RECHARGE your Faith

[islam_mydeen]

WHAT IS RAMADAN?

So what is Ramadan? The first thing we must realize is that Allah subhanu wa ta’ala has made certain times, places, and actions more blessed than others. For example, the Prophets (alayhim assalaam) were not like other people, the cities of Makkah and Medinah are not like other cities, and Jummah is not like other days of the week. In the same vein, the month of Ramadan is not the same as other months. One of Allah’s greatest gifts to mankind that He created a month that is equal to a thousand in blessing. It is out of His kindness that He has gave us something to look forward to; a period of time to be spiritually revived after a long year of internal struggle. Indeed, this is something to be grateful for.

There are many benefits to Ramadan and not all can be enumerated. For the sake of time and space, we have limited the list to the above points, and Allah knows best.

"Whoever fasts in Ramadan with Eman and wants reward from Allah will have all his sins forgiven”
(Bukhari)

Many of us have heard this hadeeth at least once before, but how many of us take it seriously? Imagine, right before you is the chance to have every sin of yours forgiven! What an opportunity!

Let’s get started on what we can do to make sure you capitalize on every second this month has to offer.

[islam_mydeen]

BEFORE RAMADAN

ARE YOU READY?

Here are two questions to think about before you read on. Have you prepared for Ramadan yet? Have you prepared for Eid? You’re probably wondering why I would ask about preparing for Eid if Ramadan hasn’t started yet. Let’s look at it this way:

Success does not happen overnight; nor does it happen by accident. Anytime anyone has been truly successful at something, it is because they have strategically planned and prepared for that success. In Ramadan, our goal is to not to only strategically plan, but to plan with ihsaan (excellence). The average person generally procrastinates until they are faced with an absolute deadline – or most of us that means: the day before it’s due. And we’ve all done it before! Sadly, we have come to apply this same logic to Ramadan and our attempts towards excellence fall through the cracks. Interestingly however, our relationship with Eid is different. We find ourselves planning what we will do, what we will wear and where we will pray weeks ahead of time.

Why the difference?

In psychology we learn that when someone wants to do something well, they prepare for it ahead of time. In fact, so much time is spent planning that the majority of work is done before the actual event.

Now let’s look back at Ramadan. Wouldn’t it make sense for us to prepare ourselves before Ramadan begins so that our time is utilized to its full potential? Ideally, that would be the case. When it comes to ibaadah however some people would rather just “get by” – doing just enough to get you through the motions but without the effort. Yet the idea of “getting by” is the very thing that prevents us from achieving our goals. Things can’t go well because we don’t plan for them.

Going back to my two initial questions, you’ll see that preparing for Ramadan necessitates preparing for Eid. Once Ramadan begins, many of us are consumed by iftaar parties, food preparation, and shopping. By the time we reach the last 10 nights of the month, Eid is on our minds, and we are left wondering where the month has gone. Losing out on the benefits of the beginning of Ramadan is a great loss, but watching the last 10 nights slip between your fingers is the ultimate source of tragedy for a believer. Indeed, the last 10 nights of the month of Ramadan are the most important in terms of ibaadah and we should do our utmost to preoccupy ourselves with prayer, recitation of the Qur’an, and du’a. Proper planning before Ramadan can help you ensure that you have the time to dedicate to ibaadah during these last few nights. Get started on your preparation for Eid now so that things are taken care of ahead of time. The calamity of missing out on Layatul Qadr should be the worry of every believer. It is up to you to set your priorities and manage your time accordingly. The first step in doing this is to move away from the mindset that time is on our side. Reflecting on the realities of death puts things in perspective: our present deeds are all we have to bank on. Think of this Ramadan as your last. How would your goals, actions and priorities change?

It is stated for example that the Sahabah (companions of the prophet) radi Allahu anhum would prepare for Ramadan 6 months of the year and ask for forgiveness in the remaining 6 months. How does this compare with our attitude towards Ramadan?

This is an important question to ponder. The first step towards planning for an outstanding Ramadan is to outline what it is you want to achieve during the month (your goals).

Before you begin planning, there are 3 important questions you must ask yourself:

1. Where am I now (in terms of planning)?
2. What do I want out of Ramadan?
3. How will I get there?

Think about the way the Sahabah prepared for Ramadan. Now you may be thinking, “I’m not a sahabi”. And you definitely aren’t, but what is stopping you from emulating their actions; preparing yourself the way they prepared themselves? The defining characteristic of the sahabah is that they would give their absolute best in everything they did – they worked with ihsaan. If you tell yourself that you cannot do what the sahabah did then you have already given up - by setting up a belief in your mind (and heart) that there is no point to change, you are effectively telling yourself not to change. This brings us to our first exercise.

Let’s get started.

[islam_mydeen]

Activity 1:

Write down in a few words that describe what a good Ramadan would be like.

Now think a little bigger and write down what a great Ramadan would be like.

Now think BIGGER. Write down what an outstanding Ramadan would be like.

The purpose of this activity is to get your thoughts moving in a direction that allows you to think outside the ‘box’ of limitations. I guarantee that what you wrote down is not your absolute best. Sometimes it may take an individual 4-5 repetition of the exercise to get the picture of the Ramadan they really want. Your focus for Ramadan should be the 3rd box [outstanding]. These amazing goals are what you will work towards, in sha Allah.