped out with chores • Speak well to everyone • Do not waste time with trivial matters e.g. TV, mobile , internet • Work on your weakness and strengths • How could you improve things tomorrow (make long term goals too) By getting into this habit, you will instantly feel like Ramadan never left you. Insha’Allah reap the rewards of good deeds where and when can. Here are a few targets which you can do for Ramadan ahead 1. bring relatives closer together 2. put your differences aside 3. involve your relatives and friends and neighbors 4. being prepared with a plan for the Ramadan ahead 5. pray in jamat 6. use time wisely don’t waste time 7. look for others to help personally (orphan, sadaqah jariyah etc) 8. give more to charity 9. fast according to the Sunnah 10. dhikr Thus far we come to an agreement with ourselves to do better next Ramadan , so the plan above should be our guideline, but we shall not just restrict ourselves to these pointers, we should strive to grab good deeds in every opportunity inshaAllah remember the multiple rewards! Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): Allah’s Apostle said, “If any one of you improve (follows strictly) his Islamic religion then his good deeds will be rewarded ten times to seven hundred times for each good deed and a bad deed will be recorded as it is.” Bukhari (Book #2, Hadith #40) And if you want to be successful heed to what our Lord tells us: And the weighing [of deeds] that Day will be the truth. So those scales are heavy – it is they who will be the successful. (Qur’an 101:9) So I pray between this Ramadan and the next we collect immeasurable amount of good deeds for His sake alone, and that we seek His pleasure in all that we do! Ameen! NOUR Team
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 23:45:10 +0000
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