how to prepare for ramadan

How to prepare for Ramadan

YOUSUF SULTAN

Deputy Mufti, Jamia Shariyyah Malibag

S E M I N A R A R R A N G E D @ I S L A M I C U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E C H N O L O G Y ( I U T ) , 2 5 T H J U N E , 2 0 1 4

Outline

What is Ramadan? Why is Ramadan special? Taqwa

What is Taqwa Taqwa – an example

Virtues of Fasting and other Ibadahs in Ramadan

Protection from committing sins The Ramadan of Our Pious Predecessors Ramadan Checklist – Dos & Don’ts

What is Ramadan

9th month in a Hijri calendar.

Why is Ramadan special?


1. Al-Qur’an has been revealed:

من الدى وبينات شهر رمضان الذي أنزل فيو القرآن ىدى للناس﴾١٨٥: والفرقان ﴿البقرة

The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was revealed as guidance for mankind, and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong. [2:185]


2. Fasting has been made Fardh.

١٨٥: ﴿البقرة فمن شهد منكم الشهر ف ليصمو﴾

So those of you who witness the month must fast in it. [2:185]


2. Fasting has been made Fardh.

Through fasting, one can learn Taqwa, and be a Muttaqi.

يا أي ها الذين آمنوا كتب عليكم الصيام كما كتب على الذين من ق بلكم لعلكم﴾ ١٨٣: ت ت قون ﴿البقرة

O you who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as they were enjoined upon those before you, so that you may be Muttaqun (God-fearing). [2:183]

What is Taqwa?

In Al-Qur’an the word Taqwa came with several meanings: Tawheed & Eemaan Ikhlaas Ibaadah Khashyah (fear of Allah) Leaving sins

In other words: Fearing Allah SWT, obedience to whatever He has ordered,

and avoiding whatever He has forbidden.

What is Taqwa?

Taqwa teaches us to obey Allah in all his orders and prohibitions.

And it is the ultimate purpose of a human life, to do ibaadah.

﴿ نس إل لي عبدون ﴾ ٥٦: الذارياتوما خلقت الن وال I did not create the Jinns and the human beings

except for the purpose that they should worship Me. [51:56]

Taqwa – an example

Once, a servant of Abu Bakr [Ra] came to him with some food, and he ate

some of it. Abu Bakr [Ra] used to ask the servant each time about the origin

of the food before eating, but this time he forgot to do so. The servant then

asked him, "Why did you not ask me where this food came from?" Abu

Bakr [Ra] returned, "From where?" The servant responded, "I practiced

fortune telling in the times of Jaahiliyyah (the Period of Ignorance before

Islam) for some people and they paid me for it (today)." On hearing this,

Abu Bakr [Ra] put his finger into his mouth and forced himself to vomit up

the food, until there was nothing left in his stomach. Then, he said, “By

Allah, if getting this piece of bread out of my body meant my death, I

would have got it out.”

Taqwa through fasting

Allah, the Majestic and the Exalted, said: Every act of the son of Adam is for him except fasting. It is done for My sake, and I will give a reward for it. By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk.

Sahih Muslim: 1151

'He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake.' Sahih al-Bukhari: 1894


3. Laylatul Qadr:لة القدر ﴿القدر ﴾١: إنا أنزلناه ف لي

We have sent it (the Qur'an) down in the Night of Qadr. [97:1]

4. Endless opportunities to earn rewards.

"When the month of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of the (Hell) Fire are closed, and the devils are chained.“

Sahih al-Bukhari: 3277

Virtues of Fasting & other Ibaadahs

during Ramadan

Virtues of Fasting

Allah, the Majestic and the Exalted, said: Every act of the son of

Adam is for him except fasting. It is done for My sake, and I will

give a reward for it. By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of

Muhammad, the breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to

Allah than the fragrance of musk. Sahih Muslim: 1151

There are two pleasures for a fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other when he’ll meet his lord.

Sahih al-Bukhari 7492

Virtues of Fasting

In Paradise there is a gate which is called Rayyan through

which only the people who fast would enter on the Day on

Resurrection. None else would enter along with them. It would

be proclaimed: Where are the people who fast that they

should be admitted into it? And when the last of them would

enter, it would be closed and no one would enter it. Sahih Muslim 1152

Virtues of Fasting

Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah, Allah would remove, because of this day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the extent of seventy years' distance.

Sahih Muslim: 1153

"Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah's rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven."

