4 weeks more to go…

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Assalamu Alaikum.

Just one month left before the main event…

We should all ask ourselves:

1) Have we finished our pending fasts from last year?

2) Do we do dua to Allah to enable us to reach Ramadan and benefit from it?

3) Have we started to increase in our ibaadah (worship)?

4) Are we just daydreaming or do we really have goals which we are striving to attain this Ramadan?

5) Do we have a plan for pre-Ramadan (Shabaan), Ramadan and post-Ramadan (Shawwal) so that we can maintain out high levels of iman?

If we haven’t gotten started, we need to do so now.

It doesn’t matter if we have work, we still have to make time for this.

And for those who haven’t prepared much for Ramadan, I’d ask you to work backwards:

1) Write the 5-7 major goals that you want to achieve in Ramadan. [It helps to try to remember the things which messed up past Ramadans and then write the exact opposite thing.]

2) Write what you need to do in Shabaan to achieve them.

3) Start working!

For example, if one of your major goals is to understand the taraweeh prayers, then you need to be able to understand Quranic Arabic.

Impossible in a month? Well, no.

If you dedicate some time to do the Understand Quran courses and also follow this simple tip, you’ll get somewhere, insha-Allah.

What about if your goal is to get healthy by Ramadan?

Too late? Of course not.

Just change your diet (starting from right now!) and start walking. You should see a big improvement in your health in a month’s time, insha-Allah.

So, it’s not that difficult.

Remember: Just write everything down and start working.

Also, remember one more thing: If you get into action now, it will benefit you whether you reach Ramadan or not.

If you reach Ramadan, you will be prepared for it, insha-Allah. And if you die before Ramadan, you’ll die in a higher state of iman, insha-Allah. So, it will be a win-win situation.

RAMADAN PREP TIP #2: START FASTING

Assalamu Alaikum.

Start fasting before Ramadan??

Of course.

Our bodies need to get used to it before Ramadan. The first few days of fasting are difficult and tiring. We shouldn’t let those first few days be the first few days of Ramadan!

Also, those who need to make up their fasts (either due to illness, traveling, menses, postpartum bleeding, pregnancy or nursing) should do so before Ramadan. Otherwise, there will be a sin on them for delaying it.

ARTICLE: THE MONTH OF RAJAB

Assalamu Alaikum.

As we’re currently in Rajab, it would be a good thing to read about whether this month has any significance or not.

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http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/books/111

The month of Rajab

Praise be to Allaah, the One, the Subduer, and blessings and peace be upon the Chosen Prophet and upon his good and pure family and companions.

Praise be to Allaah Who says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses” [al-Qasas 28:68]. The attribute of choosing or selecting is indicative of His Lordship and Oneness, and of the perfection of His Wisdom, Knowledge and Power.

One aspect of His choosing and preferring is the fact that He has chosen some days and months and given them preference over others. Among the months, Allaah has chosen four which He has made sacred, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…” [al-Tawbah 9:36]

These months are calculated according to the movements of the moon, not the movements of the sun, as the kuffaar do.

The Sacred Months are mentioned by implication in the Qur’aan, but their names are not given. Their names are mentioned in the Sunnah:

It was reported from Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave his Farewell Sermon and said: “Time has completed its cycle and is as it was on the Day when Allaah created the heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred, three consecutive months – Dhoo’l-Qa’dah, Dhoo’l-Hijjah and Muharram – and the Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 1741, in [Kitaab] al-Hajj, al-Khutbah Ayaam Mina; and by Muslim, no. 1679, in [Kitaab] al-Qisaamah, Baab Tahreem al-Dimaa’).

It was called Rajab of Mudar because [the tribe of] Mudar did not tamper with its timing, unlike the rest of the Arabs, who used to tamper with the months and change their order depending on whether they were in a state of war or not. This was the postponing referred to in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“The postponing (of a Sacred Month) is indeed an addition to disbelief: thereby the disbelievers are led astray, for they make it lawful one year and forbid it another year in order to adjust the number of months forbidden by Allaah, and make such forbidden ones lawful.” [al-Tawbah 9:37]

It was also said that the reason why it was attributed to Mudar was because they venerated it and respected it so much, so it was attributed to them.