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The Preparation Equation: Gearing up for Ramaḍān 

اللهم بلغنا رمضان

Oh Allah, allow us to reach Ramaḍān!

This is the duā’ that was constant on the tongues of the Aṣḥāb (companions of the Prophet ﷺ) outside of the month of Ramaḍān. They would beg Allah to allow them to live until the next Ramaḍān, such was their love for the holy month. 

Unlike the Aṣḥāb, many of us do not spend the entire year anticipating the next Ramaḍān. In fact, when Ramaḍān approaches, the thoughts at the forefront of our minds more often reflect worry rather than excitement. How am I going to fast while working in the hot sun? How am I going to manage with tarāwīḥ when I work at night? Can I afford to throw an ifṭār like I do every year? These types of thoughts can leave us worried about our Imān especially when everyone else seems to be excited. 

While joy and excitement should be the disposition of a believer at the thought of Ramaḍān, many may not be at that level of Iman as yet. Everyone has their own challenges to face during the month. It is natural to worry about these things, as long as they don’t amount to a feeling of dread or dislike for the beloved month. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be one of those showing concern for the month of Ramaḍān rather than being careless and unconcerned at its approach. 

Of course, feelings of excitement and anticipation amount to nothing if they are not accompanied by action. Even though it carries its own virtues, Sha’bān is famously known for being the month of preparation for Ramaḍān. Have you ever heard the old adage, ‘if you fail to prepare then prepare to fail?’ Well, with blessings coming so freely in Ramaḍān, failing would be a difficult achievement. However, to not maximize on the true rewards of the month can be considered a failure in itself. Here are some tips to avoid ‘failing to prepare.’

Make Goals

What do you intend to achieve during the month of Ramaḍān? Here is an example of what your goals can look like:

  • Read a portion of the Qur’ān every day (in Arabic or English)
  • Pray 12 sunnah raka’āt every day
  • Pray all farḍ ṣalāh on time
  • Make duā’ every day before breaking fast
  • Do morning and evening dhikr
  • Memorise a new surah
  • Pray all 20 raka’āt of tarāwiḥ each night
  • Study Qāidah or Tafṣeer every day
  • Give ṣadaqah weekly
  • Whatever you do, just be sure to make S.M.A.R.T goals. 

Every goal you make should be Specific; easily explainable and not ambiguous in any way. You should be able to Measure it (2 raka’āt, 1 juz, $10 in charity). If your aim is not something Achievable – like spending all night, every night praying – then you are setting yourself up to fail. Ensure that you are doing something Relevant to your end result; don’t beat around the bush. When planning, Time is of the essence. You should have a clear start and end date in mind. Apply this rule to any goal and combine it with dedicated action. With Allah’s help, you will achieve any success your heart desires! 

Strategise

You have four weeks in which to start working on these goals. You should start by doing a lighter version of what you eventually want to achieve and increase in amount as each week passes. The key to this is that the increase should be so subtle that there is no chance of overwhelming yourself and giving up. You can start the first week by praying 2 raka’āt sunnah every day. For week 2, increase it to 4 raka’āt every day. Week 3, increase to 8 raka’āt and then finally, to 12 raka’āt in the last week. If you want to read 1 juz of the Quran every day then start with a quarter, increase to half, then three quarters, and in the final week, you should be at 1 juz a day. That way, by the end of the month, you can transition seamlessly into Ramaḍān. These goals are to be applied during the month of Ramaḍān as well. You can start the first 10 days by doing 5 minutes of dhikr, reading etc, then increase to 10 then to 15 minutes in the last 10 days. If this is your first Ramaḍān as a Muslim and you want to try implementing your 5 times daily ṣalāh for the first time, start with one ṣalāh then slowly increase to all five. 

Pro tip: Prepare for failure!

Everyone messes up. There will be times when you miss your goal. The true distinction between success and failure is often determined by how you react when things don’t go the way you plan. Do you throw in the towel? Or do you pick yourself up and get back on track the next day? A good rule of thumb is: skip once, but not twice. If you miss one day, that’s fine, but make sure to complete your task the next day. 

Other things you may want to do before the month of Ramaḍān is upon us:

MAKE A WISHLIST 

Have you ever sat down to make duā’ but you couldn’t remember what you wanted? It happens to the best of us. Fasting is a time where duā’s are answered so be prepared for your meetings with Allah. Throughout the month, think of things that you want to include in your duā’s and add them to your “wishlist.” 

STAY AWAY FROM SINS!

