“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is
fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.” (Al-Baqarah: 183)
The
goal has been laid down: to have taqwa,
to become righteous, to become the Muttaqoon!
What
is Taqwa?
Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah states that taqwa includes:
“... doing
everything that Allah has enjoined whether it is waajib (obligatory) or
mustahabb (recommended), and avoiding all that He has forbidden, whether it is
haraam (forbidden) or makrooh (disliked)...”
Prepare
To Achieve Your Target
In
order to have the privilege of (aiming to be) being among the righteous, we
have to start now. Think about preparing ourselves with this goal for Ramadan
and then, let this goal become a part of our lives too insha’Allah. So, among
the actions that can be taken are:
1.
Fasting The First Half Of Sha’ban:
‘A’ishah r.a said: “The Messenger s.a.w used to fast until we thought he would
never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I
never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan,
and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha’ban.” (Bukhari 1833, Muslim 1956)
2.
Begin The Countdown
Put
your social media to beneficial and productive use. Share Ramadan posts, tips, ahadith, articles, ayahs and so on. When the hype goes
up, the excitement grows and the preparation increases ten folds! By this, you
will get into the spiritual ‘groove’ quite early, thereby, increasing your acts
of ‘ibadah.
3.
“Stock” Your Mind
Seek
knowledge. Read, read and read more! Gather information on the sunnah practices
to be observed during Ramadan, how to enhance rewards in this blessed month,
how to purify yourselves, how to please Allah s.w.t and so on. The topics are endless and so
are the resources.
4.
“Mirror Mirror On the Wall!”
Look
past your skin, flesh and bones, deep into your soul. You know what kind of haraam activities you are
involved in - big or small. Train yourself from now to get rid of them, one at
a time. Punish yourself for repeating it and thank Allah s.w.t each time you refrain from it. Be a
responsible Muslim, it’s time to learn self-control.
5.
The Pre-Ramadan Plan
You
know your life, your schedules and your commitments. Keeping these in mind, chalk
out a daily/weekly task plan that should include at least one Islam oriented
activity - nafl fasts, nafl salaah, dhikr, Qur’an recitation,
reading an Islamic book/article, listening to a lecture, charity and so on.
6.
Sincere Dua’
Do
not under estimate the power of dua’ and do not over estimate your
capabilities. Remember that without the Will, Mercy and Help of Allah s.w.t, you cannot be successful. Ask Him to help
you. Ask Him to make you steadfast in your pursuit, ask Him to help you attain
His pleasure. We are the slaves of Allah s.w.t. Submit to Him with humbleness. Beg for His
forgiveness, yearn for His Mercy, ask for His Guidance, for the ones who are
truly guided are the ones guided by Allah!
7.
Small Beginnings
Start
small. Set achievable goals. Do not overburden yourself.
Make this
Ramadan the turning point in our lives.
Excerpted
and adapted from Aishah
Ahmed, 19 May 2015 | http://blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com/the-pre-ramadan-preparation-the-taqwa-boost/
