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Ramadan
Guide |
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> Why Should You Fast?
> The Quran and Hadith on
Ramadan
> 10 Great Goals To
Set For This Ramadan
> Top 8 Ways To
Boost Your Ramadan Spirit
> 7 Tips for a Healthier
Ramadan
>
16 Things you can do on the Night of Power
>
31
Personal Duas to Choose From
>
Seven Strategies to Train Kids this Ramadan
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Why Should You Fast?
Every
year, for one complete lunar month-the ninth month in
the Islamic calendar, you as an adult Muslim are
required to fast. From dawn to sunset in the month of
Ramadan, you are required to refrain from all food and
drink and sexual relations with your spouse.
If you are sick or on a journey you are allowed not to
fast but you must make up for it by fasting the same
number of days missed during Ramadan.
Why should you fast?
The main purpose of fasting is described in the Quran as
"so that you may attain Taqwa or God-consciousness."
Fasting is thus yet another instrument for bringing us
closer to our natural state, our state of Fitrah and for
cleansing this state from the dross of any disobedience
and corruption.
"Fasting is a shield," said the noble Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) so simply and eloquently. And he
also said: "Whoever spends the month of Ramadan in
complete faith and self-rectification, his previous sins
will be forgiven."
More devotion, closer to the Quran in Ramadan
Ramadan is a month of heightened devotion. In it, Salat
is performed with greater intensity. There are extra
Sunnah Salat on Ramadan nights called Salat at-Tarawih.
In the last ten days of Ramadan, some retreat to the
mosque to perform Itikaf, a period of intense reflection
and devotion, seeking guidance and forgiveness, and
reading the Quran.
Ramadan is a great opportunity to get closer to the
blessed guidance of the Quran which was revealed in this
month. Ramadan is also called the month of the Quran.
Ramadan's effect on our body and behavior
The month of Ramadan is an opportunity to develop
qualities of endurance and self-restraint, to control
anger and a fiery or malicious tongue.
It is an opportunity to fine tune the body and shed it
of obesity and sloth, and to benefit from any
therapeutic effects fasting may have.
Generosity in Ramadan
Ramadan is a time to awaken compassion and solidarity
with others and in particular with the poor. We are
urged to be more liberal in giving during Ramadan and
are required at the end of fasting to give
Sadaqatul-Fitr, an amount to enable all to share in the
spirit of warmth, affection and brotherhood.
Ramadan is above all an opportunity to reorient oneself
to the Creator and the natural path of goodness and
God-consciousness.
Ramadan is not related to God's wrath
Fasting in Islam is in no way related to penance for
sins nor is it regarded as a means of appeasing God's
wrath as in some religions.
The Ramadan spirit
Although Ramadan may appear to be a hard and difficult
month, it is in fact an enjoyable time.
A special atmosphere prevails in homes, in mosques and
in Muslim communities as a whole. Muslims look forward
to the coming of Ramadan with great longing and
expectation and feel a certain sadness when the month is
at an end.
Ramadan is not about overeating and laziness
It is possible that too much emphasis is sometimes
placed on the preparation of food during Ramadan.
In fact a greater variety and quantity of food may be
consumed during the month of Ramadan at nights than in
other periods.
And some of us may end up weighing more at the end of
the month than at the beginning.
It may also be possible that Ramadan be taken as a time
when normal work during the daytime is reduced or
suspended.
It should be borne in mind that normal work activities
should continue during Ramadan and it should not be
taken as an excuse for sluggishness and idleness.
You need to be careful that the true benefits of
fasting, of self-restraint and control, are not lost
through gluttony on the one hand or idleness on the
other. |
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The Quran
and Hadith on Ramadan :: "O you who believe!
Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for
those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the
pious).
(Fasting) for a fixed number of days, but if any of you
is ill or on a journey, the same number (should be made
up) from other days. And as for those who can fast with
difficulty, (i.e. an old man, etc.), they have (a choice
either to fast or) to feed a poor person (for every
day). But whoever does good of his own accord, it is
better for him. And that you fast, it is better for you
if only you know." (2:183-84)
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a
guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance
and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever
of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the
month (of Ramadan), he must fast that month, and whoever
is ill or on a journey, the same number (of days which
one did not fast must be made up) from other days.
Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make
things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must
complete the same number (of days), and that you must
magnify Allah for having guided you so that you may be
grateful to Him" (2: 185).
"It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with
your wives on the night of the fasts. They are garments
for you and you are the same for them. Allah knows that
you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you and
forgave you. So now have sexual relations with them and
seek that which Allah has ordained for you, and eat and
drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to
you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night),
then complete your fast till the nightfall.