This one goes without saying. Backbiting, gossiping, lying, listening to music, smoking etc are all things that you’d want to cut off during Ramaḍān. Don’t wait until the first day of Ramaḍān to start trying to control your nafs (desires). Even better is if you commit to giving up one bad habit completely for the sake of Allah. One small decision for you can equate to one giant step towards Allah. 

GEAR UP FOR FASTING

The Prophet ﷺ fasted the most in this month out of any other month besides Ramaḍān. Look out for special days of fasting like Ayāmul beeḍ (the three white nights), the 15th of Sha’bān, or Monday and Thursday of every week. 

SAVE UP FOR SADAQAH

Planning your finances in advance for Ramaḍān can save you a lot of stress. Imagine being ready to give your ṣadaqah, or feed a fasting person, only to realise you’ve spent all of your money on ‘Īd decorations and presents! Protect the investments towards your hereafter!

MEAL PREP

Start preparing in advance what you’d like your Ramaḍān meals to look like. Try to spend as little time during the month worrying about grocery shopping, ifṭār preparations and the like. It can also be beneficial to start preparing your body for lighter meals, and work on curbing those cravings. Overeating at ifṭār and gorging on junk food is counteractive to the many natural health benefits of fasting. 

HAVE A GREEN RAMADAN

Ramaḍān is a month in which food wastage and plastic consumption run rampant. As Muslims, we have a responsibility towards the environment that should not be ignored. Preparation should be made to lessen down on plastic bottles, plates and cutlery where possible. Food should also be plated in a way that best avoids wastage. “And do not waste, for Allah does not love the wasteful. [Qur’ān 6:141]

Last but never least, make duā’. Make duā’ that Allah looks favourably on your careful preparation for his beloved month and that He draws you closer to him. Make duā’ for a prosperous Ramaḍān and accepted deeds. Make duā’ to live until Ramaḍān, just as the Aṣḥāb did. 

Have you figured out the Preparation Equation as yet?

Knowledge + Preparation = Success

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge, it’s time to put action into place. May Allah grant you an easy path toward Him.

To help you along the way, we’ve included a free printable ‘ibādah tracker. While it’s best to have this somewhere you can see it every day, if you prefer to go digital there are many free apps like habitca, dreamfora, etc. Choose the one you are more likely to use. Shaban Ibadah tracker

Article By Aalimah  Noorie Khan

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The neglected month – Sha’bān?

 

‏ ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِم‏

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as Sha’bān.’ He said: ‘That is a month which people neglect, between Rajab and Ramaḍān. It is a month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting.”‘ (Nasa’ī)

Overshadowed by the importance of Ramaḍān, Sha’bān has always been a neglected month. It’s importance should not be overlooked as it is filled with opportunities for good deeds that will be raised before Allah, and it was the month in which the Prophet ﷺ spent the most amount of time fasting. Additionally, it is a month in which many momentous things occurred, like the changing of the prayer direction to the Ka’bah and the revelation of the command to fast in the month of Ramaḍān.

With Ramaḍān on the horizon, let us not be among those who pay little attention to this month.

Here is an article detailing one of the auspicious occasions in the month of Sha’bān By Hadhrat Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh:

The Significance of Sha’bān

Sha’bān, the eighth Islamic month is second only to Ramadān in virtue, blessings and greatness. It is due to this virtue and greatness that the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to emphasise its importance not only verbally but practically too.

‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā narrates, “Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to fast till we would say that he would never stop fasting and he would abandon fasting till we would say that he would never fast. I never saw Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam fasting for a whole month except the month of Ramadān and did not see him fasting in any month more than in the month of Sha’bān.”(Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Nasa’ī)

‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā narrates, “Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to fast the (whole) month of Sha’bān except for a few days.” (Nasa’ī)

Usāmah radhiyallāhu ‘anhu asked, “O Rasūlullāh! I do not see you fasting in any month as much as in Sha’bān.” He replied, “It is a month people are negligent of between Rajab and Ramadān. It is a month in which deeds are raised towards the Lord of the worlds. Therefore, I like my deeds to be raised whilst I am fasting.”(Nasa’ī)

Fifteenth of Sha’bān

Amongst the days and nights of Sha’bān, there is one night called Laylat-al-Barā’at orShabe Barā’at, a night noted for its great blessings and virtues. The Glorious Qur’ān describes it as the blessed night.

Lo! We revealed it on a blessed night. (44:3)

According to ‘Ikrimah radhiyallāhu ‘anhu and a group of mufassirīn, the ‘blessed night’ referred to in this verse is the fifteenth night of Sha’bān.

