Ways to make the most out of the blessed month of Ramadan. Ramadan as we know is a blessed month, and a perfect oppurtunity to invest for the Akhirah. This article sheds some ways in order to make the most out of this blessed month. Based on the Quran, Sunnah and quotes from the Ulama Kiram.
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العلمين، و الصلاة و السلام على سيدنا و نبينا محمد ﷺ و على آله و صحبه اجمعين
اما بعد
All praise and blessing are truly due to Allah Ta’ala, our Creator, our Nourisher, our Sustainer. Salawaat and Salaam upon our Noble Master, the greatest of Creation, Muhammed Mustapha ﷺ
From the many blessings and great bounties of Allah Ta’ala upon this ummah is the month of Ramadhaan. A gift to this ummah from the side of our Merciful Creator, a chance to reform ourselves, a chance to connect to the Quraan and our Rabb, a time where our lives can be revolutionised. So our first duty is to recognise and understand this great bounty from Allah Ta’ala, and make Shukr to Allah Ta’ala for this immense bounty.
Now, many a time, a person does understand this, but he feels that this is a huge mountain to climb. He thinks to himself that he is not pious, and this turns him away from doing extra good actions. Now this is an incorrect attitude. This article seeks to provide a few simple pointers to, In Sha Allah, prepare us for this Ramadhaan and every Ramadhaan that Allah Ta’ala allows us to witness.
Allah Ta’ala speaks about this Mubaarak month in the Holy Quraan:
(شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ)
The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)
The Quraan was revealed in Ramadhaan, just as the other books were. This is the month of the Quraan, the month to connect to Allah Ta’ala through this divine book. As much time as we have, we should be engrossed in the recitation of the Quraan
Below are a few steps which, if applied, will help us make the most of this Ramadhaan:
1.Setting the mindset
It was the habit of Rasulullah ﷺ that he would prepare the Sahabah for the coming of Ramadhaan from the month of Rajab.
This system of preparing the mindset is vital in being ‘ready to go’ once the month of Ramadhaan sets in.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The month of Ramaḍān has come to you, a blessed month in which Allah – Exalted and Majestic is He – has obligated (its) fasting upon you. In it the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell-fire are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it, Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good is truly deprived!” (Nasā’ī 2106)
This is the statement of Rasulullah ﷺ to Sahabah (R.A). We see the excitement that Rasulullah ﷺ is embedding in the hearts of Sahabah. This is the month is which the gates of paradise are opened, the gates of hellfire are closed. This is a means of Muslims congratulating each other and exerting themselves in the ibaadat of Allah Ta’ala to attain the greatest amount of reward in the Aakhirah. Let us not be from those who are deprived and lose out on such great rewards
So the mindset has to be this. This great month is coming, a mubaarak and honoured month, and I am going to try my utmost best to do as much as I can, to make the absolute best of it. All of this to gain closeness to Allah Ta’ala. This will ignite a fire that will be burning bright by the time the blessed month of Ramadhaan sets in.
2.The Quraan – The best Dhikr
Since Ramadhaan is the month of Quraan, then surely we should be constantly reading Quraan. Yes, we do have other things to do. Homes to run, we have to go to work, the womenfolk have to prepare sumptuous meals for the family. This doesn’t mean that we should neglect the Quraan. We should try to establish a connection, the best one we can develop. The effort is what counts.
When we look at the Ramadhaan of our elders, then we see true beacons of Hidayah. If we look at recent times, then Hadhrat Sheikh ul Hadith Moulana Zakariyya Sahib is a great example. Once the month of Ramadhaan would start, then his whole day and night would be tilaawah of the Quraan. In this month, he wouldn’t go out to visit anyone, nor would he allow any visitors. He would read Quraan from the Mushaf, and he would read his dhor in his Nafl Salaah. His day and night was Quraan in the month of Ramadhaan. The reason for bringing this example is to show that to be engrossed in Quraan during the month of Ramadhaan is not something far fetched, but something that is achievable and attainable. If a person makes a concerted effort, then he will be able to make more than one khatam of the Quraan Shareef in this month, devoting as much of his free time as he can to its recital.
