Preparing for Iftar in the Middle East

Members of the Saed charity organisation prepare and distribute food at an open kitchen near the historical Ummayyad Mosque in the old part of the capital Damascus prior to the breaking of the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The open kitchen serves food to the poor during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Ramadan, a precious gift for Muslims

THE fragrance of the blessed month of Ramadan is already in the air and almost everyone has started feeling the slight sensation of excitement that this blessed month brings with it. Isn’t it amazing how we look forward to this month with such excitement and anticipation? A month where we spend more than half of the day, in the scorching summer heat, without eating or drinking and the nights in reading or reciting the glorious Qur’an. For Muslims, Ramadan is a month filled with so much meaning and goodness that on the final day even the children do not want it to end. How can the believers not rejoice at the coming of this blessed month when Allah ‘opens up the gates of paradise, closes the gates of Hellfire, and chains up the devils?” (According to hadeeth in Bukhari)

To reach the month of Ramadan and strive in worship in it is one of the greatest blessings from Allah. This has been explained in a narration by Talha ibn ‘Ubaydallah who reported that there were two men who had accepted Islam at the same time. One of them used to strive in good deeds more than the other, but one day he fought in a battle and was martyred. The other remained behind him for another year, and then he also died. Talha said, ‘I had a dream in which I saw that I was at the door of Paradise and the two men were with me. Someone came out of Paradise and allowed the man who passed away later to enter first. Then he came out again and allowed the martyred one to enter. Then he returned and said to me, ‘Go back, for your time has not come yet.’ Talha woke up and informed the other companions about this. They were all surprised and eagerly went to inform and ask the Prophet (peace be upon him) about it, who said, ‘What are you surprised about?’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Out of them both, this one strove harder (in Jihad) then he was martyred but this other one entered Paradise before him?’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Did he not remain behind him for one year?’ They said, ‘Yes (he did).’ He said, ‘Did he not reach Ramadan, fast and pray with such and such number of prostrations in the year?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘So the difference between them is greater than what is between the heavens and the earth.’ (Sahih Ibn Majah 2/345, 346 – Al-Albani’s ‘al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah)

What a gift and what an honor Subhan Allah! This is why the Muslims of the early generations used to ask Allah six months before Ramadan to grant them long lives so that they could reach Ramadan and they used to ask Allah the Almighty six months after Ramadan to accept from them. Do we do the same or do we take this blessed gift for granted, wasting away its precious days and nights? Allah says: “The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey — then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.” (Qur’an 2:185) 

According to scholars, the word ‘so’ (fa) in this ayah leads to the following paraphrase of one aspect of its meaning: “Fast this month because it is the one in which the Qur’an was sent down.” We celebrate the Qur’an in Ramadan by reading, reciting, listening to it while pondering over it day and night. Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated from her father (peace be upon him) who told her that Angel Jibreel would rehearse the Qur’an with him (in Ramadan) once every year, and he did so twice in the year of his death. (Bukhari). Fasting and spending time with the Qur’an is what reconnects us to our Creator hence nourishing the souls and recharging faith in the blessed month. Since the body is restrained from food and drink and the soul is fed with its divine nourishment, we feel peaceful, satisfied and re-energized in Ramadan. This is what pushes us to hold ourselves accountable, to repent and reform before it gets too late. It helps us in bringing positive changes in ourselves for the sake of Allah and be foremost in the race of drawing closer to Him by doing good deeds. 

It is said in Tafsir Al Qurtubi that: The name Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word ramida or ar-ramad, denoting intense heat and dryness, especially on the ground. It is so called because Ramadan burns down the sins with good deeds. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, then Allah will forgive all of his previous sins.” (Muslim) He also said: “Verily, Allah has people He redeems from the fire at the time of breaking fast, and that is during every night. (Ibn Majah)

It is indeed from the extreme mercy and love of Allah, that He gives us the opportunity to increase in good deeds and be of the forgiven ones in this blessed month. Let’s make sure we don’t make it a month of laziness and sleep, or of practicing the art of cooking and planning lavish meals, or of shopping and entertainment. Rather, let’s prepare to welcome Ramadan by trying to learn all its virtues and rulings. Let’s make sincere intentions to do our best and prepare our Ramadan goals with detailed, realistic schedules for each day. According to a hadeeth, we will be rewarded for our intentions to do good deeds, even if we fail to actually do them. (Bukhari and Muslim). Let’s sincerely repent from our sins and learn to forgive, forget and pardon others. It’d be wise to make a massive du’aa list and note down the times from the sunnah when our du’aas have higher chances of being answered e.g. while breaking our fast, in sujood and in the last part of the night before Fajr. 

This could be our last Ramadan so let’s plan well and make arrangements to have the best one ever. It truly is the month of great gains and profits. The smart trader is the one who makes the most of this special occasion to increase his profits. May Allah make us witness Ramadan in a state of good health and strong faith and help us to be among the smart ones who do their best to gain maximum rewards. Ameen.

Mariam Anwer

Ramadan Diary : Preparing for the Holy Month

The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, recitation of the Qur’an, doing Zikr, remembrance of Allah, endurance and self-discipline. It is a month of training the soul and body- to be able to exercise self-restraint. In order to gain the benefit of Ramadan, a Muslim must be fully prepared to embrace the blessed month. Here are some tips to make your Ramadan best ever!

