Preparing for maximum benefits of Ramadan

1. Special Du’a
 Pray to God that this month reaches you while
you are in the best of health and safety so that
you can fast and do all your acts of devotion
with ease and enthusiasm.
 It is reported by Anas ibn Malik (RA) that the
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to say from
the beginning of Rajab in his prayers:
 "O Allah bless us in Rajab, bless us in Sha’ban
and bless us in Ramadan." (Ahmad)

Dua on sighting
Ramadan Crescent
 When he (SAW) used to see Ramadan’s crescent,
he (SAW) used to pray:
 "O Allah, make this crescent to shine on us with
safety, faith, security, Islam and good fortune to
do what is beloved and pleasing to our Lord. Our
and your Lord is Allah." (At-Tirmidhi)

Dua is Ibadah and
honored by Allah
 Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:
"When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell
them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the
prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me."
 The place of Dua is so honourable to Allah that
the Prophet (SAW) said:
"Nothing is more honourable to Allah the Most
High than Du`a." (Sahih al-Jami` no.5268).
 It is the most excellent of worship:
He (SAW) also said: "The most excellent worship
is Du’a." (Sahih Al-Jami` no. 1133)

2-Intention &
Determination
 – Intention creates the desire, the consciousness
and the determination; which in turn produces the
required efforts for a task or goal.
 At the start of this Ramadan, make the intention of
attaining the piety (Taqwa) which is the goal of the
month of fasting.
 To achieve, this goal, it may be beneficial to
dedicate some private time before the first day or
on the first day of Ramadan and make Hamd &
Istighfar to Allah(SWT)
 Send salutations on the Prophet(SAW) and ask
Allah (SWT) to assist you in this endeavor.
 Making Dua with focus and concentration can help
you attain the proper mindset.

Fast with intention to achieve
Taqwah and closeness to Allah

3. Thanks and
Happiness
 When the month comes, then you should be
thankful to God and show happiness.
 The companions of the Prophet (SAW) used to
greet each other on the beginning of Ramadan.
 The Prophet (SAW) said giving the good news of
the month to his companions:
 "The month of Ramadan has come to you. It is a
blessed month. Allah has made obligatory on you
to fast during this month.The gates of heaven are
opened in this month and the gates of hell are
closed and the devils are chained. In this month
there is a night that is better than one thousand
months. Whosoever is deprived of its blessings is
indeed deprived." (An-Nasa'i, 2106)

Rejoicing at the
advent of Ramadan
 The gates of heaven are opened in this month and
the gates of hell are closed
 “Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His
mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is
better than what they
accumulate.” (10:58)((

4. Planning and
Determination
 You should make a good plan for the whole month
about how you are going to organize your days and
evenings during Ramadan.
 Plan special schedules for your work so that you
can pray on time, read the Quran and take Sahur
(the meal consumed early in early morning before
fajr prayer) and Iftar (breaking the fast at sunset,
Maghreb prayer) on time.
 . Make sincere repentance and seek the forgiveness
of those whom you might have offended.
 In this way you can benefit much more from your
fasting and prayers.

5. Learn about the
Rules of Fasting
 Let your non-Muslims friends and neighbors know
about this month and its blessings
 Fiqh of fasting is very important so that you do not do
anything that will spoil your fasts. Learn the way of
Prophet Muhammad in fasting.That is the best way.
 Fast is not spoiled only by eating and drinking during
the fast, but also by speaking bad words and doing
wrong things.
 The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said:
 "Whosoever does not give up bad words and bad
deeds, Allah has no need in that he leaves his food
and his drink." (Al-Bukhari, 1903)

6-Relationship
with Quran
 – Make special arrangements during this month for
recitation, listening, understanding and pondering on the
verses of Quran.
 Spend as much time as possible in the company of
Quran.
 Attending Taraweeh regularly is a great opportunity to
complete listening to the Quran at least once during
Ramadan.
 If you don’t understand the Arabic language, you
should make every effort to understand a set portion with
translation and tafseer.

Relation with Quran
 If following the translation for an entire Juz is not
possible, dedicate time to follow some portion of a Juz.
 Alternatively, you can plan to complete the reading
with translation within one year and before the next
Ramadan.
 In our day and age, the Internet has opened an
unlimited number of opportunities for learning and
understanding of Quran from the comfort of our
homes.

