PREPARING FOR RAMADAN We never go anywhere without preparation, we never sit for an exam or handle any serious task without preparing in advance. No one invites a guest without preparing to welcome him/her. Similarly, to welcome Ramadan, the month of fasting, one has to prepare before it arrives. The following are some tips to help you prepare accordingly:
WHAT TO DO 1. Try to fast on Mondays and Thursdays (but not right before Ramadan).
2. Start reading Quran daily after Salat-ul-Fajr and the morning-evening duas. 3. Spend some time listening to recitations. Make a habit of making long duas specially after obligatory salah. 4. Regulate wrong eating habits and try to eat healthy. 5. Train yourself to go to sleep early so you can wake up for Salat-ul-Fajr. 6. Try to keep yourself in the state of wudhu most of the time. 7. Evaluate yourself daily before going to bed. 8. Thank Allah for your good deed and repent to Him for your mistakes and sins. 9. Give yourself time to meditate, make zikr, tasbeeh, takbeer frequently. 10. Find time to pray extra Nawafil specially Salat Ad-Duha and Tahajjud. 11. Start reading Quran and books on Seerah, hadith and fiqh instead of other books. 12. Find time to help out others with any talents and knowledge Allah may have given you. 13.Try to write articles for Muslims and other non-Muslims if you are a good writer. 14. Train yourself to do good deeds and render free service to others. 15. Try to learn how to make dawa to non-Muslims. 16. Start giving sadaqah daily no matter how little. 17. Organize your schedule, room, cupboard and any pending tasks to avoid wasting precious time in Ramadan. PTO
WHAT TO AVOID Ramadan is a great time to get rid of those bad habits we want to leave ‘one of those days’ because all the Satans are chained and we are in a more spiritually active state because of our fasting and extra prayers. . 1. Reduce watching TV; instead spend more time time reading the Quran and other Islamic literature. 2. Avoid looking at unlawful pictures, whether magazines, department store catalogues or otherwise. 3. Avoid going to theatres or malls (the bazaar is Allah’s most disliked place and Satan’s battleground), instead go to the Masjid, and make that a daily habit. 4. Avoid eating too much. Eat only when you are hungry and try not to fill your stomach completely. 5. If you drink coffee, tea or soda, be sure to reduce consumption. 6. If you like to listen to music, reduce, even eliminate the time you spent on them, replace them with reciting and listening to recitation from the Quran. 7. If you enjoy playing cards and board games, try your best to avoid them as much as possible and fill your time with something useful. 8. If you enjoy going with friends who do not practice Islam or ridicule it, try to avoid socializing with them. 9.
If you are used to staying up till midnight, try to go to bed earlier, so that you will be awake early for Fajr prayer and Tahajjud as well.
Brought to you by ONE “ALLAH” page