reaping the benefits of ramadhan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Reaping The Benefits

Of Ramadhaan

By Shazad Sookram

“O ye who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you, so that ye may learn self-restraint”. (Chapter:2, Verse:183)

REAPING THE BENEFITS OF RAMADHAAN

This may be done in three ways:This may be done in three ways:1.1. Preparation before the month of Preparation before the month of

RamadhaanRamadhaan2.2. Making the maximum use of the Making the maximum use of the

month of Ramadhaanmonth of Ramadhaan3.3. What you do after RamadhaanWhat you do after Ramadhaan

Preparation Before The Month Of Ramadhaan

a. Mental and Psychological Preparation• Acquiring as much knowledge as possible on the

virtues, benefits, rulings etc. on Ramadhaan and fasting

• Set Specific Ramadhaan Goals/Resolutions

b. Physical Preparation• Develop a Ramdhaan Schedule of activities• Clean your home and surroundings• Ramadhaan Menu

MAKING THE MAXIMUM USE OF THE MONTH OF RAMADHAAN

1. OBLIGATORY ACTIONS

2. RECOMMENDED(MUSTAHABB) ACTIONS

MAKING THE MAXIMUM USE OF THE MONTH OF RAMADHAAN

1. OBLIGATORY ACTIONSa. Fastb. Establishing the Five(5) daily Salaah in its correct time and

with all its conditions and requirementsc. Staying away from the Muharramaat( Prohibited) things

– Lying– Backbiting– Slandering– Cheating– Listening to Music– Zina etc.

AVOID THE FOLLOWING…

• Eating too muchEating too much• ““GaffingGaffing”” after the Iftar and before after the Iftar and before

Esha and during the Taraweeh Esha and during the Taraweeh • WastingWasting• Making JokesMaking Jokes

IF ANYONE INSULT YOU SAY…

يصخب، . وال يرفث فال أحدكم صوم يوم كان وإذا : صائم امرؤ �ي إّن فليقل قاتله أو أحد& �ه ساّب فإن

The Prophet said: If it is your day of fasting then do not behave obscenely and arrogantly. And it anyone insults you or fights you then say to them :

I am a fasting person.

والسالم الصالة عليه قـال

والجهل ّبه والعمل الزور قول يدع لم منوشراّبه طعامه يدع أن في حاجة لله فليس

The Prophet said:

“ Whoever does not leave off false and lewd speech and acting upon it and ignorance then Allah is in no need of him abandoning his food and drink”. (Bukhari and Muslim)

RECOMMENDED(MUSTAHABB) ACTIONS

1. Taking the Suhoor and Iftar

2. Recitation of the Quran3. Zhikr4. Dua5. Taraawih/Qiyaamul Lail6. Completing the

Taraweeh with the Imam

7. Sadaqah& Zakaat8. Facilitating a Fasting

Person to break his fast

9. Striving in the Last Ten Nights

10.Searching for Lailatul Qadr

11.Making I`tikaaf12.Paying the Zakaatul Fitr13.Increasing in Voluntary

Actions14.Making Umraa15.Attending Janaazah

and Visiting the Sick

INCREASING IN VOLUNTARY ACTIONSعمل : كل سلم و عليه الله صلى الله رسول قال

إلى أمثالها ّبعشر الحسنة يضاعف له آدم اّبنأّنا لي فإّنه الصوم إال الله قال ضعف، سبعمائة

أجلي من وطعامه شهوته يدع ّبه أجزي

The Prophet said: All of the action of the son of Adam is for him. A good deed is

multiplied ten times until seven hundred times. Allah said except for the Fast for it

is for me and I will reward for it. He leaves off his desires and food for my

sake.

Suhoor and Iftar It is strongly recommended by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) to observe these practices during Ramadan:

• To have a light meal before the break of the dawn, known as Suhoor.

•To eat three dates and have a drink of water right after sunset, saying this prayer: “O God! For Your sake we have fasted and now we break the fast with the food You have given us”.

•To make your meals as light as possible because, as the Prophet put it, “The worst thing man can fill is his stomach”. (Al-Tirmidhi, no. 2380)

DUAوالسالم الصالة عليه قـال

يفطر : حتى الصائم دعوتهم ترد ال ثالثالمظلوم ودعوة العادل واإلمام

The Prophet said three persons their dua will not go unanswered:

The Fasting Person when he breaks his fast, the Just Leader and the

Supplication of the Oppressed.

