Subhahanallah less than 10 days to go before the blessed month is upon us. May we all be granted to opportunity to meet it and live it in the best manner inshAllah!
On Thursday we went over most of the ‘Outstanding Ramadan’ (http://outstandingramadan.com/) manual by Sr. Amirah Mauthoor. Here are some personal observations (please feel free to add to this)-
- Doing some of the exercises helped to focus one’s thoughts in readiness for what we want to achieve during Ramadan
- The pages dealing with goal-setting and management/personal development methods were useful, but we noted it was important to focus on the inner as much as outer actions (especially in relation to how we would assess ourselves on the ‘heartwheel’… etc)
- Overall, the book is very easy to go through, and many pages are devoted to exercises which inshaAllah you will benefit from doing
- There is great benefit in setting and achieving goals and having the right intention to start this is paramount.
Below is a very useful list of points from the Zaytuna institute re prepping for Ramadan. I especially liked the advise to make a ‘dua-list’ and make it as comprehensive as possible. This is THE MONTH TO ASK so please don’t waste the opportunity, make long lists and asks for all and everything. Remember Allah azza wa’jal loves to be asked so ask to your heart’s content and trust in His mercy. Ask even for help in asking, ask for help to make Ramadan better, ask for every little thing!
I pray to Allah to increase us in imaan, ihsaan, ibaadah and islam, forgive all our sins and guide us to what is pleasing to Him and I thank and praise Allah for the beautiful and beneficial meetings we have had….mashaAllah to have completed almost a whole year! Alhamdulillah.
Please forgive me for all my errors and defects this past year
Jazakum Allah Khairan!
| Imam Tahir Anwar’s 5 Simple Ways to Prepare for Ramadan |
| Assalamu ‘Alaykum,
As Ramadan approaches, it is imperative that we begin thinking about how we can benefit most from the journey ahead of us. Here are five simple ways through which we can prepare for this blessed month:
1) Intention (niyyah): Make the sincere intention that you want this Ramadan to be a sacred and special Ramadan.
2) Make a plan: Plan how you would like to spend each day this Ramadan. Postpone things that can be postponed, and focus on activities that will benefit you, insha’Allah, in the hereafter. Here are some examples: Set a target for how much Qur’an you will recite, and make a plan for when you will recite it. Set a target for how many prayers you will pray at the masjid, and make a plan for how you will reach this target.
3) Make a du’a list: Make a du’a list and include the following: a) your needs for this dunya; b) your needs for the hereafter; c) the needs of your family members and friends; d) the names of your friends and family members. A great book to have for du’as is Accepted Whispers.
4) Serve (khidmah): Go beyond just yourself and your own needs during the month of Ramadan. Before Ramadan begins, find an avenue for community service so you can serve others throughout the month.
5) Charity (sadaqah): Figure out how you can spend less on yourself so you can spend more on the needy during Ramadan. Begin calculating your assets, so that when Ramadan begins, you are ready to pay your zakat and sadaqah.
We pray to Almighty Allah that we are blessed with a fruitful and beneficial Ramadan, during which we may become closer to Allah. Amin. |
Iqra- our Quran study circle 