Tips For A Fruitful Ramadaan - gitgy.org

Tips For A Fruitful RamadaanApril 2020 – Ramadaan 1441

Ramadaan: Purpose of Fasting1

ين آمنوا كتب عليكم ) ها الذ ييا أ

ين من يام كما كتب عل الذ الص (قبلكم لعلذكم تتذقون

[183:سورة البقرة]

“O you who believe! Fasting is

prescribed for you, as it was

prescribed for those before you,

that you may develop Taqwaa

(piety/righteousness)”. [Suratul Baqarah:183]

Taqwaa is to Fear Allah (swt) by placing a barrier between ourselves and His displeasure/wrath/punishment.

It is the consciousness of our duty to Allah (swt) which propels us to obey His commands and keep away from from His prohibitions.

Taqwaa is nurtured by doing good deeds and avoiding evil. That is why the month of fasting is the ideal time for its growth and development.

Taqwaa is an essential quality for our success: (( لعلذكم تفلحون واتذقوا اللذ )) – “And Fear Allah so that

you may be successful” [Suratul Baqarah: 189]

Ramadaan: Virtues and Benefits (1)2

Abu Huraira (ra) reported: The Messenger of

Allah )صلى الله عليه وسلم( said:

“Allah Almighty said, ‘Every deed of the son of

Adam is for him, except for fasting. It is for Me

and I will reward it.’ Fasting is a shield, so when

one of you fasts, let him not be obscene or

rowdy. If someone insults him or fights him, let

him say: Indeed, I am fasting. By the One in

whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the

breath coming from the mouth of a fasting

person is more pleasant to Allah than the scent

of musk. The fasting person experiences two

moments of joy: when he breaks his fast he is

happy, and when he meets his Lord he will be

happy for his fasting.” [Agreed Upon]

Fasting is specially for Allah and its rewards are limitless.

This is because it is not an obvious action like others, but rather, is a secret between Allah and His servant.

Therefore, it is not affected by Riyaa (showing off) as other actions are.

Fasting protects us from evil deeds. We must preserve our fasting by avoiding all

vain and evil speech and actions, including arguments.

We must exercise patience while fasting. Sacrifice is necessary for success.We will truly value our fasting when we see the

rewards with Allah on the Day of Judgement.


Abu Huraira (ra) reported that The Messenger

of Allah )صلى الله عليه وسلم( said:

"On the first night of the month of Ramadan, the

Shayateen and rebellious Jinns are shackled; the

gates of the Hellfire are shut such that no gate

among them would be opened; The gates of

Paradise are opened such that no gate among

them would be closed; and a caller calls out: 'O

seeker of good, come near!' and 'O seeker of evil,

stop!’; and there are those whom Allah frees

from the Fire and that is every night."

[At-Tirmidhi]

Allah (swt) has made the month of Ramadaan conducive to the nurturing of Taqwaa, by giving us reprieve from the whisperings and temptations of the Shayaateen (devils).

There is therefore no excuse for not doing good and avoiding evil in this blessed month.

Ramadaan is the month of competition to seek the pleasure of Allah.

By increasing in good deeds and avoiding evil in this month, we become eligible for liberation from the Hellfire.


Abu Huraira (ra) reported: The Messenger of

Allah )صلى الله عليه وسلم( said, “Whoever does not leave off

vain/evil words and deeds while fasting,

Allah does not need him to leave off his

food and drink.” [Al-Bukhari]

True fasting is not just abstaining from food, drink and intimate relations.

It is the fasting of all of the limbs by avoiding all that is displeasing to Allah (swt).

Special care must be taken to control the tongue by avoiding vain/evil speech, including getting into arguments.

Whoever does not guard his limbs from evil while fasting risks losing the rewards of his fast and only suffering the pangs of hunger and thirst.

Actions which are not done sincerely for Allah’s pleasure will not be rewarded.

Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that the

Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “There are

people who fast and get nothing from their

fast except hunger, and there are those who

pray and get nothing from their prayer but a

sleepless night.” [Ibn Maajah]

Ten Tipsand Recommendations to Maximize our Benefit

from Ramadaan

5

Ramadaan: Tips and Recommendations6

Make your Intention Clear and Pure: To fast and perform all acts of worship wholeheartedly out of obedience to Allah, sincerely seeking only His Pleasure and reward.

This is the meaning of ‘with Eemaan and Ihtisaab’ “Whoever fasts in the month of Ramadaan with Eemaan (faith) and Ihtisaab (seeking Allah’s

reward) all of his previous sins will be forgiven” [Agreed Upon] Similar reward has been promised for those who stand in prayer in Ramadaan and on Lailatul

Qadr (The night of Decree). Also, make your intention to do all good actions you would normally perform regarding the

Masjid/community so that you receive the reward, even if you’re unable to perform them now.

1. Pure Intention - Fast with Eemaan and Ihtisaab:

2. Strong Resolve and Detemination: Strong resolve will enable us to push ourselves and make the most of Ramadaan. We will be willing to make sacrifice and endure hardships, for where there’s a will, there’s a way. If our resolve is weak, we will treat fasting and performing of other good deeds as a burden.


Tawbah (Repentance) requires leaving off sins, regretting we’ve committed them, and resolving not to return to them. Even though we will continue to sin, at the time of Tawbah, this resolve must be present.