GO FOR UMRAH FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD…

وسلم عليه الله صلى قالتعدل : » رمضان في عمرة

«- حجةThe Prophet وسلم عليه الله :said صلى

Making Umrah in Ramadhaan is equivalent to Hajj

SPEND MOST OF SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME AT THE YOUR TIME AT THE MASJIDMASJID

““O people! The month O people! The month of Allah(swt) has come of Allah(swt) has come with His mercies and with His mercies and blessings. This is the blessings. This is the

month that is the best month that is the best of all months. Its days of all months. Its days are the best of days, are the best of days,

its nights are the best its nights are the best of nights, its hours are of nights, its hours are

the best of hours”.the best of hours”.(Prophet Muhammad-(Prophet Muhammad-

saw)saw)

Pray that Allah gives us the Pray that Allah gives us the strength and patience and to strength and patience and to

accept all our fasts in this holy accept all our fasts in this holy month.month.

PERFORM A LOT OF PRAYERS….

ESTABLISH THE TARAAWIH/QIYAAMUL LAILESTABLISH THE TARAAWIH/QIYAAMUL LAIL

وسلم قا عليه الله صلى وسلم ل عليه الله صلى ل

تقدIم ما له JرKِفMُغ O واحتساّبا O إيماّنا رمضان قام تقدIم من ما له JرKِفMُغ O واحتساّبا O إيماّنا رمضان قام منذّنبه ذّنبه من من

The Prophet said:The Prophet said:““Whoever stands in the night of Ramadhaan Whoever stands in the night of Ramadhaan

with Imaan and Ihtisaab (longing for the with Imaan and Ihtisaab (longing for the reward from Allah) then all his past sins reward from Allah) then all his past sins would be forgiven”. would be forgiven”.

COMPLETING THE TARAWEEH WITH THE IMAM

وسلم عليه الله صلى وسلم قال عليه الله صلى قالقيام له حسب ينصرف حتى اإلمام مع صلى إذا الرجل �قيام إن له حسب ينصرف حتى اإلمام مع صلى إذا الرجل �إن

ليلةليلةThe Prophet said:The Prophet said:

“ “ Indeed the person that prays with Indeed the person that prays with the Imam until he leaves, it will be the Imam until he leaves, it will be

considered for him as if he stood the considered for him as if he stood the entire night praying”.entire night praying”.

DO A LOT OF ZHIKR…

Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, that Allah Subhanahu-wa-Ta’ala

said:

“All the deeds of man are

for himself,

except for fasting, which is

for Me and I shall

reward it MYSELF”.

Sadaqah& Zakaatما أجود وكان الناس، أجود وسلم عليه الله صلى الله رسول كانجبريل وكان القرآن، فيدارسه جبريل يلقاه حين رمضان في يكون

عليه الله صلى الله فلbرسول القرآن، فيدارسه ليلة كل يلقاهالمرسلة الريح من بالخير أجود جبريل يلقاه حين وسلم

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: “The Prophet 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 then used to be more

generous than the fast wind.”

FACILITATING A FASTING PERSON TO BREAK HIS FAST

ينقص ال �ه أّن ُغير أجره مثل له كان O صائما فَّطIر منشيء الصائم أجر من

Whoever gives a fasting person Whoever gives a fasting person something to break his fast will something to break his fast will

get the same reward as the get the same reward as the fasting person without the fasting person without the

reward of the fasting person reward of the fasting person decreasing in any way. decreasing in any way.

STRIVING IN THE LAST TEN NIGHTSSTRIVING IN THE LAST TEN NIGHTS

دخل إذا وسلم عليه الله صلى الله رسول كان فقدأهله أيقظ ليله، وأحيا مئزره، �شد العشر

In al-Sahihayn it is reported from the In al-Sahihayn it is reported from the hadith of ‘A'ishah that when the last hadith of ‘A'ishah that when the last

ten days of Ramadan came, the ten days of Ramadan came, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would Prophet (peace be upon him) would stay up at night, wake his family and stay up at night, wake his family and

tie his waist clothtie his waist cloth

Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down

in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree).

And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr

(Decree)is?

The night of Al-Qadr is better than a

thousand months.

The Night of Power

Therein descend the angels and the Ruh [ Jibrael (Gabrial)]

by Allah’s Permission with all Decrees.

(All that night), there is Peace (and

Goodness from Allah to his believing slaves) until the

appearance of dawn.

(Surah 97)

SEARCHING FOR THE NIGHT OF POWER

Narrated Aisha (r.a.a.), Allah’s messenger (s.a.w.) said,

“Search for the night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan”.

