prepare for the arrival of Ramadhan

How can we prepare for the arrival of Ramadhan?

 

 

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly; You have done well to ask this question, because you have asked how to prepare for the month of Ramadhan. Many people misunderstand the true nature o f fasting, and they make it an occasion for eating and drinking, making special sweets and staying up late at night and watching shows on satellite TV. They make preparations for that long before Ramadhan, lest they miss out on some food or prices go up. They prepare by buying food, preparing drinks and looking at the satellite TV guide so they can choose which shows to follow and which to ignore. They are truly unaware of the real nature of fasting in Ramadhan; they take worship and piety out of the month and make it just for their bellies and their eyes. 

Secondly; Others are aware of the real nature of fasting in the month of Ramadhan, so they start to prepare from Sha'baan, and some of them even start before that. Among the best ways of preparing for the month of Ramadhan are: 

1 –Sincere repentance 

This is obligatory at all times, but because of the approach of a great and blessed month, it is even more important to hasten to repent from sins between you and your Lord, and between you and other people by giving them their rights, so that when the blessed month begins you may busy yourself with acts of worship with a clean heart and peace of mind. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

"And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful"                         

[al-Noor 24:31] 

It was narrated from al-Agharr ibn Yasaar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O people, repent to Allaah for I repent to Him one hundred times each day." Narrated by Muslim (2702). 

2 –Du'aa' (supplication) 

It was narrated from some of the salaf that they used to pray to Allaah for six months that they would live until Ramadhan, then they would pray for five months afterwards that He would accept it from them. 

The Muslim should ask his Lord to let him live until Ramadhan with a strong religious commitment and good physical health, and he should ask Him to help him obey Him during the month, and ask Him to accept his good deeds from Him. 

3 – Rejoicing at the approach of the blessed month 

The arrival of Ramadhan is one of the great blessings that Allaah bestows upon His Muslim slave, because Ramadhan is one of the occasions of good in which the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed. It is the month of the Qur'aan and of decisive battles in the history of our religion. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  "Say: 'In the Bounty of Allaah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Qur'aan); —therein let them rejoice.' That is better than what (the wealth) they amass" [Yoonus 10:58] 

4 – Discharging the duty of any outstanding obligatory fasts 

It was narrated that Abu Salamah said: I heard 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) say: I would owe fasts from the previous Ramadhan and I would not be able to make them up except in Sha'baan.  [Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1849) and Muslim (1146).] 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: From her keenness to do that in Sha'baan it may be understood that it is not permissible to delay making them up until another Ramadhan begins.  [Fath al-Baari (4/191).] 

5 – Seeking knowledge in order to be able to follow the rulings on fasting and to understand the virtues of Ramadaan. 

6 – Hastening to complete any tasks that may distract the Muslim from doing acts of worship. 

7 – Sitting with one's family members – wife and children – to tell them of the rulings on fasting and encourage the young ones to fast. 

8 – Preparing some books which can be read at home or given to the imam of the mosque to read to the people during Ramadhan. 

9 – Fasting some of the month of Sha'baan in preparation for fasting Ramadhan. 

It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast until we said: He will not break his fast, and he used not to fast until we said: He will not fast. And I never saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) complete a month of fasting except Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than in Sha'baan.  [Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1868) and Muslim (1156).] 

It was narrated that Usaamah ibn Zayd said: I said: O Messenger of Allaah, I do not see you fasting in any month as you fast in Sha'baan? He said: "That is a month that people neglect between Rajab and Ramadhan, but it is a month in which people's deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds and I would like my deeds to be taken up when I am fasting."  [Narrated by al-Nasaa'i (2357); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i.]  

This hadeeth explains the wisdom behind fasting in Sha'baan, which is that it is a month in which deeds are taken up (to Allaah). Some of the scholars mentioned another reason, which is that this fasting is like Sunnah prayers offered beforehand in relation to the obligatory prayer; they prepare the soul for performing the obligatory action, and the same may be said of fasting Sha'baan before Ramadhan. 

10 – Reading Qur'aan 

Salamah ibn Kuhayl said: It was said that Sha'baan was the month of the Qur'aan readers. 