Our Tawbah will not be meaningful if we still intend to continue committing sin while asking Allah’s forgiveness.

3. Welcome Ramadaan with sincere Tawbah:

4. Fast with all of the Limbs:Avoid places/situations/circumstances which will cause you to see, hear, speak or do

anything displeasing to Allah. If someone insults or treats you with ignorance, ignore and move away from him/her.Fasting requires patience, and the reward for patience is Jannah. It would be foolhardy to deliberately do that which will nullify the rewards of our

fasing, and render our efforts and sacrifice futile.


Perform Your Five daily Prayers in congregation with your family.

Endeavour to pray twelve Raka-aat (units) of Sunnah Muakkadah along with these five Salawaat.

"Whoever prays twelve rak'ahs during the night and day apart from the prescribed prayers, a house will be built for him in Paradise.” [Tirmidhi; An-Nasaai]

5. Qiyaam of Ramadaan:Name of Salaah

Number of Raka-’aat

Before Fard Fard After Fard

Fajr 2 2

Zuhr 2+2 4 2

‘Asr 4

Maghrib 3 2

‘Eshaa 4 2

Perform Salaatut Taraweeh with your family at home after ‘Eshaa. Perform a few Raka-aat of Tahajjud with the family before Suhoor in the morning. Do not rush your Salaah. Pray with Eemaan, Ihtisaab and Khushoo’ (tranquility/concentration). Try to complete the recitation of the Qur-aan in Qiyaam during Ramadaan if possible. There is no harm in using The Mushaf for the added benefit of reciting more in Taraweeh.


Ramadaan is the month of The Qur-aan. The Pious Predecessors applied themselves to its recitation in

this month more than at any other time of the year. Endeavor to complete its recitation at least once in this month. To do so, recite one Juz (20 pages) every day. You can divide these pages according to the daily Prayers by

reciting FOUR pages after each Salaah. Do not become bored and tired of reciting the Qur-aan. For Every letter we recite, we receive ten blessings, and The Qur-aan will intercede for its reciter on the Day of Judgement. If you cannot recite, you can at least listen attentively to its

complete recitation in this month. For added benefit, read the translation as much as possible.

6. Recitation of The Qur-aan:


Try to keep your tongue moist with the Dhikr of Allah. It is the only deed we have been commanded to do abundantly.((O you who believe, remember Allah with frequent remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening.)) [Surah Al-Ahzaab: 41-42] It requires little effort in return for great rewards. To remain constant in Dhikr, recite the following:

• Adhkaar after each Salaah.• Morning and evening Adhkaar after Salatul Fajr and ‘Asr• Adhkaar before going to sleep.• Repeating the Adhkaar on the adjoining image 100 time per

day, or as much as we can. Try to concentrate on the meanings of the Adhkaar while

repeating them.

7. Abundant Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah):


Du’aa is the essence of worship; We demonstrate our need for Allah and our dependence upon Him when we make Du’aa.

Allah has commanded us to call upon Him and He has promised to answer.

Make Du’aa with sincerity and conviction that Allah will answer. Seek out the recommended times when Du’aa is answered,

especially while fasting, at the time of breaking the fast, and before Suhoor in the morning.

Ask Allah sincerely for the fulfillment of your needs. No problem is too great for Him.

Don’t become tired of making Du’aa, or hasty for its answer. The answer may not come immediately, nor exactly as we hope,

but it will always be good for us.

8. Regular Du’aa:


Ramadaan is the month of generosity. Rassolullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was more generous than the free blowing breeze in Ramadaan.

Wealth does not decrease with Sadaqah. The more we give, the more Allah will increase us of His bounties.

Every person will be under the shade of his charity on the Day of Judgement.

To give is to invest and send forth for our Aakhirah and protect ourselves from the Hellfire.

Share dates/food with neighbors and friends to break their fast if possible, to receive the reward of a fasting person for each one.

Prepare hampers of basic necessities if possible for a few deserving families, especially in light of the Covid-19 crisis.

Do not remind others of your generosity to them.

9. Give Zakaah and Sadaqah and share with others:


Ramadaan is the time to push ourselves as much as possible.

Always try to keep busy with some form of worship.Occupy your time with Tilaawah, Dhikr and Du’aa.Plan your day around the five daily Prayers. Indulge in the Mubaahaat (sleep, recreation, social

media etc.) to the extent that is necessary. Refrain from futile discources.Decrease the time you spend on social media and

entertainment. Intensify your efforts as Ramadaan progresses,

especially in the last ten days of Ramadaan, in an effort to seek Lailatul Qadr.

10. Seize the opportunity – Do not waste time:

In Conclusion…14

May Allah (swt) grant us a Blessed and Fruitful Ramadaan. May He grant us the Tawfeeq to

strive to the utmost and to reap the full rewards of this Glorious Month.

May He Forgive us for our shortcomings and shower us and our families with His

All-Encompassing Mercy.May He grant Ease to all of those who are

suffering and experiencing hardship.May He grant Shifaa to all of the ailing, and

Have Mercy on all of our deceased.May He Grant us all Jannatul Firdous and Save

us from the punishment of the Hellfire. آمين يا رب العالمين

مد وصلى الل عل سيدنا محوعل آله وصحبه أجمعين

وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لل رب العالمين

Documents

Tips For A Fruitful Ramadaan - gitgy.org