And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives)
while you are in Itikaf in the mosques. These are the
limits (set) by Allah, so approach them not. Thus does
Allah make clear His signs to mankind that they may
become Al Muttaqun (the pious)" (2:187).
"Verily! We have sent it (this Quran) down in the night
of Al-Qadr.
And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr
is?
The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months
Therein descend the angels and the Ruh (Gabriel) by
Allah's Permission with all Decrees,
Peace! until the appearance of dawn (97:1-5)
THE HADITH ON FASTING
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) said: Whoever fasts during
Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah
will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during
the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward
from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who
passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking
his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven (Bukhari,
Muslim).
Abu Huraira related that Rasulullah said: If anyone
omits his fast even for one day in Ramadan without a
concession or without being ill, then if he were to fast
for the rest of his life he could not make up for it (Bukhari).
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: Allah the
Majestic and Exalted said: "Every deed of man will
receive ten to 700 times reward, except Siyam (fasting),
for it is for Me and I shall reward it (as I like).
There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts: one
when he breaks the fast and the other when he will meet
his Lord" (Muslim).
Abu Huraira related that Rasulullah said: Many people
who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and
thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing
from it except wakefulness (Darimi).
When to start fasting
Ibn Umar related that the Prophet said: Do not start
fasting unless you see the new moon, and do not end
fasting until you see it. If the weather is cloudy then
calculate when it should appear (Bukhari, Muslim).
The Suhoor meal (which is eaten before dawn)
Anas related that Rasulullah said: Take the Suhoor meal,
for there is blessing in it (Bukhari, Muslim).
Breaking your fast
Salman ibn Amir Dhabi related that the Prophet said:
Break your fast with dates, or else with water, for it
is pure (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).
Fasting during a journey
Aisha related that Rasulullah was asked whether one
should fast when on a journey, and he replied: Fast if
you like, or postpone it if you like (Bukhari, Muslim).
Behavior while fasting
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: If a person
does not avoid false talk and false conduct during Siyam,
then Allah does not care if he abstains from food and
drink (Bukhari, Muslim).
Forgetfully eating or drinking while fasting
Abu Huraira related that Rasulullah said: If anyone
forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks he should
complete his Siyam, for it is Allah who has fed him and
given him drink (Bukhari, Muslim).
Providing for those who are breaking the fast
Zaid ibn Khalid Juhni related that the Prophet said: He
who provides for the breaking of the Siyam of another
person earns the same merit as the one who was observing
Siyam diminishing in any way the reward of the latter (Tirmidhi).
Lailat al-Qadr
Aisha related that the Prophet said: Look for Lailat al-Qadr
on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of
Ramadan (Bukhari).
Anas ibn Malik related that Rasulullah said: When Lailat
al-Qadr comes Gabriel descends with a company of angels
who ask for blessings on everyone who is remembering
Allah, whether they are sitting or standing (Baihaqi). |
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10
Great Goals To Set For This Ramadan ::
1. Eat, drink and be moderate
Almost all of us do it - once Iftar time hits, we just
keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it's
hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know
this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan,
through which we're supposed to learn self-control not
self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the Prophetic
rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food,
one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in
Ramadan.
2. Give a dollar a day in charity...or five or ten
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,
was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's
open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets
this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up.
Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.
3. Memorize 4 new Surahs
Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task.
But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are
four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a
week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've
started, you'll build momentum and may even want to
memorize a longer one the following week.
4. Go to Tarawih prayers
Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an
exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the
mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful,
but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community
spirit is part of Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it
this year. If going every day is not possible, try going
at least one week.
5. Attend the Tarawih prayer in which the recitation of
the Quran will be finished
Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam
will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer.
Attend to not only hear part of the Quran's recitation
in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending
Duas that follow it.
6. Stop swearing and/or backbiting – with a special box
It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's
upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or
backbite about someone to our family and friends, we
know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off
steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our
spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad against our bad
habits.
Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself
swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be
a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount that
makes it feel like punishment.
At the end of the month send the money to a charity or
buy a gift for the person whom you've backbitten the
most against.
7. Call/email your relatives
You'd think that given the easy access to email,
competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards,
etc. these days, we'd keep in touch with family and
friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the
case, as we get caught up in life's "busyness."
Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in
touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act
Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family
and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and
ask them how their fasting is going.
8. Go on a technology diet
Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this.
Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during
your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in
front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for
the television. The point is to try to give our full
attention to spiritual elevation this month.
9. Read 5 minutes of Quran a day...just five, not more,
not less
Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a
timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a
relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of
the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is
yours. The point is simply to connect with God through
His revelation in the month of the Quran.
10. Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your
friend last year? Still upset about something your
spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still
bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you
as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and
forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is
not only good for the body, but it's also great for the
soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to
Allah's forgiveness, shouldn't we lesser beings forgive
too?
If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone,
forgive at least three people. |
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Top 8 Ways To Boost Your Ramadan Spirit ::
1. Dua
Ask Allah to make this the most awesome, spiritually
uplifting Ramadan you've ever had. Only He can make it
happen and relying on Him completely is one step in
boosting our spirits.
2. Quiet your mind, turn off the...
TV, internet, radio, cell phone, pager, iPod, etc. No,
not all day, but for at least 10 minutes a day. Find a
quiet place, close your eyes and connect with God. At
first, your mind will swirl with the useless and
not-so-useless info in your head. But force it to think
of three things in these few minutes:
a. Allah
b. your purpose in life
c. are you living your life on purpose?
Do this every day of Ramadan if you can. If that's not
possible, try it at least three times a week.
3. Learn about great Muslims
Even if you've read it before, read or listen to Abdul
Wahid Hamid's Companions of the Prophet again this
Ramadan. Read about or listen to the story of a
Companion daily. Well-written and short, this is a
wonderful way to see how other Muslims retained their
strength of faith against incredible odds. A sure-fire
spirituality booster.
4. Connect to the Quran
The Quran is God's way of talking to us. It's one of the
most important keys to spiritual upliftment. This
Ramadan, connect to the Quran in a new way. If you
already read Quran regularly, perhaps you can choose a
new theme to focus on or select a Surah you haven't read
in a while. If you don't read Quran regularly, maybe you
can read just two minutes of Quran a day, reading only
from the first page you encounter when you open up the
Book.
In addition, try to keep a Quranic journal to record
your reflections, questions, thoughts, etc. about what
you've read.
5. Take care of others
Whether it's someone who's away from their family, a
person who's having problems with a spouse or their kids
or a fellow student struggling with their grades, make
an extra effort this Ramadan to help others out. The
spiritual boost you get in return is well worth it.
6. Feed the hungry
While your stomach shrieks in protest, give that
panhandler some change, volunteer at a soup kitchen, get
involved with your local food pantry or make a couple of
bag lunches to give to the hungry you meet on your way
to school or work.
7. Give up one lifelong bad habit
Ask yourself what some of your defining traits are. Then
decide which is the worst of them. Is it a hot temper?
Apathy? Laziness? Impatience? Whatever it is, use this
Ramadan to put an end to it. Practice the opposite of
your bad habit every day until the end of the month. By
then Insha Allah, you'll look back and be amazed at what
a change you've made for the better.
8. Use those Nights of Power
The last ten nights or Ramadan aren't called the Nights
of Power for nothing. Use these precious times for deep,
heartfelt Dua (supplication), self-analysis, reflection
and serious thought. |
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7 Tips for
a Healthier Ramadan ::
1. Eat Suhur
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him,
highly recommend eating this pre-dawn meal before a day
of fasting. While you may want to pass to catch some
more sleep, remember that you can always take a catnap
while you're fasting, but you won't be able to eat or
drink. To make it easier, set out utensils and dry food
on the table before going to bed so you can quickly eat
and go back to sleep after Suhur.
2. Limit fat intake
That's right, limit it, don't cut it out. Otherwise,
you'll have to get rid of what's considered
"traditional" Iftar food in most Muslim cultures. If
you're not sure what kind of food is being referred to,
think fried, greasy and/or super sweet.
3. Follow the Prophet's golden rule of one-third
This especially needs to be said in Ramadan. We should
strive to have no more than one-third food, one-third
liquid and one-third air in our stomachs when eating.
4. Encourage dip-dunking
Fruits and vegetables get left to the wayside during
regular days, let alone at Iftar time. But you can whip
out those carrot sticks if you've got some tasty dips to
eat them with. Check out some healthy recipes.
5. Walk after Iftar
Before you fall over from exhaustion after Iftar and
dinner, take a short walk around the block or just
around your building. The change of environment and
exposure to fresh air may just wake you up in time to go
for the next activity listed below.
6. Pray Tarawih
More great exercise, not to mention a wonderful way to
build concentration, stamina and brotherhood/sisterhood.
