The holy month of Ramazan is magnificent, wherein Allah showers His blessings and mercies. One will find opportunities for numerous good deeds such as recitation of the Holy Qur’an, worship, charities and supplications in abundance, in this month.
The odd nights of the last ten days of Ramazan are especially blessed with as the great night of Laylatul Qadr provides opportunity to gain nearness of Almighty.
Let us try to take a new turn in this month of Ramazan with the motto ‘A change in our life for the better’. That we get closer to Allah and that the pain of our suffering brethren becomes firmly embedded in our minds. So much so that at the end of Ramazan, our heart testifies that positive changes have taken place in us.
A gist of resolutions that can be attained is presented hereunder. Each person may draw out his resolutions based on his conditions and needs:
Getting rid of shortcomings must try to avoid the following:
• Lapse of prayer timings.
• Watching TV and films.
• Reading obscene and absurd novels and literature.
• Idle talk and gossip.
• Speaking ill of in-laws .
• Swearing at and abusing children.
• Beating children.
• Being headstrong with spouse.
• Over spending.
• Miserliness.
• Quarreling with neighbours.
• Lying.
• Pomp and show, etc.
• Visiting pornographic sites.
• Chatting with boys and girls.
• Dating.
• Lapse of prayer timings.
• Watching TV and films.
• Reading obscene and absurd novels and literature.
• Idle talk and gossip.
• Speaking ill of in-laws .
• Swearing at and abusing children.
• Beating children.
• Being headstrong with spouse.
• Over spending.
• Miserliness.
• Quarreling with neighbours.
• Lying.
• Pomp and show, etc.
• Visiting pornographic sites.
• Chatting with boys and girls.
• Dating.
Increase virtues
Ramazan is a season when virtues and piety can be harvested in abundance. Unfortunate is he who does not reap the full benefits of this season. Some of the virtues which can be included in our resolutions are:
• Offering salaah on time.
• Memorising supplications.
• Memorising surahs from the Qur’an.
• A commitment to regular remembrance of Allah.
• Developing the capacity and capability of delivering lectures and discourses.
• Inviting people for regular meetings, etc.
Ramazan is a season when virtues and piety can be harvested in abundance. Unfortunate is he who does not reap the full benefits of this season. Some of the virtues which can be included in our resolutions are:
• Offering salaah on time.
• Memorising supplications.
• Memorising surahs from the Qur’an.
• A commitment to regular remembrance of Allah.
• Developing the capacity and capability of delivering lectures and discourses.
• Inviting people for regular meetings, etc.
Being compassionate
One of the wisdoms of fasting is that we experience and become acquainted with the conditions of the poor. At the end of one of his sayings, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “…. Month of Compassion’ and this month is a time when the community offers sympathy and solace to the needy.”
One of the wisdoms of fasting is that we experience and become acquainted with the conditions of the poor. At the end of one of his sayings, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “…. Month of Compassion’ and this month is a time when the community offers sympathy and solace to the needy.”
One of the actions of compassion and help is ‘iftaar’ (breaking of fast). While ‘zakath’ can be paid in any month, it is usually done during Ramazan.
Resolutions that can be made in this direction are:
• Setting aside about ten sets of old clothes for the poor.
• Providing new clothes to two needy relatives.
• Arranging suhoor and iftaar for those who fast.
• Offering iftaar to a group of fasting people.
• Giving at least Rs.1,000 as charity.
• Any poor person approaching for help during this month be given at least rupees five.
• Sending small gifts to neighbours / relatives during iftaar for 30 days, etc.
• Setting aside about ten sets of old clothes for the poor.
• Providing new clothes to two needy relatives.
• Arranging suhoor and iftaar for those who fast.
• Offering iftaar to a group of fasting people.
• Giving at least Rs.1,000 as charity.
• Any poor person approaching for help during this month be given at least rupees five.
• Sending small gifts to neighbours / relatives during iftaar for 30 days, etc.
Launching various activities
It is obligatory for every Muslim to do Da’wah by spreading the message of Islam. We must organise such activities within the community. During Ramazan, various programmes related to Da’wah can be launched such as:
• Distributing 10 copies of the booklet “Is it necessary to read the Qur’an with understanding.”.
• Distributing the booklet “Facts of Fasting” to 25 ladies.
• Taking neighbours along every night for Qur’anic lessons.
• Arranging an iftaar party for neighbours.
• Forming “Studying the Qur’an” circles at home for ladies.
• Folder on “Consensus in arranging zakath” to be distributed to 50 people.
• Collecting Rs.10,000 as zakath from four ladies in the locality.
• Arranging ‘iftaar’ for four non-Muslim families.
• Gifting a set of ‘Understanding the Qur’an Da’wah of the Qur’an’ to a younger sister.
• Presenting parents-in-law with the translation of the Qur’an.
It is obligatory for every Muslim to do Da’wah by spreading the message of Islam. We must organise such activities within the community. During Ramazan, various programmes related to Da’wah can be launched such as:
• Distributing 10 copies of the booklet “Is it necessary to read the Qur’an with understanding.”.
• Distributing the booklet “Facts of Fasting” to 25 ladies.
• Taking neighbours along every night for Qur’anic lessons.
• Arranging an iftaar party for neighbours.
• Forming “Studying the Qur’an” circles at home for ladies.
• Folder on “Consensus in arranging zakath” to be distributed to 50 people.
• Collecting Rs.10,000 as zakath from four ladies in the locality.
• Arranging ‘iftaar’ for four non-Muslim families.
• Gifting a set of ‘Understanding the Qur’an Da’wah of the Qur’an’ to a younger sister.
• Presenting parents-in-law with the translation of the Qur’an.
Supplication is the weapon of a believer, but it is unfortunate that we do not prepare ourselves mentally for this. During Ramazan, we can choose 60 special supplications to be read within 10 minutes during every sahri and iftaar. In addition, there are many supplications available for the odd nights.
Here is a suggestion put it to work and you will see note down 60 of your necessities and during each sahri and iftaari make supplication for each, one at a time, day by day. Our necessities and wants could include the following:
• The servitude to follow the deen of Allah.
• Developing a deep love for the Qur’an.
• A strong and loving relationship between the spouses.
• So-and-so child’s problem.
• So-and-so daughter’s worry.
• Not getting angry.
• Seeking blessing in our earnings.
• A house of our own.
• A vehicle.
• Performing Haj.
• Developing love in the heart of in-laws and their relatives.
• Amending any misgivings and building up good relations with in-laws.
• Sharing the worries and sorrows of a poor relative
• Curing from such-and-such disease.
• Freedom from such-and-such disease.
• Spending time in praise and remembrance of Allah.
• Well being of our body.
• Old age.
• Grave.
• Allah’s mercy on the Day of Judgment, etc.
• The servitude to follow the deen of Allah.
• Developing a deep love for the Qur’an.
• A strong and loving relationship between the spouses.
• So-and-so child’s problem.
• So-and-so daughter’s worry.
• Not getting angry.
• Seeking blessing in our earnings.
• A house of our own.
• A vehicle.
• Performing Haj.
• Developing love in the heart of in-laws and their relatives.
• Amending any misgivings and building up good relations with in-laws.
• Sharing the worries and sorrows of a poor relative
• Curing from such-and-such disease.
• Freedom from such-and-such disease.
• Spending time in praise and remembrance of Allah.
• Well being of our body.
• Old age.
• Grave.
• Allah’s mercy on the Day of Judgment, etc.