When Sha'baan began, 'Amr ibn Qays would close his shop and free his time for reading Qur'aan. 

Abu Bakr al-Balkhi said: The month of Rajab is the month for planting, the month of Sha'baan is the month of irrigating the crops, and the month of Ramadhan is the month of harvesting the crops. 

He also said: The likeness of the month of Rajab is that of the wind, the likeness of Sha'baan is that of the clouds and the likeness of Ramadhan is that of the rain; whoever does not plant and sow in Rajab, and does not irrigate in Sha'baan, how can he reap in Ramadhan? Now Rajab has passed, so what will you do in Sha'baan if you are seeking Ramadhan? This is how your Prophet and the early generations of the ummah were in this blessed month, so what will you do?

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) - Enjoying a funny gesture

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) - Enjoying a funny gesture

 

When a person is kind and forbearing, people may try to get advantage of his kindness.

 

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) - Enjoying a funny gesture

 

When a person is kind and forbearing, people may try to get advantage of his kindness.

 

They may exceed their limits in one way or another, hoping that he would look at the matter in his usual, forbearing manner. Yet sometimes a kind and forbearing person may be unwilling to let others take advantage of his kindness, particularly when this affects him physically or financially. When such an action is meant to make people laugh or enjoy themselves, the kindly person may feel hurt. However, if he takes all this in his stride and maintains his attitude of kindness, he shows himself to be superior. This is exactly what Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did. The following example tells us much.

Nuayman ibn Amr, an Ansari companion of the Prophet, was well known for his humorous gestures and funny tricks. He would pull a trick at any time. The Prophet used to smile at him when he saw him. He would even target his gestures at the Prophet, knowing that in his kindness, the Prophet would only reply with a smile. One day a Bedouin came to the Prophet. He entered the mosque and placed his she-camel outside. Some people suggested to Nuayman: "Why don't you slaughter this she-camel. We will cook its meat and eat it. We have not had any meat to eat for sometime. The Prophet will give the man its price." Nuayman did so. When the Bedouin came out, after having stayed sometime with the Prophet, he discovered that his she-camel had been slaughtered. He shouted: "Muhammad! What a slaughter!" The Prophet came out of the mosque. On finding out what happened, he asked who slaughtered the she-camel. People told him that it was Nuayman.

Meanwhile, Nuayman disappeared. The Prophet followed him until he was told that he went into the home of Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr, a cousin of the Prophet. Nuayman, in fact hiding in a small trench, put some tree branches over himself to hide. One man who was accompanying the Prophet noticed where Nuayman was hiding. He pointed to him with his finger and loudly said: 'Messenger of God, I have not seen him.' The Prophet walked to him and helped him come out. His face was covered with dust. He asked him: 'Why did you do that?' Nuayman said: 'These people who pointed my hiding place to you were the ones who asked me to do it'. The Prophet wiped the dust off Nuayman's face and laughed. He then paid the Bedouin a good price for his she-camel.

What we have here is that a person, who is known for his tricks, was persuaded to slaughter a camel that belonged to a Bedouin. He does not see anything other than the funny side of the action, so he slaughters it. The owner is so shocked that he cries out for the Prophet to come out and look. The slaughterer realizes the enormity of his action so he disappears, seeking refuge in the home of a cousin of the Prophet where he hides. When the Prophet becomes aware of the full story, he realizes that no crime was involved. Some of his companions were without meat for sometime. They persuaded a jester to kill the she-camel. The Prophet calms down the man, wiping the dust off his face and pays the price of the killed animal. Thus, the Bedouin gets a new she-camel; the jester is not punished; the people get their meat; and the Prophet smiles as he pays the price, accepting that it was all done for a laugh and a good meal.

 

 

- by Adil Salahi 

 

Hadith Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi-Allahu 'anhu)

Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi-Allahu 'anhu):

Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "The (Hell) Fire
complained to its Lord saying, 'O my Lord! My different parts eat up each
other.' So, He allowed it to take two breaths, one in the winter and the
other in summer, and this is the reason for the severe heat and the bitter
cold you find (in weather)."

Bukhari Vol. 4 : No. 482