7. Take a short afternoon nap
Experts say you don't need more than a 15-minute siesta
to really refresh you. During lunch hour, find a quiet
spot, set the alarm on your watch/cell phone and nap.
This can help your body adjust to the daily Ramadan
schedule that requires early waking for Suhur.
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16 Things you can do on the Night of
Power :: Laylatul Qadr (the
Night of Power) is described in the
Quran as, "better than a thousand
months" (97:3). Any action done on this
night such as reciting the Quran,
remembering Allah, etc. is better than
acting for one thousand months which do
not contain the night of Qadr.
Allah's Messenger used to exert himself
in devotion during the last ten nights
to a greater extent than at any other
time." (Muslim). Allah's peace and
blessings be upon our beloved Prophet.
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her,
related that the Prophet said: Look for
Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night
during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari).
The Prophet said: "Whoever prays during
the night of Qadr with faith and hoping
for its reward will have all of his
previous sins forgiven." (Bukhari and
Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira).
Here are some tips of things we can do
on the Night of Power and the time
before and after it.
1. Take a vacation for Allah
We take a break from our jobs for almost
everything in life. Why not this time to
focus on worshiping and thanking our
Creator.
If this is not possible at least take a
few days off if you can. This can make
it easier to stay awake at night to do
extra Ibadah, not having to worry about
getting to work the next day.
It will also facilitate doing Itikaf.
2. Do Itikaf
It was a practice of the Prophet to
spend the last ten days and nights of
Ramadan in the masjid for Itikaf.
Those in Itikaf stay in the masjid all
this time, performing various forms of
zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like
doing extra Salat, recitation and study
of the Quran. They do not go outside the
masjid except in case of emergencies,
therefore, they sleep in the masjid.
Their families or the masjid
administration takes care of their food
needs.
Itikaf of a shorter period of time, like
one night, a day or a couple of days is
encouraged as well.
3. Make this special Dua
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her,
said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O
Messenger of Allah, if I know what night
is the night of Qadr, what should I say
during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You
are pardoning and You love to pardon, so
pardon me.' "(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and
Tirmidhi).
The transliteration of this Dua is "Allahumma
innaka `afuwwun tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee"
4. Recite the Quran
Perhaps you can choose Surahs or
passages from the Quran which you have
heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to
recite.
If you attend a class where the
recitation of the Quran is taught, this
is a great time to put your knowledge
into practice.
5. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran
Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you've
heard in Tarawih and read their
translation and Tafseer. Then think
deeply about their meaning and how it
affects you on a personal level.
(If you want to study the Quran with
more understanding, check out Way to the
Quran and Access to Quranic Arabic.
6. Get your sins wiped out
Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger
said: Whoever stands (in prayer) in
Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith
with self-evaluation, expecting reward
from Allah, will have all of his
previous sins forgiven. [Bukhari and
Muslim).
Don't just pray using the shorter Surahs
that you know. Try to make your prayers
longer, deeper and meaningful. If you
are familiar with longer Surahs, read
the translation and explanation and then
pray reciting these Surahs, carefully
reflecting on the meaning while you
pray.
Even if you are only familiar with the
shorter Surahs, read the translation and
explanation beforehand, and then pray
reflecting on the message of the Surahs.
This is a good way to develop the habit
of concentration, even in regular
prayers, where many of us tend to be
fidgety and/or easily distracted.
7. Make a personal Dua list.
Ask yourself what you really want from
Allah. Make a list of each and
everything, no matter how small or how
big it is, whether it deals with this
world or not. Allah loves to hear from
us. Once this list is ready, you can do
three things:
• Ask Allah to give you those things
• Think about what actions you have
taken to get those things
• Develop a work plan to get those
things in future.
8. Evaluate yourself.
Ask yourself those questions that need
to be asked. Do an evaluation of where
you are and where you are going. Let
this evaluation lead you to feel
happiness for the good you have done and
remorse for the bad you have done. (see
a short and a long evaluation guide)
This latter feeling should make it
easier to seek Allah's sincere
forgiveness when making the Dua
mentioned in tip number one above.
9. Make long, sincere and deep Duas
One of the best times to do this is
during the last part of the night.
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with
him, related that the Prophet said: When
the last one-third of the night remains,
our Lord, the Glorious One descends
towards the heaven of the earth and
proclaims: Who is that who supplicates
for Me, and I grant his supplication?
Who is that who begs Me for anything and
I grant it to him? And who is that who
seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him?
(Bukhari, Muslim).