Fortunate indeed are those who attain the full blessings and benefits of this night by spending it in performing good and refraining from evil. One must strive his utmost to attend to ‘ibādah (worship) in this auspicious night as this night indeed is a great favour of Allāh ta’ālā for the believers. There are a number of ahādīth in regard to this night.

(1)  ‘Alī radhiyallāhu ‘anhu narrates that Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “When it is the fifteenth of Sha’bān, then stand (in worship) at night and fast during the day. Because Allāh ta’ālā descends in this night at sunset to the first heaven and says: ‘Is there any seeker of forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Is there any seeker of sustenance, that I may sustain him? Is there anyone in affliction, that I may remove his affliction? Is there anyone like this, like that (and so on)’. This continues until Fajr.” (Ibn Mājah)

(2)  Abū Mūsā Al-Ash’arī radhiyallāhu ‘anhu narrates that the Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “In the fifteenth night of Sha’bān, Allāh ta’ālā manifests and forgives all His creation except for the Mushrik (idolater) and the spiteful.” (Ibn Mājah)

(3)  ‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā narrates: “The Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam came to me (one night) and took off his clothes, but he had hardly sat down when he got up again, put on his clothes and left. A strong ghayrah (sense of honour and self-respect) overtook me as I thought he was going to one of his other wives. I followed him and found him in the graveyard of Baqī’ seeking forgiveness for believing men and women and the martyrs. I said (to myself), ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you. You, (the Prophet) are in want of your Lord and I am in want of the world.’

I returned to my room (quickly) and I was breathless. The Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam arrived shortly and said, ‘Why are you breathless, O ‘Ā’ishah?’ I said, ‘May my parents be sacrificed for you. You came to me and took off your clothes, but you had hardly sat down when you got up and put on your clothes (and left). A strong ghayrah overtook me and I thought you were going to one of your (other) wives until I saw you in (the graveyard of) Baqī’ doing whatever you were doing.’

He said, ‘O ‘Ā’ishah! Did you fear that Allāh and His Messenger will treat you with injustice? Jibra’īl came to me and said, ‘This night is the fifteenth night of Sha’bān. Allāh sets free from Hell during this night, souls equivalent to the hair (and wool) of the goats of Banī Kalb.’ (Banī Kalb possessed the largest number of goats in the Arabian peninsula.)

‘However, Allāh will not look (with mercy) even on this (auspicious) night towards idolaters, one who harbours ill-will against his fellow beings, one who cuts himself off from his near relatives, one who dangles his clothes over his ankles, one disobedient to parents and a habitual drunkard.’”

‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā says, “He took off his clothes, then said, ‘O ‘Ā’ishah! Will you permit me to spend this night in worship.’ I replied, ‘Certainly. May my parents be sacrificed for you.’ The Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam got up and remained in sajdah(prostration) for a very long time until I thought he had passed away. I got up to inquire and placed my hand on his feet to feel that he was alive, thus I became happy. I heard him say in his prostration:

‘I take refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I take refuge of Your pleasure from Your anger. I take refuge from You. Great is Your eminence. I cannot praise You (as You are worthy of praise). Your eminence is exactly as You have praised yourself.’

In the morning I mentioned these words to him. He said, ‘O ‘Ā’ishah! Learn them and teach them (to others) because Jibra’īl taught me and ordered me to repeat them over and over again in sajdah.’”  (Al-Bayhaqī)

Note: Muftī Taqī ‘Uthmānī hafizahullāh states: “Although the chain of narrators of some of these traditions suffers with some minor technical defects, yet when all these traditions are combined together, it becomes clear that this night has some well founded merits, and observing this night as a sacred night is not a baseless concoction as envisaged by some modern scholars who, on the basis of these minor defects, have totally rejected giving any special importance to this night. In fact, some of these traditions have been held by some scholars of hadīth as authentic and the defects in the chain of some others have been treated by them as minor technical defects which, according to the science of hadīth, are curable by the variety of their ways of narration. That is why the elders of the Ummah have constantly been observing this night as a night of special merits and have been spending it in worship and prayers.”

The Fast of the Fifteenth

The fast of the 15th of Sha’bān can only be derived from a hadīth that has a weak narrator in the chain of narration, due to which it cannot be relied upon in the matter of the injunctions of Sharī’ah. Thus, the fast of the 15th of Sha’bān cannot be termed as Sunnah or Mustahab in the strict sense of the term.  Nevertheless the fast could be kept without taking it as a Sunnah or Mustahab considering other factors such as:

a)   The fasts of the first half of Sha’bān have special merits as can be seen from the practice of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam;

b)  The virtues of the fasts of Ayyām-al-Bīd (i.e. 13th, 14th and 15th of the Islamic month) have been mentioned in the ahādīth.

