My PLans for Ramadhan-Ayub A Hamid

B i s m i l l a a h i r� ï¿½  R a h m a a n i r� ï¿½  R a h e e m






My Plans This Ramadhaan


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Ayub A. Hamid










How should we -- simple, ordinary Muslims -- spend this fasting month so
that at the end of the month we feel inner joy and true happiness knowing
that our ‘Eed day will be the day of celebrating rewards from Allaah
Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala?



Here is a sample plan that you can use as your personal plan or use it as a
model to develop your own personal plan:



This Ramadhaan, I will establish a close relationship with the Qur-aan. I
will give top priority to increasing my knowledge and understanding of the
contents and message of the Qur-aan. I will recite and study the Qur-aan
with translation and tafseer regularly and steadily throughout the month. I
will not sleep after Fajr, but instead study the Qur-aan at least for half
an hour until I am ready to go to school or work. Throughout the day, I will
find time to revise and re-learn the Soorahs and Aayaat I already know. Once
that is completed, I will learn at least one Aayah a day from a Soorah I do
not already know.



This Ramadhaan, I will sleep early, soon after Ishaa. I will go to bed with
clear and conscious intention of fasting the next day, as well as with the
intention of getting up early for Tahajjud. Then, while remembering Allaah,
I will fall asleep.�  I will get up well before Suhoor time, thanking Allaah
Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala for giving me life, offer Tahajjud and then make
special Duaa for the mercy of Allaah on our Ummah, His help for its success
and well being, and His interference to foil the plans of the enemy. I will
also make special Duaa that Allaah protects my Ummah, my family and me from
the Dajjaal and his Fitnah.



Because time is a precious gift of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala for
effective use of which I will be held responsible, I will try to weed out
any time wasting activities from my daily routine. I will re-examine my
day-to-day activities and use the discipline of this month to abandon at
least one activity that is not conducive to or effective in the attainment
of Islamic objectives for which Allaah has guided us to Islam. Because the
value of time increases several hundred folds during this month, to make
time for other more important Islamic activities, just for this month, I
will not watch TV at all, not even the news. My knowing of what is shown in
the news does not affect any affairs of the world. Watching the news causes
only frustration, despair and anxiety. If I do not watch for a month, it
will not have any impact either on me, my Ummah or the world at large. In
addition, I can get a quick update of news from a website in a few minutes
any way. Thus, I rather save my time from TV and spend it on my personal
improvement and building a close, personal relationship with Allaah, rather
than on an activity where I cannot make any difference.�  (Unless I am one of
those few Muslims who write letters, articles or op-ed pieces to TV
producers / anchors, paper editors / columnists, politicians and media in
general to make Islamic points or to stand up for the Ummah. If I am one of
those, I will continue this Jihaad in Ramadhaan).



While fasting, I will make a special effort to speak only to add value and
to say only what is true, factual, positive, meaningful and useful. When I
do not have anything good and useful to talk about, instead of saying
anything else, I will remember Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aqala through the
beautiful words taught by our Prophet Ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while
paying attention to their meanings and feeling the impact of the words on my
heart, my mind, my thoughts and my attitude. Or, if I do not know them, I
will learn those words of remembrance or prayer. Or, I will spend those
moments reciting the portions of the Qur-aan that I know or learning those I
do not.



I will not lend my ears to anything that is useless, indecent, negative,
spiteful or inappropriate. In my car, I will listen to the Qur-aan or some
good speech of a reputed scholar. If my car CD player has a feature that
allows it to repeat the same piece over and over again, I will use it to
help me learn new verses or Soorah. Similarly, while riding the transit or
subway, I will use my pocket-sized Qur-aan or book of Prophet Åœall Allaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam’s Duaas to recite, practise or revise those I know or
learn those I do not know.



This Ramadhaan, I will particularly watch my gaze. While glancing on a
member of opposite sex, I will move my gaze away before I start evaluating
or assessing the attractive features of looks, appearance or personality or
before I start paying attention to or begin enjoying those attractions. I
will not participate or listen to the comments of sexual nature that my
colleagues, peers or friends make.



