7 Things To-Do before Ramadan
The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction; therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein, and whoever is sick or upon a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days; Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty, and (He desires) that you should complete the number and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks. – Qur’an 2[Al-Baqarah]:185
Glorified and Exalted is Allah Who has spared our lives till this moment. May ahis blessings continue to be showered upon our beloved Prophet PBUH. There’s no doubt Ramadan is fast knocking on our doors, thus we beseech Allah to preserve us in faith and health till then. Indeed we are well aquinted with Ramadan - its blessings, virtues and opportunities. Hence, the need for us to make preparations to be among those who will make the best of it.
The countdown is less than 45 days so the time is right. Hence, we hope and pray to witness the period of mercy in wellness, goodness and steadfastness. When it comes to pre-Ramadan prep, people often fall into two categories: the over excited and the unprepared. What often gets you ahead is the Ramadan mood. In this piece, we look at 7 things to set you into the Ramadan mood…
1. Set out with a good intention: The intention is the most important aspect of any act of worship. Ensure you’re fasting solely for the sake of Allah. To seek His pleasure, earn His mercy and lofty stations in jannah. Tell yourself: “this will be my best Ramadan ever” and give it all it takes.
2. Repay your missed fast: Make sure you don’t have "carry over" from the last Ramadan. If you do, then try to pay up within the few days left. One of the beauties of this is that it sets you into the fasting mode just before Ramadan commence. If you were sick or traveling in the last ramadan, a woman of birth age or a nursing mother, then there are chances you’ve missed s a couple of days. So take a moment to reflect if this has been made up.
3. Go for a medical check up: Be sure you’re medically fit to embark on the feat. Ramadan is a blissful month that comes with rigorous activities and you will not want to miss Out on the rewards. Treat your ailment as we ask Allah to grant you strength, healing and complete wellness.
4. Make plans and preparations: Sometimes, people think preparing for Ramadan is about stocking home with groceries. Alas! No doubt its good, but the best of preparation is at-Taqwah which is piety. Build your schedules around solat, stop the unlawful gaze, falsehood in speech and other vices. Do not wait until ramadan before you quit the bad habits, start now.
5. Make companionship with the Quran: It is when Ramadan sets in that some people dust the Qur’an off the shelf, which is not ideal. “Angel Jibreel used to meet the prophet (peace be upon him) EVERY NIGHT IN RAMADAN to study the Holy Quran carefully together” [Bukhari]. Now is the time to engage more with the Qur'an and take advantage of the huge reward.
6. Get used to rising for Qiyamu Layl: It is the time to stand longer at night with heads humbled on the floor. This will help in completing the tarawih with Imam at the masjid and enable you do more in the corners of your room. Now is the time to get comfortable with teary eyes, asking for Allah’s help and forgiveness.
7. Discipline yourself: Start practicing abstinence from things that will nullify your fast. One of the things we often take for granted and affects our reward while fasting is lies. Allah’s messenger PBUH gave a stern warning on this. “The one who doesn’t give up falsehood while fasting, Allah is not in need of his fasting.”Therefore, eschew falsehood to the best of your capabilities now. Prepare yourself to do more good and endeavour to learn more and implement.
May Allah make this our best Ramadan ever.
Ameen!
This article was previously published in 2017 but slightly modified today Jum’ah 14th Rajab 1442 AH // Friday 26th February 2021.