That means for instance, waking up one
hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for
anything and everything you want that is
Halal. This can be done using the Duas
of the Sunnah, but also Dua in your own
language, with sincerity and conviction.
For some tips on making Dua please see
the article Some personal Duas you can
make.
10. Memorize a different Dua every night
They don't have to be long. They can be
just one line. And be sure to know what
they mean generally at least, even if
you don't know the exact translation in
English.
You can put them on index cards (or and
keep them with you during the day,
glancing at them during work, while
driving, waiting in line, etc.) Then
practice them at night in prayer.
11. Have Iftar with the family
If you've spent Iftar time on weekdays
in your cubicle at work alone with a
couple of dates, now is the last few
days you'll have this Ramadan to spend
with your family. Use it wisely.
12. Take the family to Tarawih
Have your spouse and kids missed Tarawih
most of Ramadan because you weren't
there to drive them to the Masjid, which
is too far away to walk to? If so, do
all of yourselves a favor and bring
everyone for Tarawih in these last ten
nights.
13. Attend the Dua after the completion
of Quran recitation
Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims
to finish an entire reading of the Quran
in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be
completing their recitation in these
last ten nights. They may try to end on
one of the odd nights and read the Dua
at the end of a reading of the Quran.
Attend this particular night's Tarawih
prayer with your family. See if you can
attend different Masjids' Tarawih
prayers the night they finish reading
the Quran.
14. Finish reading a book on the Prophet
Read about the Prophet's life, which can
increase your love for him and Islam by
seeing how much he struggled for Allah's
sake. It may inspire you to push
yourself even harder during these last
ten nights. This community is built on
sacrifice.
15. Plan for the next year
Once you've done a self-evaluation, you
can plan on where you want to go, at
least in the next 12 months. Laylatul
Qadr is a great night to be thinking
about this (without taking away from
your worship), since you'll Insha Allah,
be in a more contemplative state. You
may choose to dedicate one night of
power for evaluation and one night for
planning for the next year.
16. To do list for the Night of Power
Make a to do checklist for each Night of
Power. This should define how you would
like your night, the one better than a
thousand months, to be used. Pick things
from this list and define the sequence
you would like to do things in. This
will help you avoid wasting your time in
unproductive chats which common in the
festive atmosphere of Masjids at the
Night of Power. |
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31 Personal Duas to Choose From ::
Dua (supplication) is the essence of
worship. (Anas, may Allah be pleased
with him related that the Prophet said
this as reported in Tirmidhi).
The Prophet said: Duas of three persons
are not refused: a fasting man when
breaking the fast, a just ruler, and an
oppressed person, Allah's blessings be
upon him. (Abu Huraira in Tirmidhi).
No one makes a Dua without Allah giving
him what he asks for, or keeping away
from him a similar amount of evil,
provided he does not ask for something
sinful, or for breaking family ties (Jabir
related this as the Prophet saying:
Tirmidhi).
For a number of non-Arabic speaking
Muslims, Duas are sometimes perceived as
the good Arabic words Imams utter after
prayers. They usually resort to simply
repeating "Ameen" after everyone else,
without understanding what they are
asking Allah for.
Other non-Arabic speaking Muslims may
try to memorize some of the major Duas
in Arabic and can and do understand
what's being said.
But one thing that's often forgotten
about Dua is that it's direct
communication with Allah. And Allah is
multilingual. He actually created and
knows all languages, whether it's the
specific dialect of your village back
home of the street talk of urban
America.
Allah also knows what's hidden in the
deep recesses of our hearts. Those
feelings of pain, anguish, resentment,
love, hatred, bitterness, longing, etc.
that we so successfully hide from
everyone else, including our closest
family members and friends.
So why not let it all out. Why not let
Allah be your "therapist". Let your
prayer mat be your "couch" while you
reveal and ask the One who is in
control, Who knows you better than you
know yourself, for all that you want in
these next ten days and especially,
nights, of Ramadan.
There are Duas that are definitely part
of the Sunnah which you can and should
use during Laylatul Qadr.
For example in this Hadith: It is
narrated from Aisha, may Allah be
pleased with her, that she said: I said:
'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what
night is the Night of Qadr what should I
say?.' He said: 'Say: O Allah you are
embodiment of forgiveness and you love
to pardon so pardon me.' [Ahmad, Ibn
Majah, Tirmidhi]
However, Dua cannot be done in a
distracted manner, as the Prophet has
said in a Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira:
Make Dua and be assured of being
answered, and know that Allah does not
answer a Dua from a careless heart which
is not concentrating (Tirmidhi).