7-Implementing
Sunnah's into Daily life
 Following the Sunnah is a command from Allah:

"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah,
then follow me , Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.
And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
(Quran: 3:31)
 Surely if we follow the Prophet (SAW) in every aspect of our
lives then everything that we do will become a worship to
Allah, even going to the toilet, having a bath, dressing and
undressing etc

Sunnah in every
day life
 Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever revives an aspect of
my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will
have a reward equivalent to that of the people who
follow him, without it detracting in the least from
their reward.” (Tirmidhi)
 The best habit we can ever have in our lives is to
implement the Sunnah into EVERY aspect of our
lives so that our whole life and everything we do
during it can become a worship to Allah.
 We can do this by gradually learning all of the
Sunnah's and dua's of every aspect of our day waking
up, leaving and entering the Masjid and house,
dressing and undressing etc. So let us get into the
habit right now of implementing every Sunnah's into
our daily lives so by the time Ramadan come

8-Stay Away from Sin
 Make a special effort to stay away from any and all
types of sins.
 In this month, believers are given special
protection from the devil (Shaytan),
 The farther we are from sin, the closer we get to
Allah (SWT)
 Also we should avoid mentioning negative things
about people in their absence.
 Make a special effort to guard your tongue during
this month.
 Make a habit every night to assess your day before
going to sleep.

Fasting is a shield
against sins & Hell

Let us clean our sins
with Taubah in Ramadan

9-Seek Good Deeds
 – During the month of Ramadan the reward for every good
deed (Nawafil) rises to the level of the reward of obligatory
acts (Faraidh).
 When a believer goes beyond the obligatory acts (Faraidh)
and hastens to perform the optional (Nawafil) it shows his
eagerness to pleaseAllah (SWT)
 In this Ramadan decide on any three (3) or more good deeds
that you will consistently perform to attain this special
nearness to Allah (SWT)

10-Qiyam al-layl
 To stand the night in prayer and recite from
the Book of Allah is one of the most effective
methods of attaining the consciousness of
Allah (Taqwa).
 AllahGlorified and Exalted be He praises these
believers in Surat Al-Dhariyat [51:18]
 “And in the hours before dawn they would ask
forgiveness” [51:18]

Zumar, 39:9
 “Is one who worships devoutly during the hours
of night prostrating himself or standing [in
adoration] and who places his hope in the mercy
of His Lord – [like one who does not]? Say: ‘Are
those equal – those who know and those who do
not know?’ It is those who are endowed with
understanding that receive admonition.”
 [Az-Zumar 39:9]

Taraweeh and
Tahajjud
 Taraweeh is considered to be part of Qiyam al-
layl.
 We can be among those who are mentioned in
the above verse of Quran by simply waking up
15-20 minutes before Suhoor and performing
two rakaat Nafil prayers.
 This and many of the following verses are a
great inspiration for the believers to stand in
prayer during the night.

Allah (SWT) invites to His
forgiveness in last 3rd night
 Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Allah’s Messenger
(SAW) said: ‘In the last third of every night Allah (SWT)
descends to the lowermost heaven and says; “Who is
calling Me, so that I may answer him?Who is asking Me
so that may I grant him?Who is seeking forgiveness
from Me so that I may forgive him?.”‘
 [Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi].

11-Zikr and Duaa
 – Remembrance of Allah is important throughout
our lives, but is even more important during the
month of Ramadan.
 Making a special effort to keep the remembrance of
Allah, especially with your tongue is a source of
great reward.
 This act keeps Allah in out thoughts constantly. A
constant Zikr of Allah and his praise (Tahmeed &
Tahleel) are one of the best of ways of reaping
rewards during this month.


Zikr and Dua
 As we make Dua to Allah (SWT) we perfect our
conviction and belief – that He is the only one
who can fulfill our needs, wants and desires.
 Extending our hands in complete devotion any
time of the day or night and at specific times
such as the time of breaking of fast (Iftar) would
be a source of Allah’s mercy and acceptance.
 Make a special effort to memorize some of the
Azkar and Adiyah and frequently repeat them
throughout the day.

12-Night Vigil on the
Laylatul Qadr
 “The Night of Decree (a.k.a.The Night of Power)
is better than a thousand months” [97:3]
 In this night Allah (SWT) forgives those who
seek forgiveness and stand the night in prayer.
 This night is the most important and blessed
night of the year.
 According to the Ahadith, this night is one of
the odd nights of the last ten (10) days of
Ramadan and believers are commanded to seek
this night and ask for forgiveness and the
expiation from the Hell fire in this night.