My Respected ustaadh, Qari Yunus Kazi Sahib would always mention a beautiful advice in class before the month of Ramadhaan. He would tell us that our weakness is that we don’t make a lot of tilaawah. But Ramadhaan is the month of tilaawah. A person shouldn’t just start on the first day of Ramadhaan by reading 3 or 4 parahs, and then burning out and barely reading anything afterwards. Rather, a person should gradually increase his daily amount of tilaawah for atleast a month before Ramadhaan. In this way, when Ramadhaan comes, he’ll be able to manage reading much more than he normally would.
For example; if a person’s daily routine out of the month of Ramadhaan is half a parah, then every two or three days, he should add a page. By the time Ramadhaan comes, he’d have added between a quarter to half a parah of tilaawah to his daily amount. Therefore, by the time Ramadhaan comes, he’ll easily manage more than a parah without burning out.
Yes, our lives are hectic, there’s much to do and much to see to, which bring me to my next point
3. Time management
Time management is an important and vital aspect in the life of a believer. My beloved Sheikh, Haafidh Qaasim Paruk Sahib, always stresses the importance of time management, and staying away from futility. It is mentioned that Hakeemul Ummah Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi Sahib had a timetable, and would strictly adhere to it, no matter what.
So our main course of action is to set a time for the recitation of Quraan. A time where we can free our minds and solely focus on the Quraan. After fajr and after asr are great examples, as they’re generally peaceful times. However, any time would work. But the objective is to set a time, and to be consistent on it. Even if a person sets multiple time slots during the day for recitation of the Quraan, he will find immense benefit if he sticks to it, and he will be able to cover much of the Quraan.
4. Don’t engage in futility
In our times, the usage of the cellphone and other devices has greatly led us away from the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. in this month, we should seek to rectify this by putting these devices down and sticking to our preset times for tilaawah.
We should also stay away from gheebah,slander, and talks which do not concern us. It is better to rush home after taraweeh salaah and spend time with our families than to stand outside and talk. This is a blessed month, and all types of sin should be refrained from, so that we may attain the most barakah.
If a person had to offer us a job, and he told us that the better our work, the higher the commission. It is not far fetched to say that everyone would do their utmost best so that they could receive a high pay out. Here Allah Ta’ala is offering us mountains of rewards, who is there to grab at this golden opportunity?
This is a month in which Nafl actions get the reward of fardh actions (in other months), and fardh actions get the reward of 70 Faraaidh. Let us not be from the losers!
5. Taubah
It is essential that we understand our reality and we turn to Allah Ta’ala in a humble condition, begging for his forgiveness. We are full of sin, we know what actions we carry out. Out of respect for this month, we should put a stop to those actions and turn in repentance to Al Ghafoor Ar Raheem. Our Allah Is ever ready to accept our taubah, it is just up to us to turn to him.
Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi says that even if a person has the intention of committing the same wrong tomorrow, then too he should make taubah, he should feel remorse for his actions. This is not a get out of jail free card to say that you should carry on sinning. But the regret should be felt in the heart, and taubah should be made. Through this, Allah will clean our slate, and pull us out of the sin. Obviously, an effort from our side is necessary. But once Allah sees his slave turning to him, remorseful over his sins, then it is not beyond Allah to cleanse us and change our lives.
6. Dua
Allah Ta’ala mentions right after the ayaat of Ramadhaan:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
And when My servants ask you (O Muhammad ﷺ ) I am indeed near. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me. So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright
In this verse, Allah Ta’ala encourages the believers to turn to him in Dua. This is the month of rectification and reconnection with our Rabb. We should sit on the musallah, open our hands and beg Allah for whatever we need. A person is not just restricted to the musallah, but when ever he gets the opportunity, he should make dua, Allah Ta’ala states that he is near, he accepts the dua when it’s made, so what reason do we have to shy away from this?
And remember, no dua is ‘too big’ or ‘too small’ for Allah Ta’ala. Always keep in mind the hadeeth,
Imam Ahmad narrates in his Musnad:
Rasulullah ﷺ said:
يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالى أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا
دَعَانِي
So we should turn to Allah for our every need. The Sahaabah R.A would make dua when they needed a shoelace. Nothing is beyond the grasp of our Allah, it is up to us to ask, and we shall receive.
A point should be made to make dua when breaking the fast, after every salaah, after reading Quraan, and many other blessed times. We should also make an effort to memorise all the Sunnah duas, or atleast read them, so that we may attain benefit and closeness to Rasulullah ﷺ
And if we have families, then some Ta’leem should be done so that the men, women, and children of the home also feel encouraged to make the best of this Ramadhaan.