Here are some examples of personal,
relevant Duas you can make in these
remaining days of Ramadan, Insha Allah
(God willing):
1. Oh Allah, please forgive me for all
of the bad that I've done, and I
continue to do. You are so Merciful and
kind, please forgive me, and help me
stay away from all that's wrong. It's so
hard for me, and I'm so weak but You are
the Strong. Please increase me in
sincerity.
2. Oh Allah, I beg You, please guide my
parents and my sister toward You. Do not
let them die without realizing who their
Lord is. Let them see the truth and help
them resist the pressure of friends who
try to turn them away from You.
3. Oh Allah, bless those fine human
beings with your bounties whose kind
heart reaches out to their Christian
neighbors in Pakistan and Muslim
neighbors in America.
4. Oh Allah, please guide my neighbors,
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, toward You. They
are such decent, good people, and they
are so good to us. They have never
opposed us in our Deen, and You have
seen how they have been so open to us.
Please guide them to the right path.
5. Oh Allah, make every single aspect of
my life be for You and in service of
Your Creation. Please remove all false
intentions that I have.
6. Oh Allah, save humanity from being
its own enemy. Protect Your creation
from oppression. Save the people of
Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine,
Kashmir,and Chechnya from internal and
external oppressors and give them
justice. Protect us all from violence,
fear and danger, You are our Protector.
7. Ya Allah, let me love You as You
deserved to be loved, and let me fear
You as You deserve to be feared, and let
me leave this world serving Your
creation for Your sake.
8. Oh Allah, increase me in knowledge,
but let this knowledge be with
sincerity, not seeking fame, glory,
status, material wealth. Let this
knowledge serve Your cause in a way that
You accept, and let it benefit humanity.
9. Oh Allah, please guide my children
and all children. They are surrounded by
so much temptation and Haram (forbidden
things). Protect them my Lord from all
of the evil influences that are around
them. Give them friends who will
strengthen their faith and help them
stay on the Straight Path.
10. Oh Allah, guide me to seek my
knowledge of You and this blessed Deen
(religion) from those who are sincere,
who possess the correct Islamic
knowledge, who are moderate and gentle,
who are not harsh or impatient with me,
and who understand where I'm coming
from, my situation as a Muslim in this
country, living in this world today.
11. Oh Allah, please help me stay away
from Haram in achieving the best of this
world.
12. Oh Allah, don't let me ever turn
away from You, no matter how many trials
and difficulties You test me with. Let
these difficulties serve to make me a
stronger Muslim and more sincere to You.
13. Oh Allah, bless our scholars and
leaders who are striving to establish
Islam in this world on the balanced path
of Your beloved Prophet.
14. Oh Allah, bless all of those who
have taught me about You and Islam, from
little Marya at the Islamic school, who
taught me the importance of being
patient with little kids, to Shaykh
Ikram, who, despite his harshness,
taught me the importance of speaking the
Truth, no matter how much others dislike
it.
15. Oh Allah, give me the ability to
forgive all those who have hurt me in
word and deed, especially my brother
......, who has ignored every attempt I
have made to reconcile with him. And
please Oh Allah, join our hearts.
16. Oh Allah, please get me out of this
horrible debt that is burdening me.
Please give me means that are Halal (Islamically
permissible) to get out of this as soon
as possible, so that I can face You on
the Day of Judgment free of all debts.
17. Oh Allah, open a way for my son to
marry as soon as possible. Let him marry
a sister who is sincere and devoted to
You and who is compatible with him.
18. Oh Allah, open a way for my daughter
Salma to marry as soon as possible. Let
her marry a brother who is sincere and
devoted to You and who is compatible
with her.
19. Oh Allah, please grant my friend Ali
and his wife Shaheen healthy children.
They so badly want children and they
Insha Allah would make such great Muslim
parents. Please grant them children who
will grow up to be a source of Mercy for
them.
20. Oh Allah, help orphans and poor
wherever they are, but especially right
now in Afghanistan. Give me the means
and ability to do whatever I can for
them.
21. Oh Allah, guide and protect our
teenagers who need Your Help and
Guidance from all of the temptations of
sex, drugs, alcohol and all of the other
Harams in our society.
22. Oh Allah, cleanse my heart of the
sicknesses of arrogance and pride and
let me die as one of the sincere, humble
Muslims.
23. Oh Allah, all of my brothers and
sisters who are suffering for Your sake
through torture, violence, in jails,
etc., around the world please forgive
their sins and grant them Paradise.