Laylatul Qadr
 This night was given to the Ummah of Mohammad
(SAW) as a special gift which allows them to gain
mountains of reward in a short amount of time.
 Make special arrangements for yourself and your
family to earn the rewards of this special night to
its fullest.
 Spend all these nights or parts of it in prayer,
recitation of Quran and Zikar.
 The Prophet (SAW) taught his wife, Aisha (RA) a
short and concise Duaa which we should recite
during this night.
 “O Allah,You areThe Forgiver,You love to forgive,
so forgive me”

13-Itikaf

 Perform Itikaf, during the last 10 days of Ramadan.
 If you can’t, try doing it for a shorter period.
 The act of Itikaf gives you an opportunity to remove
yourself from the engagements of daily life
 You dedicate yourself to the remembrance of Allah
and acts of worship for a set period of time.

Itikaf
 This time gives you the ability to reflect deeply
on Allah’s creation and His signs and blessings.
 It is one of the best ways of seeking nearness
to Allah (SWT)
 If you are unable to spend ten of few days in
the Masjid at least make the intention of Itikat
everytime you attend prayers at the Masjid.

14-Spend for the
Pleasure of Allah
 In this month, open your heart and your wallet.
 Give for the sake of Allah without any fear of
poverty.
 Give to your relatives, the orphans and poor to the
best of your ability.
 Give without any desire of recompense or worldly
reward as described by Allah in Surat Al-Dahr
 “We feed you only for the countenance of Allah.
We wish not from you reward or gratitude.” [76:9]

Charity
 – Charity is considered the second most important
act of worship after prayers.
 Spending with the pure intention of pleasing
(SWT) from one’s wealth is one of the most noble
acts liked by Allah (SWT)
 Allah promises the recompense of seven hundred
times of what a believer spends for His sake.
 Infaq has been described as a key characteristic of
Muttaqeen (those who haveTaqwa and
consciousness of Allah at all times).

Generosity
and Kindness
 The month of Ramadan is the month of kindness,
charity and generosity.
 Plan to invite your neighbors, co-workers, friends,
Muslims and non-Muslims to have Iftar meal with you.
 Let your non-Muslims friends and neighbors know
about this month and its blessings
 "The Prophet (SAW) was the most generous person,
but in Ramadan he used to be more generous when
Gabriel used to meet him. Gabriel used to see him
during Ramadan every night and he used to read the
Quran with him.The Prophet (SAW) was then more
generous with goodness than the blowing wind." (Al-
Bukhari, 3220)

15-Helping &
Caring for People
 –The Prophet (SAW) called the month of Ramadan
as the month of consolation.
 During this month make a special effort to help
someone.
 Is there a family in your neighborhood that you
haven’t seen in a while?
 A student in a strange new city?
 A new Muslim who is fasting for the first time?
 An elderly couple who can’t get to the Masjid?
 Why not take a few minutes to make a phone call,
drop in for a visit, or invite someone for Iftar.

Helping and
Caring for others
 Remember your actions are measured on their
quality and not their quantity.
 The Prophet (SAW) said, “If someone helps
break the fast of a fasting person in the month
of Ramadan, he will receive the same amount
of reward as the person fasting without any
reduction in the reward of the fasting person”.
 He also said, “If someone feeds a fasting
person, Allah will quench his thirst from the
water of Kawther and he will never be thirsty
again until he enters Jannah”.

16-Invite Towards
The Quran
 The struggles of this world will end, but the
struggles of those who enter Hell will never end.
 Therefore, the biggest service to anyone is to save
them from the fire of Hell and help them enter
Paradise (Jannah).
 The month of Ramadan was honored by Allah
(SWT) due to the revelation of Quran during this
month.
 So, inviting people to the message of Quran is
among the noblest acts we can perform during
this month.

Invite towards Quran
 In this month, we are all focused on reaping
rewards and cleansing ourselves, but we should
not ignore the highest responsibility of calling
people to the Deen of Allah and to the message of
Quran.
 Inviting others to Quran during this month can
help our ownTarbiyah andTazkiyah.
 In this month, people’s hearts are softer and they
are prone to listening with more attention and
care.
 Your invitation might change someone’s life and
puts them back on the straight path (Al-Sirat Al-
Mustaqeem).

Conclusion
 The above 16 actions though are separate, but are
linked as a part of the same goal which is the
attainment ofTaqwah during this month.
 ThisTaqwah would enable us to fulfill the
responsibility of delivering the message of Quran
to the masses.
 Our individual and collective success in this world
and in the Hereafter is tied directly with our
treatment for the message of Quran.
 We pray to Allah (SWT) to make us of those who
are able to benefit from this Ramadan and reap
the benefits and rewards of this blessed month
(Ameen).

Ramadan- when arrives, starts
leaving like melting ice.

Preparing for maximum benefits of Ramadan

Preparing for maximum benefits of Ramadan

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Preparing for maximum benefits of Ramadan