By: Rasheed Adekunle Haashim, Ibadan
Dear brethren in Allah’s religion, 1440 A.H Ramadan is seriously knocking at d door. Muslims all over the world are preparing to meet it. Let us prepare for it with good faith and plan to embark on enormous righteous deeds therein. Carefully peruse the following tips on how to maximize our rewards during and after Ramadan:
- Embark on sincere repentance from Allah over your previous sins so as to enter Ramadan as a sincere penitent and true servant of Allah.
- Try to be more God-fearing now and increase in piety as the main motive behind legislation of Ramadan is piety and being dutiful to Allah.
- Prepare for Ramadan spiritually, psychologically, financially and otherwise.
- Those who missed fasting for some days in the previous year should repay it now before another Ramadan starts.
- Increase in different acts of worship in Sha’ban as this is one of the best ways of preparing for Ramadan. It is permissible to fast up to 27 or 28 days in Sha’ban if you have ability to do so and you will not become weakened before obligatory Ramadan approaches. Our pious predecessors were known for increasing their righteous deeds in Sha’ban in preparation for Ramadan. There are numerous authentic narrations on this.
- Do not fast a day or two days prior to Ramadan except the fasting you usually observe such as Monday and Thursday fasting.
- Read and digest at least one book on fasting and its rulings. This will adequately equip you with necessary information needed on fasting.
- Make them available before Ramadan those materials that may facilitate acts of worship such as: a copy of Al-Qur’an (preferably the one divided into parts), kettle, torches for Nigerian situation, prayer mat among others.
- Memorize du’a before breaking fast if you had not done so before.
- Plan for number of the Qur’an you wish to complete and how to go about it. He who fails to plan will definitely plan to fail.
- Participate in lengthy Qiyamu Ramadan and avoid being lazy.
- Spend generously in Ramadan for your immediate family (wives and children) , parents (for those who have) or their relatives for those who do not have, in-laws, the poor, widows, orphans, those who have contributed to your success in life and other needy Muslims.
- At least organise iftar for a person before Ramadan lapses. Your reward is like that of a fasting person.
- Always observe your five daily prayers regularly, congregationally and at the prescribed times. Salat precedes fasting in Islam as fasting without salat is an effort in futility.
- Contribute to the development of the mosques in your area or place of work.
- Endeavor to pay all the debts you owe people. This will make them to start Ramadan happily and save them from incurring other unnecessary debts.
Owners of private establishments and Nigerian government at all levels should also imbibe this and pay government workers’ arrears and salaries before Ramadan. - Embark on medical check-up if you have means to do so as an healthy Muslim will be able to fast and fully reap the enormous rewards in Ramadan.
- Don’t keep malice with any Muslim. Settle all rancours, disputes, conflicts, disagreements and misunderstandings between you and your brethren before Ramadan.
As contained in authentic hadith narrated by Mu’adh bn Jabal and Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari, When Ramadan remains two weeks Allah will forgive all his servants except the polytheists and those keeping malice with each other. Settle all the rifts between you and your brothers now. Tomorrow may be too late.
- Let us avoid inflation of prices of commodity in the market. In fact, prices should be beaten down as you sell more and make more profits. Why the inflation!? Let us fear Allah.
- Avoid wasting your precious time on frivolous activities.This includes wasting your time sinfully on Facebook, WhatsApp, instangram, twitter and other social media.
- Try to do i’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. I support the view of scholars who uphold that i’tikaf can be performed in central mosques where Friday prayers are observed. Likewise, search for laylatul-Qadr as much as you can.
- Remember the dead Muslims in your prayers. Many were those whom we fasted together in 1439 but are no more alive in this 1440.
May Allah forgive them all and spare our lives to witness many Ramadan on earth.
This is my 1440 AH Ramadan advice for all my beloved brothers and sisters in Islam.
Barakallahu fikum Wa Jazakumullahu Khairan
We supplicate to Almighty Allah to count us among the successful ones in this world and in the hereafter. May we witness this Ramadan on earth with sound faith, health, and abundant provisions. Amin
Signed
Rasheed Haashim,
Muflihun High School, Ibadan.
07/04/19