Recommended Deeds

The following practices are derived from the traditions of the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam which have been mentioned above for Sha’bān and its virtuous  15th night.

(1) It is desirable that one fast in the month of Sha’bān as much as one can. However, if fasting in Sha’bān is going to affect the fasting of Ramadān then one should refrain from it.

(2) Although salāh should be performed in  Jamā’ah (congregation) every day, on this auspicious night, one must participate with deep and solemn care in the Maghrib, ‘Ishā and Fajr Salāh.

(3) Spend as much time of the night as possible in worship individually. No specific du’ā or method of worship has been prescribed. One may engage in dhikr, recitation of the Qur’ān, salāh, learning and teaching or any other form of ‘ibādah. However, one must refrain from worldly talk and wasting time. If ‘ibādah is not possible then at least avoid all sinful and useless acts and go to bed as soon as possible.

(4) In one hadīth it has been mentioned that Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam visited the graveyard of Baqī’. However, one may not establish the practice to be Sunnah as there is no mention of Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam making it a general practice of this night. Hence, if one visits the graveyard once in a while it will be permissible.

One must refrain in particular from all those practices that are contrary to the Sunnah. Many of us deprive ourselves of the blessings of such auspicious moments and the Favours of Allāh ta’ālā by following those customary acts which have no basis in the Qur’ān and Sunnah.

May Allāh ta’ālā guide us all on the straight path and enlighten us with the blessings of this sacred month and its blessed night. Āmīn.

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The Keys to Consistency

It is the first week of Ramaḍān and you’re on a roll! You haven’t missed a Taraweeh, prayed all of the sunnah (voluntary) salāh and you’ve managed to read a portion of the Qur’ān every single day. But, as the middle of the second week draws near, you find your resolve waning. “I’m too tired, I’ve got too much to get done, tomorrow I’ll do it…” And suddenly by the middle of the month, you’ve totally fallen off the train. Well…you’re not the only one.

“Consistency is key,” they say, “a little bit every day goes a long way.” You’re made to believe that this is something so simple and easy. And yet for you, this is a hurdle you can’t get past. You see people all around you achieving their goals, seemingly effortlessly. You start to wonder if you’re just “not that type.”

I’ll tell you a secret though: consistency is not a personality trait. Like many things, it is a behaviour that can be learned. All you have to do is actively apply a few strategies and in no time you’ll develop this ability. So without further ado, let me give you the 5 ‘keys’ to consistency.

1- Plan! 

Many people make the mistake of waiting until Ramaḍān to start implementing a whole variety of Sunnah acts. This is the surest way to get burned out and give up before the month properly begins. Well before the month of Sha’bān, you should have a plan in place of how to start building habits that will last you throughout the month of Ramaḍān. The Prophet ﷺ said in a ḥadīth recorded in Shu’ab ul Īmān,

There is no intelligence like planning…

If at this point you haven’t made any preparations, don’t give up and click out of the article! Focusing on self-improvement during the month of Ramaḍān is an ‘ibādah in itself. There’s still time for you to spend the month improving so that you can reap the rewards of it during Ramaḍān and beyond. Go ahead and pick some clear goals for the month, whether it’s doing more dhikr or learning a new sūrah every week. Then start planning, making a timetable, etc. You can even research strategies and ‘hacks’ to help you on your way. There are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. You’re not on your own.

2- Moderation  

The all-or-nothing mentality has been known to kill many dreams. Human beings are not wired to accept sudden changes. No one understood this better than our beloved Rasūl ﷺ. He is recorded in Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī to have said, “…So be moderate in your religious deeds and do what is within your ability…” Rather than going from one extreme to another, instead we should apply the wisdom of this ḥadīth by slowly introducing things into our routine and increase them in increments until we reach the desired amounts. The same is to be applied to things that we want to remove from our routine. While there is a lot to be said for the cold turkey method, if we intend to stay away from something for any length of time then we must slowly cut down on it while replacing it with something more beneficial.

Your plan should involve a method of introducing different good habits at different times. This makes the goals more realistic and allows you to progress without becoming overwhelmed. Different goals also require different plans. Take, for example, you may aim to pray all 12 sunnah salāh every day. A good plan might be to start with one. At the end of every day, ensure that you have incorporated it somewhere in your routine, if not with the first salāh then at least in the last. Check your progress over time. When you can easily complete this task without skipping any days, then change your goal to two per day. If you feel you can easily complete two or three per day then start with that. However, maybe you also want to work on doing a certain amount of istighfār (utterances of seeking forgiveness) at the same time, so you’ll need to set a plan and track progress for that too. The most important thing is not to bombard yourself and then become discouraged when you can’t meet goals that were unachievable in the first place.

