Advice
Naveed Kamal Madani
Ramadan is upon us. The immense blessings and bounties which Allah Almighty grants Muslims in this month are innumerable. Each moment of this most sacred month brims with divine mercy and gleams with Allah’s benevolence. It is a true unique gift for the Muhammadan Ummah which accords us lifelong memories of suhur, Iftar, Taraweeh, and liveliness in the masjid.
This blessed month is the season of forgiveness in which the heavens open and divine favours pour unto the faithful. You are fortunate if you spend the days and nights of Ramadan in worship, reciting the Quran, and shedding tears in Allah’s remembrance.
Then, what greater loss is there than wasting this precious month, not valuing its spiritual richness, and remaining lost in negligence. Ultimately, such an unfortunate soul is deprived of the blessings and forgiveness promised in this month: “May his nose be covered in dust; the one who reached Ramadan but it passed by before he was forgiven.”[1]
We should strive to perform as many good deeds as possible. Who knows, this Ramadan may be the final one of our lives, as there is no guarantee we will live to see it next year.
How should we spend Ramadan-ul-Mubarak? What kind of good deeds should we do? How should we spend our time? 12 pieces of advice are presented to you regarding these questions.
1. After Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, and Maghrib, recite a quarter of a juz of the Holy Quran. This way, you will recite one juz a day, and after thirty days, you will have finished the Holy Quran.
2. Try to read every Taraweeh prayer. In this way, you will have the blessings of finishing another Holy Quran.
3. With your best efforts, try to get up quickly at the time of suhur and perform Tahajjud prayer. In the month of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, Tahajjud is a treasure you can attain very easily. Make the most of every night and try to offer this Salah.
4. When coming to Salah or leaving from it, keep track of how long your journey is. Accordingly, make a habit of sending, 50, 100, or as many Salat as you can on the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. You can build up a habit of reciting over 300 Salat upon the Prophet if you do this.
5. If possible, sit Iʿtikāf for the entire month. If not, at least the final ten days. If this is not possible, try to take out as much time as possible and perform Iʿtikāf in this blessed month. By sitting Iʿtikāf , you will find it easy to remain awake in the night for performing acts of worship, especially in the odd nights of the final ten days.
6. Once finishing work and other important tasks, take time out for reading and study. Consolidate your knowledge of Salah, fasting, zakat, and sadaqah al-fiṭr. For this, you can consult a Sunni scholar or watch Madani Channel.
7. Do not miss the golden opportunity of making duʿā at iftar time. It is narrated in Sunan Ibn Majah: “No doubt, there is one such duʿā for the fasting person that is not rejected at the time of Iftar.”[2]
8. Give some form of sadaqah or charity every day, as that removes calamities.
9. Cut down on using your phone or tablet. Keep your phone for answering and making calls only. Besides calls, leave it alone! Instead of surfing the internet, do something more productive.
10. Help orphans and the less fortunate. When preparing for Eid, keep them in mind and try your best to support them.
11. Always show good conduct to your parents, brothers, sisters, and other family members. This is especially important in the month of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak. Strive to be the best you can with them, in terms of manners and maintaining a good relationship, and earn an abundance of good deeds in this way.
12. Make a schedule to perform as many good deeds as possible and spend as much time in worship as you can. Set time for sleeping, waking, dhikr, and other positive activities. Be thoughtful about your suhur and iftar meals. Do not undereat or overeat, but strike a balance so that you feel full of energy and not fatigued or lethargic.
Finally, avoid unhealthy foods.
May Allah Almighty help and preserve us all, and allow us to truly value and benefit from the month of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak.
اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلہٖ وَسَلَّم
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