24. Oh Allah, I have been so impatient
and angry in my behavior, please give me
patience and help me control my anger
for Your sake.
25. Oh Allah, open a way for me to make
Hajj as soon as possible, so that I can
fulfill my obligation to You.
26. Oh Allah, give my sister Lisa
patience with her cancer. She is in so
much pain because of her treatments.
Please give her patience and let her
sickness be a way for her sins to be
forgiven.
27. Oh Allah, bless brothers Ali, Mike
and Manzoor, who are always at our
Masjid working on repairs, cleaning
bathrooms or keeping the place clean
after everyone else has left a mess.
28. Oh Allah, lift the veils from the
eyes of those who have been deceived
into seeing Islam as something bad
because of ignorance and media
stereotypes.
29. Oh Allah, bring all humans closer to
You and each other. Please do not make
us Muslims a test for them with our
misrepresentation of Islam because of
our bad behavior.
30. Oh Allah, help me stop my bad habits
of eating and talking too much.
31. Oh Allah, please help me give up
smoking this year. It's so hard to give
up smoking after all of these years, but
only You can make it easy.
These duas are being written just as
guidelines. No names are real. Please
adopt, modify, and write your own Duas.
If you like. share those with others in
our forums. The point is to get into
talking to our Lord directly, in our
style, in our language. While talking to
Him with our forehead on His earth in
Sajdah (prostration), we may reach a
point where our words and minds may give
way to a reflective heart which may help
us talk to our Lord. It is Sajdah (the
position of prostration in prayer) where
a servants talks to his Lord.
Please don't say that Allah knows what
you need. Yes, He does. But He also
loves to hear from you. Consider this
Hadith: Abu Huraira related that the
Prophet said: Allah is angry with those
who do not ask Him for anything (Tirmidhi).
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Seven Strategies to Train Kids this
Ramadan :: The Prophet Muhammad
"No father has given a greater gift to
his children than good moral training."
(Tirmidhi), peace and blessings of God
be upon the Prophet.
The many aspects of Ramadan--fasting,
prayers, moral values, charity, Quran,
family, Eid-- provide a valuable
opportunity to train kids. Whether they
are your own kids or kids you teach,
education or training isn't an automatic
or easy process. Children don't bring
empty minds and fill them with what we
say. Training requires effort, energy
and a few techniques to take off.
Here are some training tips and
techniques to transform your children's
minds and memories this Ramadan:
Let them get their Hands Dirty
"The great aim of education is not
knowledge, but action."
Herbert Spencer
Children learn by "doing". On average,
students retain 75 percent of a lesson
when they learn through hands-on
activities compared to five percent
through a lecture or 10 percent through
reading (Brunmer, Jerome, "The Process
of Learning").
If, for example, you want to teach your
kids the concept of Zakat, get them to
help you calculate your Zakat, decide
where to send the money, and mail the
envelopes. Action and implementation can
occur while children learn, not
necessarily after!
The Prophet used to take his daughter
Fatima with him when he went for prayer
at the Kaba in Makkah. Later, in Madinah,
he would bring his grandchildren, Hassan
and Hussain, to the Masjid as toddlers
before they knew how to pray.
A concept becomes real and important to
children when they experience it rather
than simply read about it. They'll
remember how to do it years later when
you may catch them telling their
friends, "I've been calculating Zakat
since I was a kid!"
Involve their Emotions
When children get emotionally involved
in an activity, they rarely want to
leave it. Video games and TV shows
target children's emotions. As parents
and educators, we can use the same
technique for training.
Stories, songs, skits, crafts and games
grab children's emotions. Once a child
is interested and excited, she is more
likely to stay attentive till the end
and get the message you want to give.
Just as we remember events in our lives
that were emotionally significant,
children remember concepts learned
through activities that were "fun",
"funny", "exciting" or "different".
Don't be afraid to stir some fun into
your training—you don't have to lose any
content. Write a song about Eid, create
a Hadith treasure box, organize a
Ramadan trivia night, or read a story
about Ramadan in Madinah. If they enjoy
it, the kids will come back for more!
Reveal the Purpose
We often hear students complain, "Why do
we have to do this?" or "This math
exercise is pointless". Unfortunately,
we often hear responses like, "Because
I'm telling you to," "Because you have
to", or worse, "You'll get a new CD
player if you finish the book".
Like us, if children don't see the
purpose or importance of an action, they
won't have the motivation to complete
it. To avoid getting similar comments
from your kids about prayer or fasting,
make sure they understand the purpose.
