PREPARING FOR BLESSINGS 1 of 2.
Many people misunderstand the true nature of fasting, and they make it an occasion for eating & drinking, making special sweets and staying up late at night & watching shows on satellite TV. They make preparations for that long before Ramadhan, lest they miss out on some food or prices go up. They prepare by buying food, preparing drinks and looking at the satellite TV guide so they can choose which shows to follow and which to ignore. They are truly unaware of the real nature of fasting in Ramadhan; they take worship and piety out of the month and make it just for their bellies & their eyes. Others are aware of the real nature of fasting in the month of Ramadaan, so they start to prepare from Sha’baan, and some of them even start before that. Among the best ways of preparing for the month of Ramadaan are:
1 –SINCERE REPENTANCE
This is obligatory at all times, but because of the approach of a great and blessed month, it is even more important to hasten to repent from sins between you and your Lord, and between you and other people by giving them their rights, so that when the blessed month begins you may busy yourself with acts of worship with a clean heart and peace of mind. Allaah says :
“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”. [24:31]
Al-Agharr ibn Yasaar (radiallahuanihu) ;Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “O people, repent to Allaah for I repent to Him one hundred times each day.” Muslim.
2 –DU’AA’ (SUPPLICATION)
It was narrated from some of the salaf that they used to pray to Allaah for six months that they would live until Ramadaan, then they would pray for five months afterwards that He would accept it from them. The Muslim should ask his Lord to let him live until Ramadaan with a strong religious commitment & good physical health, and he should ask Him to help him obey Him during the month, and ask Him to accept his good deeds from Him.
3 – REJOICING AT THE APPROACH OF THE BLESSED MONTH
The arrival of Ramadaan is one of the great blessings that Allaah bestows upon His Muslim slave, because Ramadaan is one of the occasions of good in which the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed. It is the month of the Qur’aan and of decisive battles in the history of our religion.
“Say: ‘In the Bounty of Allaah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Qur’aan); —therein let them rejoice.’ That is better than what (the wealth) they amass” [10:58]
4 – DISCHARGING THE DUTY OF ANY OUTSTANDING OBLIGATORY FASTS
Abu Salamah said: I heard ‘Aa’ishah (radiallahuaniah) say: I would owe fasts from the previous Ramadaan and I would not be able to make them up except in Sha’baan. Bukhaari.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) said: From her keenness to do that in Sha’baan it may be understood that it is not permissible to delay making them up until another Ramadaan begins. Fath al-Baari (4/191). For maximum benefit in the coming Ramadhan; Request from IMADAWAH free Ramadhan diary for you & your family NOW ! or download it from these links.
http://quranproject.org/Download-The-Quran-Project-Ramadhan-Diary-2015-598-d (Adults) http://www.amuslimhomeschool.com/2014/05/kids-ramadan-journal-download.html (Children).
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