While remembering Allaah in many other ways, I will more frequently ask for
Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala’s mercy in the first 10 days of Ramadhaan (Yaa
Ĥayyu Yaa Qayyoomu, bi-raĥmatika astagheethu), invoke Allaah’s forgiveness
in the second 10 days (astaghfirullaah-al-azheem-alladzi laa ilaaha illaa
huwa-al Ĥayyu-l-Qayyoomu wa atoobu ilayh) and seek salvation from the Fire
in the last 10 days (Rabbanaa aatinaa fi-ddunyaa ĥasanatanwa fil-aakhirati
Ä¥asanatanwa qinaa adzaab-annaar). During the last ten nights, I will
frequent the Duaa: Allaahumma innaka ‘afuwwun, tuĥibbul ‘afwa, fa’fu
‘annee.
This Ramadhaan, I will be exceptionally charitable. The tears that fill my
eyes when I see the scenes of devastation, disease, starvation, agony,
displacement, killings, blown up bodies and severed limbs of poor, helpless
people of Lebanon, Palestine, Afghanistan, Chechnya and Kashmir will
ameliorate my heart and open my purse. I will send all my Zakaah to them
right at the beginning of Ramadhaan through trustworthy Islamic charities.
In addition to my Zakaah, I will pay whatever I can spare from my family’s
necessities for helping those in dire need. If I have been paying my Zakaah
to my relatives, this Ramadhaan, I will help my relatives from my other
savings and resources, so that I can pay Zakaah to the victims of state
terrorism and occupation forces. I will avoid spending money on
non-essentials and non-necessities such as excessive home decoration,
getting new clothes for ‘Eed when closets are already full or buying more
video games and toys for my children, so that those who are in more need
than me and my family can be helped. I will even pay my Fitrah very early in
Ramadhaan so that it can reach those displaced from their homes before the
severity of winter.



Also this Ramadhaan, I will be generous and forgiving to my family, friends
and the Muslim community at large. I will clear my heart from anger
complaints, suspicion, jealousy, grudges or dislike against any of them. I
will be extra kind, accommodating, courteous, supportive and helpful to my
non-Muslims neighbours and colleagues. I will find ways to have them
participate in the blessings of Ramadhaan and happiness of ‘Eed by sharing
my food specialties with them or giving gifts and chocolates to them.



This Ramadhaan, I am going to take my vacations in its last 10 days, so that
the precious opportunity offered by those days can be fully utilized for
developing my personal relationship with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala.



I will kick at least one of my bad habits such as arriving late for
appointments or breaking promises. I will show up or do what I indicate I
will do and I will show up or do so on time. If I am a smoker, this
Ramadhaan, I will not smoke even after Iftaar, before Suhoor or at night. I
will keep my mouth odour free for prayers and Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala’s
remembrance and my lungs, blood and heart from disease.



If I am a university student under pressure for tests and assignments, my
act of worship is to do my utmost best to study hard and get the best
possible results, given that any moment that is not spent on studying is not
spent in any other pursuit except in the remembrance of Allaah Subhaanahu wa
Ta`aala or study of the Qur-aan. While travelling to/from or within campus
or while taking a break from studies, I will automatically shift to
remembrance of Allaah or recitation of the Qur-aan. For my studies, I will
keep timings that are consistent with the spirit of Ramadhaan, i.e. sleep
early and get up very early. Instead of staying up late at the risk of
missing Suhoor or Fajr, I will adjust my body clock to Islamic lifestyle
instead of the western lifestyle. When I get up to study at 2 or 3 AM, I
will start with two Raka’at of Tahajjud and then continue with my studies.
After Fajr, I will still spend 15-20 minutes on the study of Tafseer daily
without exception.



If we succeed this Ramadhaan in living as planned above, we will be able to
look back and rejoice on the day of ‘Eed.










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