Before you begin any lesson, whether
it's a story about the Companions of the
Prophet or an Eid craft, explain exactly
why you are the doing the activity and
what benefits the children will gain
from it.
Remind your children that they are doing
acts of worship to please Allah, not
you. Explain why we need to please Allah
and how every action, including washing
dishes or math homework, will help us
achieve that goal. If children are
praying only to please you, when you
leave, their motivation and prayers will
disappear.
If children are motivated to fast
Ramadan or complete the Quran for a
material incentive (like a CD player),
they may never develop a love of Allah
or an intrinsic desire to perform the
action. They may, instead, learn to
value material rewards and when the
rewards disappear, the actions may
disappear with them.
Help your children understand that, for
Muslims, rewards don't necessarily come
in this life. They may have to wait for
the bigger and better rewards of the
hereafter.
Highlight the Big Ideas
"Education is what remains after one has
forgotten everything he learned in
school."
Albert Einstein
Ask yourself how many equations or
formulas you remember from your Grade 12
Math textbook. It may be five or two or
none. Let's be honest - most of us
retained very little of the details we
learned.
Children will not retain all the Fiqh
rulings of Zakat or Wudu or SalahÉ.and
they won't need to! Make sure the little
that they retain is exactly what you
want them to remember. Focus on the big
ideas, such as the awareness that Allah
is watching us, that we get our rulings
from the Quran and the Sunnah, that
prayer is a means of self-purification,
etc. Repeat these ideas every day in
different ways. While your children
instil these principles in their minds,
show them how to learn the rest on their
own, when they need it.
Help your kids learn "how to learn".
Teach them where to find the Fiqh
information they need or how to do
research on a topic and who to ask for
information. They will be better
prepared if they master the basics and
know how to get the specifics.
Memorizing every ruling will be a waste
of their time and yours.
Let them Lead!
Children often take responsibilities
more seriously than adults. The Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him,
appointed young adults like Ali, Anas
and Usamah ibn Zaid, young adults, for
important assignments that sometimes
required them to lead even older and
more experienced Companions.
Give children leadership over important
tasks and step out of the picture.
Assign one child to wake up all his
siblings for Suhur. Let someone else be
in charge of updating the Iftar time
every evening. Allow the children to
plan, budget and buy Eid gifts for all
the relatives. Let them choose which
task they want to "be in charge of".
Allow children to make mistakes and
realize on their own what they should
have done. Experience often trains
better than instruction. Once a child
goes out into the cold without a jacket,
he'll remember, before you can remind
him, to put on his jacket next time.
Train kids to be responsible for their
own learning. If a child asks, "Does
brushing teeth break my fast?" a simple
"yes" or "no" may give her the answer,
but won't provide any long-term
training. Ask her instead, "Where can
you look to find that answer? Let's do
some research."
Begin the month of Ramadan by asking
your children to do a research project
on what breaks the fast and what does
not. If they find the information
themselves, they are likely to remember
it and know exactly where to get it
again next year.
"The only person who is educated is the
one who has learned how to learn and
change."
Carl Rogers
Get Excited!
"Education is not the filling of a pail,
but the lighting of a fire."
W. B. Yeats
Kids catch on to your enthusiasm. Show
some excitement and passion about the
topic you're teaching. Show your kids
that you "can't wait" for Ramadan to
begin. Be cheerful at prayer times.
Decorate the house in anticipation of
Eid.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him, taught by example. His character
and actions motivated people to love and
emulate him. Be the example you want
your kids to be. Make a genuine effort
to love the activities you want your
kids to love.
Combine Love with Learning
Abu Huraira reported that al-Aqra' b.
Habis saw the Prophet, peace and
blessings be upon him, kissing Hasan
(his grandson). He said: I have ten
children, but I have never kissed any
one of them, whereupon Allah's
Messenger, peace and blessings be upon
him, said: He who does not show mercy,
no mercy would be shown to him. (Muslim)
Show children that you love them,
regardless of how they perform. Allow
each child to progress at his own pace.
Saying, "look at your cousin Aminah—she's
already finished the fifteenth juz",
will only lower your child's self-esteem
and discourage what she's already
accomplishing.
Excessive competition and comparison can
often result in helplessness and lack of
motivation for children who learn in
different ways or at a slower pace.
Allow children to judge their own
progress and compare themselves to their
former level rather than that of others.
Make this Ramadan the beginning of a
memorable and long-lasting training
experience for you and your children! |
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Courtesy: http://soundvision.com |
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