Remaining in

‘Ramadan mode’

By planning for Ramadan before it arrives, you put your mind in “Ramadan mode.” Counting down for Ramadan (whether it is done mentally or by keeping physical signs around the home or office) will help create a buzz in your mind and among the people around you. In the month proceeding Ramadan, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to pray (dua) with his companions that they may live long enough to see the blessed month of Ramadan. In other words, they would countdown the days and look forward to Ramadan. When you and others are counting down, you will emotionally connect with Ramadan, and it will help you to see it as the special month outside your regular routine the rest of the year.

Refresh your memory 

about Ramadan

We tend to be aware that Ramadan is about abstaining from food, drink and sexual relations during fasting. To plan for Ramadan, we need to be aware about the higher purpose of Ramadan. Learning about the objectives behind Ramadan will help you do things correctly and perfectly for Ramadan to benefit from it. Knowledge about the reward and blessings for actions in Ramadan will incentivize and motivate you to do more and more during Ramadan. The more you know about Ramadan the more you can apply, hence multiplying your rewards and fully benefitting from the mercy of Allah Almighty.

Prepare yourself 

and start early

Before the arrival of Ramadan, prepare yourself spiritually physically and mentally to fully benefit from Ramadan. Do not expect to just click into fasting, praying, reciting the Glorious Qur’an and giving in charity from the first day of Ramadan. Many of us have this ‘light-switch’ approach, where we turn on the switch on day one of Ramadan and go into ‘Ramadan mode.’ This is similar to sprinting during the first legs of a marathon. You will have a lot of energy and motivation at the very beginning, but after a few days you will realize that this pace is not sustainable.

Although, you may be able to carry on, with or without much enthusiasm, during Ramadan as a matter of routine but will not be able to fully reap the benefit and absorb the blessings that descend in this blessed month. Before the month of Ramadan, start the acts of worship early to prepare your body and soul:

Start to pray regularly, if you do not already do so;

Start doing additional prayers well before Ramadan;

Start reciting the glorious Qur’an regularly and reflecting on its meanings;

Start healthy and notorious diet well before Ramadan so that the body gets used to it;

Start to be extra vigilant with your conversation so that there is no gossiping, backbiting, slandering;

Start to control your emotions and actions, such as anger, cheating and being abusive

Start fasting during Sha’ban in accordance with the of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Make a Ramadan plan

In order to maximize the benefits of anything, it is very important to plan, as failing to plan is planning to fail. Planning is a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah . He meticulously planned everything and relied on Allah for guidance and accomplishment of his goals. For example, he planned his Hijra to Madinah from asking Sayyiduna Imam Ali to sleep in his place to choosing Sayyidna Abu Bakr Siddique (may Allah bless him) as his companion for the trip to packing supplies and finding the right guide.

Make a list of things you would like to achieve in Ramadan and then think about how you plan on achieving these goals. It is important that goals are realistic and practical. Do not be over-ambitious and think that somehow everything will change in a week, rather take gradual steps to change your direction and turn to Allah Almighty so that you may continue to do these deeds after Ramadan. For instance, having a goal to read the translation and commentary of one page of the Noble Qur’an; spending 30-60 minutes with your family every day and doing a family activity together, picking up a new ‘good’ habit and giving up an old ‘bad’ habit every week, learning something about Islam, whether be a major or minor, on a daily basis

Giving some charity on 

a daily/weekly basis

The list can be as long or as short as you want but the point is that you are consistent with it. Assess yourself at the end of every day so see how well you have done in achieving some of those goals. Ensure that your ‘Ramadan Plan’ does not start and end with Ramadan rather it should be at least 40-60 day plan as the real ‘test’ starts after Ramadan to see whether or not the life-style changes that you made in your life during Ramadan are still with you after Ramadan when the devil has been released back into the world!

Resetting in Ramadan

In order to achieve the goals that you may have set yourself during Ramadan, changes in life-style will have to be made; such changes in daily routines will most certainly have to come with sacrifices and trade-offs. Distractions consume our time and take us away from living a more productive and fulfilling life. During the month of Ramadan our time is at a premium. Our eating and sleeping patterns are altered with early morning suhoor, the occasional nap during the day and late night prayers. If we allow our everyday distractions to continue throughout Ramadan, we risk depriving ourselves from the immense blessings that are available. This includes minimizing and managing our social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) presence, usage and consumption; minimizing our viewing of the television or playing of video games.

We will only be able to stay away from such distraction if we have built-in ‘alternatives’ in our lives. For instance, replace an ‘entertaining’ App on your smart-phone with a more beneficial App. The time that you used to go a cafe-bar to see your friends, spend that time in a mosque with your friends exploring some aspect of the Qur’an and sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Initially, these small changes may be difficult to make but gradually you will start seeing the positive impact of such changes on your life. Allah Almighty wants us to take the initial steps toward Him and once we persevere amid adversity and challenges, “He guides us to His path makes it easier for us.” (Qur’an, 29:69)

— imamsonline

Khatm Al-Qur’an prayer at the Holy Haram Makkah

 Khatm Al-Qur’an prayer at the Holy Haram Makkah

Muslim worshipers praying at the Grand Mosque

An aerial view shows Muslim worshipers praying at the Grand Mosque, the holiest place in Islam, in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during Ramadan.