3- Accountability

Now that you have your plan, what’s to keep you ‘motivated’ to fulfil your daily tasks? I’m going to share another secret: Motivation is overrated. While it has been known to bring about amazing things, motivation (unfortunately) comes and goes. It needs to be constantly fed and renewed. Anyone who relies on this long-term is setting themselves up for failure.

Accountability is what gets the job done. Many times we find ourselves making feeble excuses for skipping our tasks. “It’s not a good time, I’m too tired from work, I have no inspiration…” While these could be very valid excuses, imagine explaining to a friend why you were too busy to pray 2 sunnah rak’āt (a voluntary prayer). See what I’m getting at? Find a friend who will follow up on your tasks and you can do the same for them. You’ll see how much harder it is to make excuses when someone else has to listen to them. Other options of this nature can include joining a Qurān group to ensure you complete your juz (a portion of the Qurān). If you intend to pray more of your farḍ (compulsory) salāh in the mosque, then join a group of friends who already go. If you want to learn Tafseer (explanation of the Qurān) or learn to read the Qurān then join a class. All of these things introduce an element of accountability and make it more difficult to just give up on the task. Some of these steps may seem a bit unnecessary but according to statistics, most people give up on their New Year resolutions by January 19th! Still think sticking a schedule on the wall is extreme?

4- Reward yourself! 

Rewards reinforce positive behaviour. It doesn’t have to be something grand or expensive. It can be enjoying an hour of something that you enjoy. Sleep in late a bit. Take an early break. Have your favourite meal. It can be simply keeping a list of tasks that you tick off at the end of the day. After a while, the disappointment you feel having to leave something unticked is a great motivator in itself. Be careful though! If your goal was to pray all 5 farḍ salāh, don’t reward yourself by taking a break from them! The point is to congratulate yourself on a job well done without negating the progress you’ve made.

5- Learn from your mistakes!

Self-reflection is essential for our general well-being. We should be able to look at ourselves objectively and understand who we are, and why we think and act the way we do. So, get to know your weaknesses. Identify the things that hamper your progress and start setting boundaries to keep you from these pitfalls. If you know that you get caught up checking your phone every minute, then simply leave your phone outside when you are completing a task. If your problem is forgetting to do your tasks then set alarms. If you tend to give up on your goals after a while then try to keep them in a place where you remember them and plan your day around them. Some people have trouble praying Salātul ‘Aṣr on time because that tends to be the time people are coming home from work, picking up the kids, preparing dinner, etc. Plan your tasks around that salāh rather than trying to squeeze it in somewhere. Eg: I’ll pick up the kids, pray Aṣr at home, then head back out to the grocery and I should be back home in time for Maghrib.

Bonus tip: Because you’ve stuck with me this far, I’ll throw in something practical and straightforward to implement: Skip once but don’t skip twice. After you’ve achieved these goals long-term, you’ll realise that there are genuine cases where you may need to skip a task. It is part of a healthy mindset to know when something should take priority over another. Maybe you have a habit of giving charity, but one week you have a doctor’s appointment, so you decide to cancel your weekly bank transfer to your usual charitable organisation. It’s a small donation, so it doesn’t really affect your ability to pay for your appointment, but you do it out of precaution. But how long should you withhold your contributions? Herein lies the problem: sometimes the lines can become blurred and you end up kicking a habit you’ve kept up for years, all because you couldn’t figure out how much was acceptable. A good rule of thumb is, if you have a good reason, you can skip something once but don’t skip a second time. If you leave off tahajjud one day, don’t miss it the second day. You might have to miss it the third day but make sure to pray it on the fourth day. Or let’s say you make it a habit to not speak about others in their absence and one day someone asks you if a certain person is suitable for marriage. This is an acceptable reason to discuss someone behind their back, but don’t turn one conversation into two, otherwise, you may fall back into the habit of backbiting.

I’ve now shared with you my tried and true tips for developing consistency. Armed with these strategies and the determination to make the best of this blessed month, go forth and be the best version of yourself! And if you find yourself falling short of inspiration just remember the words of the Prophet ﷺ recorded in Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, “the most beloved deed in the sight of Allah is the one most regular and constant even if it were little.”

Aalimah Noorie K. Khan

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