Sahih al-Bukhari: 38

Virtues of other Ibadah during Ramadan

Suhur: "Take Suhur as there is a barakah in it.“


Arranging iftaar for someone who is fasting: "Whoever provides the food for a fasting person to break his

fast with, then for his is the same reward as his (the fasting person's), without anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting person.“

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 807


Prayer at night "Whoever establishes prayers during the nights of Ramadan

faithfully out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not for showing off), all his past sins will be forgiven.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 37

Umrah: "Umrah during Ramadan is equal to Hajj."



Reciting Qur’an and Charity The Prophet ( ( ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص was the most generous of all the people,

and he used to become more generous in Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night during Ramadan to revise the Qur'an with him. Allah's Messenger ( ( ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص then used to be more generous than the fast wind



Dua “There are three whose supplication is not rejected: The

fasting person when he breaks his fast, the just leader, and the supplication of the oppressed person; Allah raises it up above the clouds and opens the gates of heaven to it. And the Lord says: ‘By My might, I shall surely aid you, even if it should be after a while.’”


Protection from committing sins


Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, 'I am fasting.'



"Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his (fasting) leaving his food and drink."



“There are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there are those who pray and get nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night.”

Ibn Majah 1690

The Ramadan of Our Pious Predecessors


The companions of our Prophet used to give special preference to the Quran during the holy month of Ramadhan. It is said that Uthman bin Affan used to finish the recitation of the whole Quran once everyday.

It is also said that Ibn Umar used to cry very much when he read the Quran. One day while he was reading SuratulMutaffin, it is said that when he reached the verse - “The Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the ‘Alamin(mankind, jinns and all that exists)?” (83:6) – he cried so hard that he was overwhelmed and could not read the Quran anymore.


‘When Ramadhan started Sufyan Athawri used to leave all acts of worship and turn to Quran’

‘Sa’aid Ibnu Jubeyr used to finish the whole recitation of Quran in two nights’

‘Malik ibn Anas used to run from all circles of knowledge when Ramadhan started and turned instead to the recitation of Quran’

‘Zahriy used to say when Ramadan started, ‘Indeed it’s the recitation of Quran and feeding the poor’.


A typical day of Uthman Ibn Affan in Ramadhan was fasting during the day time and prayer and prostration at night ‘(Sunan al-bayhaqi 4/301). And Uthman bin Affan was also killed while he was fasting. (Al-hilyah 1/55)

Their day was full of supplications and free from vain talks. Jabir Bin Abdullah said, ‘When you fast then let your ears, eyes and your tongue fast from false statement and bad deeds. And be calm and don’t let the day your fasting and the day you are not fasting be the same’ (Ibnu abisheyba 2/422)


When the time of iftaar arrived, they used to race in feeding the poor and the unfortunate. It’s narrated that IbnuUmar used to break his fast with the poor people and if a poor person came to him asking for food while he was eating he used to give him his portion.’.

Ramadan Checklist

Ramadan Checklist - Dos

1. Pray all 5 daily prayers, and on time2. Recite, learn and understand Qur’an3. Read the biography of Prophet Muhammad

SM4. Pray at night, Taraweeh & Qiyamul Layl5. Search for Laylatul Qadr the last 10 nights of

Ramadan

Ramadan Checklist - Dos

6. Make lots of Duas, for self and others7. Arrange Iftaar for the observers of fasting8. Pay Zakat if unpaid9. Give charity and help the poor10. Smile

Ramadan Checklist – Don’ts

1. No eating or drinking while fasting2. No smoking3. No swearing or lying or bad word4. No arguing or fighting5. No physical intimacy

Ramadan Checklist

Don’t waste time. Try to get the most out of Ramadan. Each and every moment is precise

Don’t waste the virtuous nights by watching World Cup matches, playing video games or watching movies and listening to songs.

Summary

What is Ramadan? Why is Ramadan special? Taqwa

What is Taqwa Taqwa – an example

Virtues of Fasting and other Ibadahs in Ramadan

Protection from committing sins The Ramadan of Our Pious Predecessors Ramadan Checklist – Dos & Don’ts

Questions?

Download/ Share the presentation

Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/yousufs/how-to-

prepare-for-ramadanDropbox:

http://goo.gl/YU3714

Thank you.

Yousuf SultanDeputy Mufti, Jamia Shariyyah Malibag

E-mail: [email protected]: www.yousufsultan.com

how to prepare for ramadan

Spiritual

taqwa taqwa

ramadan special

month of ramadan

ramadan protection

word taqwa

i c u n

allah swt

o g y i u t