Know that during Ramadan good deeds’ reward is increased many folds. So this is your chance, to score as much reward as you can with God’s will, and establish a sound God- servant relation, let alone a healthy one with your own self. This is the kind of investment you should be keen on fulfilling through Ramadan.
Four days have elapsed of the holy month, and probably you’ve already figured out the true capacity of your time and effort and now you can set a pragmatic schedule you can stick to. That’s why I thought of deferring this post a few days till you can realistically decide on how your Ramadan will be.
I will not sketch a schedule for you to follow. But rather I shall jot down a number of must-have elements, sort of a checklist, and may be suggestions on the best time in the day for each to be observed.
Supererogatory Prayers, and this definitely is tied to the timing of each obligatory prayer, in addition to the Qyeam prayer, preferably observed after midnight and known also as Taraweeh. Also it’s recommended to pray the Duha Prayer, and it consists of two full unites, observed anytime between sunrise and half an hour before Dhur or noon prayer.
Dhikr, or remembrance of Allah and reciting Allah’s Holy Names and contemplating their mesmerizing connotations. Dhikr, which may Also include Istighfar, strengthens the belief in them and helps you fully grasp their meanings. Also Dhikr is said to make Shahada, Testimonial of Faith, easy to recall and utter upon facing death.
Here’s a collection of Dhikrs, extracted from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
– ‘Whoever recites ‘Glory be to Allah and Praise Him’ (SubhanAllah wa bi Hamdihi) in the morning and evening, one hundred times, none shall come on the Day of Resurrection with anything better except someone who has said the same or more.’ (Sahih Muslim).
– Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Two words are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance, they are loved by the Most Merciful One; ‘Glory be to Allah, and Praise, Him Glory be to Allah, the Supreme’ (SubhanAllah wa bi Hamdihi, Subhan-Allah Al Adheem) — (Narrated by Imams Bukhari and Muslim)
– ‘Glory be to Allah, All Praise is for Allah, There is No God but Allah, Allah is the Greatest (SubhanAllah, walHamdulilah, wa La illaha ilAllahu, waAllahu Akbar ) are known as the four most beloved words to Allah.
– Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “When a servant of Allah utters the words ‘There is no God except Allah’ (la ilaha illallah ) sincerely, the doors of heaven open up for these words until they reach the Throne of Allah, so long as its utterer keeps away from the major sins.” – (Narrated by Imam at-Tirmidhi, who says it is hasan gharib. al-Mundhiri included in al-Targhib #2:414).
– ‘The best form of remembrance is ‘There is No God But Allah’ (La illaha ila Allah )’- Sahih Muslim
– Also Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Renew your faith.” “How can we renew our faith?” they asked. The Prophet replied: “Always say ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah ) la ilah ila Allah.’- (Narrated by Ahmad with a fair chain of authorities.)
Charity, and here I need to offer somewhat wholistic view of charity.
Allah says in the Quran ”Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.”– Quran 3:92
So you’ve got to give of what you love most and not that which you think you can compromise or do not really value. This makes financial aid not the only form of charity one gives, but what you truly value counts more. If it’s money and you have it in your capacity to give financial support, then do financial charity as much as you can. If it’s your time, give some of your time. If it’s your health, engage physically in charity work; such as delivering meals to the poor, or help someone with his work. If it’s your intelligence and mental capabilities; try to employ such blessing in serving Muslims or the message of Islam. Whatever skill you’ve got, try to employ a bit of it for serving the cause of Islam, let that be photography, singing, writing, researching, painting… etc.
Eventually engaging in charity work will become part of your life that you won’t forsake (God willing) after Ramadan concludes. And as a general rule in Ramadan, you can maximize your reward by incorporating feeding a fasting Muslim everyday into your daily To-Dos list.
Reciting Quran, revitalizing the soul and commemorating its revelations during the same month more than 1400 years ago. In order to receive all the blessings Quran recitation grants, allocate three sessions that cover the beginning, middle, and end of the day for reading Quran. But let not the holy words of the Quran stop at the tips of your lips and ears, let its astounding meanings penetrate through your heart and settle in your mind. Contemplate the meaning of each verse you read and reflect on its implications.
“Then do they not reflect upon the Quran? If it had been from [any] other than Allaah, they would have found within it much contradiction.” — Quran: 4:82
And the more you recite, the bigger the reward shall be.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allaah, he will have a reward, and this reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that ‘Alif, Laam, Meem’ (a combination of letters frequently mentioned in the Holy Quran) is a letter, rather I am saying that ‘Alif’ is a letter, ‘Laam’ is a letter and ‘Meem’ is a letter.” – Narrated by Imam at-Tirmithi.
Yet try hard to better your recitation so as to be able to expound more meanings of the Quran and grasp it fully.
In another Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Indeed the one who recites the Quran beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels. As for the one who recites with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward.” – Narrated by Imams Bukhari and Muslim.
Also remember that the Quran will elevate you to higher position on the Day of Resurrection.
‘Abdullaah bin Amr bin al Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying: “It will be said to the companion of the Quran: ‘Read and elevate (through the levels of Paradise) and beautify your voice as you did when you were in the worldly life! For verily, your position in Paradise will be at the last verse you recite!’”- Narrated by Abu Daawood & At-Tirmithi
Enriching your Islamic Knowledge. Generally you don’t love someone unless you get to know more of him or her, yes? Applying the same conception, you cannot tie yourself emotionally and genuinely love Allah and his Messenger unless you learn about them. So let Ramadan be the beginning of an eternal journey of learning and mental exploration to know Allah and His law and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), his life and his long struggle to fulfill his prophetic mission.
Also do not forget the rest of the Prophets; for their lives were meant to deliver many divine lessons aimed at helping you shape a good Muslim character. Acquiring Islamic knowledge can be done through varied ways; ranging from watching daily Islamic programs, and there are a lot of them aired during Ramadan, to reading, watching tutorial videos and lectures over Youtube, and even following some Scholars’ Tweets or posts on Facebook groups.
There’ s a lot to be done, so waste no time to make the most of Ramadan.
Know that during Ramadan good deeds’ reward is increased many folds. So this is your chance, to score as much reward as you can with God’s will, and establish a sound God- servant relation, let alone a healthy one with your own self. This is the kind of investment you should be keen on fulfilling through Ramadan. Work hard and appeal to Allah to help you and He, the Most Gracious, will never fail you, but rather He, the Most Merciful, will maximize you capacity and stretch your endurance so that you can do more and attain His pleasure.
Wassalaam
Maha Youssuf
maha@muslimtribune.org
Posted on: August 4, 2011