Aisha (r.a.a.) narrated, “I asked Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) what should I do if I find the night of

Qadr”.The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied, “Pray to Allah: O our Lord! You are the most Forgiving, You love to forgive, so forgive us”.

Making I`tikaafMaking I`tikaafكل في يعتكف وسلم عليه الله صلى النبي كان

قبض الذي العام كان فلم�ا أيام، عشرة رمضان O يوما عشرين اعتكف فيه

The Prophet used to make 10 days The Prophet used to make 10 days I`tikaaf in every Ramadhaan and I`tikaaf in every Ramadhaan and

when it was the year that he died when it was the year that he died he made 20 days I`tikaaf. he made 20 days I`tikaaf.

Zakaatul FitrZakaatul Fitr : - - زكاة الله رسول فرض قال عنهما الله رضي عباس اّبن عنأداها للمساكين،فمن وطعمة الرفث و الغو من للصائم الِفَّطر

فهي الصالة ّبعد أداها ومن مقبولة زكاة فهي الصالة قبلالصدقات من صدقة

Ibn Abbass said: The Messenger made Ibn Abbass said: The Messenger made Zakaatul Fitr compulsory for the Fasting Zakaatul Fitr compulsory for the Fasting person as (an expiation) for vain talk and person as (an expiation) for vain talk and obscene behavior and as a food for the poor. obscene behavior and as a food for the poor. So whoever gives it before the Eid Salaah So whoever gives it before the Eid Salaah then it is a Zakaatul Fitr that is accepted and then it is a Zakaatul Fitr that is accepted and whoever gives it after the Eid Salaah then it whoever gives it after the Eid Salaah then it is charity. is charity.

All you have to do is to read around 4.5 pages after

each prayer

Pages Prayers/day Days

Number of Qur’an pages

If you are not in a hurry you can finish it once every two months by

reading just 2 pages.

I never knew it was that easy to read the whole Qur’an each month, by

spending few minutes after each prayer

And remember, each letter you read in Qur'an counts 10

hasanat.

ATTENDING JANAAZAH AND VISITING THE SICK ATTENDING JANAAZAH AND VISITING THE SICK AND FEEDING THE POOR AND FEEDING THE POOR

: . : : فمن قال أّنا ّبكر أّبو فقال صائما؟ اليوم منكم أصبح من سلم و عليه الله صلى النبي قال : . : أّبو مسكينا؟فقال اليوم منكم أطعم فمن قال أّنا ّبكر أّبو فقال جنازة؟ اليوم منكم تبع : . : : . في: اجتمعن ما النبي قال أّنا ّبكر أّبو قال مريضا؟ اليوم منكم عاد فمن قال أّنا ّبكر

الجنة دخل إال امرىء

The Prophet asked: Who amongst you are fasting today? Abu Bakr said: “I”. He said:

Who amongst you followed a Janaazah today? Abu Bakr said: I. He asked: Who

amongst you fed a poor person today? Abu Bakr said: I. He asked: Who amongst you visited a sick today? Abu Bakr said : I. The

Prophet said: Whoever combines these together will enter Jannah.

MAKING THE MAXIMUM USE OF THE MONTH OF RAMADHAAN

• Start gradually and increasing in your actions as you come closer to the end

• Lessen you work load• Daily Evaluation (Muhaasabah)

every night

WHAT YOU DO AFTER RAMADHAAN…

JقKينMٱٱٱ لي J Jَك Kي Jۡأت �ي Iى ت Jح JَكI ّب Jر Mد لوJعب لعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡألعدۡأ ۡأ د عAnd worship your Lord until there comes unto

you the certainty (i.e. death) (Al-Hijr:99)

عمله : اّنقَّطع العبد مات إذا النبي قالThe Prophet said:

When the servant dies his actions/deeds are severed.

WHAT YOU DO AFTER RAMADHAAN…WHAT YOU DO AFTER RAMADHAAN…

• Fast six days in Shawwal• Other Recommended fasts• Qiyaamul Lail/ Tahajjud continues• Zhikr, Dua, Recitation of the Quran etc.

continues• Charity continues• Other good deeds continue

Give us the strength & patience to fast during the whole month of Ramadan.

Accept all our fasts in this holy month.

Give us the opportunity to worship in the night of Qadr & accept our worshipping.

Help us to continue all the good deeds we do in this holy month.

THE END

لله الحمد أن دعوانا آخر والعالمين رب

رحمة و عليكم والسالمبركاته و الله