In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

RAMADAN TIPS

Clean up the time:

a) Telephone: Try to minimize your chat on the telephone. If you are used to chat with your friends on a regular basis, try to make it short. Share the importance of this month & devote yourself for Ibaadah in order to get the maximum reward in this month.

b) Cooking: Try to cook something simple during Ramadan as this is a month of Ibaadah & Quraan, not a month of food. There are some husbands who push their wifes to cook different varieties of food & sisters have to spend their time in the kitchen. If its very necessary, keep a tape of Quraan in the kitchen & listen to it while you are busy in Kitchen, or keep your toungue moist with the Zikr. [Try to find out some short cut & tips to prepare the food quickly]

C) Shopping: Try to do the Eid shopping NOW. The last ten days of Ramadan when we have to be doing more Ibaadah & spend our time in doing good deeds, most of the muslims are busy in doing shopping for Eid & their kids. Sisters! These ten days, we has to exaggerate ourself in doing more ibaadah & to catch Laila-ul qadr. Try to make this Ramadan a very different from all the previous ramadaans.

D) Dinner Party/Iftaar: Iftaar parties during ramadan are getting very common now. This is the Month for you sisters. we have the rest of the full year to do parties & to get socialize. Indeed its a great reward to break someone’s fast but try to give food to people who are needy & poor. The prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said, Whoever gives food to a fasting person with which to break his fast, will have a reward equal to his, without it detracting in the slightest from the reward of the fasting person. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/171; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/451).

E) Sleeping: Cut less the time of sleep during this month. Its a month of Ibaadha, doing good deeds. Who knows this could be our last ramadan. try to reduce your sleeping hours. Its only one month & then you can get back to your normal routine.

F) Computer & Internet: this is my personal request.I am spending lot of time on the internet, though visiting Islamic sites & checking & sending emails. Try to spend less time on the internet.Now when we have cleaned up a big amount of time, lets schedule it for Ibaadhah.

1) Fard: Pray the Obligatory salah on time with Khushoo. Get yourself ready as soon as the salah comes in. Make duaa to Allah to give you Khushoo. & try to get rid of all the thoughts & waswaas that comes in the mind. Think of that you are standing infront of your LORD the Almighty.

2) Sunnah: If you are already praying the 12 sunnah, continue them & add the 2 rak’ah of sunnah after Zuhr. [making them 14 altogether].The prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said, Whoever maintain 4 rak’ah before Zuhr & 4 rak’ah after zuhr, Allah will make the fire Haram on that person” [Ibn-Majah]4 rak’ah before Asr: The prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said, “may Allah have mercy on him who prays 4 rak’ah before Asr”. [Tirmidi]Salah Al-Duha: Increase the no. of Rak’ah if you are already in a habit of praying salah al-Duha.

3) Qur’aan: Ramadan is the month of Quraan. Try to schedule it all the moments you have. If you are working, try to keep a pocket size Quraan with you & read it whenever you get the time,like, coffee break, lunch break, etc. Try to read with reflection. Read slowly in a beautiful voice & reflect on its meaning. Try to read this time, with translation & tafseer.

4) Traweeh & Qiyaam-ul-lail: Try to read the traweeh in the mosque where the Imaam is doing long Qiyaam.

5) Tahajjud: Try to get up little earlier to pray 2 rak’ah & make duaa. Its the best time for making duaa & acceptance of duaa.

6) Du’a: Write all the duaa you want to make for yourself, your children, family or any duaa that you want to make. Each day try to focus on duaa, & keep on repeating it throughout the day & at times when the duaa is accepted. Make duaa to Allah to give you Ikhlaas, khushoo, make duaa that you catch lailat-ul-Qadr. make duaa for the whole Ummah. [repeat the duaa that are important to you,during the last ten days of Ramadan]

7) Zikr: Select one zikr for a day & focus on it daily, reflecting on its meaning & thinking about its reward. [get the Duaa book “Hisn-ul-muslim or hisn-ul haseen from any store]

8) Charity: Try to give as much charity as you can, as the reward gets more during the month of ramadan. Give food to the poor & needy people & help those in need.

9) Last 10 days: Double & triple the amount of Ibaadah you are doing during the last ten days of Ramadan. Sleep less & worship more.. pray as much as you can & make a lot of duaa.Sisters and brothers! let us get ready to make this Ramadan different than all the previous ramadans. Do as much as you can & inshaAllah Allah will help you.

Ameen

Do remember us in your Duas.