Tips on Making the Most of Ramadan: Part 1

                           Tips on Making the Most of Ramadan: Part 1

Asalam Aleykom w Rahmato Allahu w Barakato lovely people!    

         I just attended a very beneficial Ramadan preparation lecture. Allahuma Bale3’na Ramadan! We have beautiful and blessed days ahead of us insha’Allah and we must make the most of them. I would like to thank Miss Hoda for giving a lovely lecture and I would like to thank Brother Abdulrahman Maged for helping me out,  Jazakom Allahu Khayra!

                         The lecture started out with a couple of important reminders:

- It is important to note that Ramadan is not a destination rather it is a tool that we use to improve ourselves.

- The aya that orders us to fast:

سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيۡڪُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِڪُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ (١٨٣)

Surah Al-Baqara

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous  (183)

- What is Taqwa?

                 According to Ali Ibn Abi Talib, “Taqwa (God-consciousness) is to fear the Almighty; to act upon the revelation; to be content with little, and to prepare for the day of travel.”

- In order to improve ourselves we must get rid of the diseases in our hearts:

                The heart must be taken care of because; as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said; "Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearken it is the heart." [Sahih Muslim]

              When the heart is sound, so are our actions which are based on our intentions; Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “When man’s love, knowledge and aspiration is directed in this worldly way, the heart becomes narrow and gloomy as it is distant from the source of its revival and life.”

              We must us the Qur’an to fix our hearts; "O mankind! There has come to you an instruction (Quran) from your Lord, a cure for whatever (disease) is in your hearts, a guidance and a blessing for the true believers."  [Yunus - 10:57]

سُوۡرَةُ یُونس

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡكُم مَّوۡعِظَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡ وَشِفَآءٌ۬ لِّمَا فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ وَهُدً۬ى وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ (٥٧)

                                             Tools to Change the Heart

1.     Search your heart with sidk (sincerity):

Look for the flaws such as;

1.           Riya2; doing things to show off in other words not for Allah but for people to complement you

2.     Love of worldly things

3.    7asad; Jinxing or being envious of what others have.

4.     Soo2 el zun; being pessimistic towards or questioning; others, Allah, life, etc. When you feel pessimism towards something say:

اللهم لاَ خَيْرَ إلا خَيْرُكَ وَلاَ طَيْرَ إلا طَيْرُكَ وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ ) .

5.     I7tikar el zonoob; belittling the sins that you are guilty of

6.     Al 3ojb; being pleased with oneself and actions that one becomes conceited. Ibn Qayim had a saying which basically means that if you feel that you reached a point where you perfected your faith and you have no flaws then you are in big trouble.

The things mentioned above are only a couple of the diseases of the heart. If you want help in overcoming the diseases of the heart, you can watch Moez Masoud’s show; “Thawra 3ala El Nafs.”

The diseases of the heart take are considered as cancer of the soul. They take away thawab and stop you from doing good deeds. Your heart becomes weak heart which makes its immunity weak and the smallest fitna can ruin you heart. So Ask Allah for a pure heart.

Abu Bakr (RA) asked Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) what a good duaa would be to say in prayer and the Prophet (PBUH) said:

اللهم إني ظلمت نفسي ظلماً كثيراً، و لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت. فاغفر لي مغفرة من عندك و ارحمني إنك أنت الغفور الرحيم.

2.  Decide your goal. What goals do you want to accomplish during Ramadan?

3.  Fix the heart:

   -Don't belittle the smallest sin.

-             Talk to Allah and tell Him everything.

-             Get rid of debt; for example if you owe people money pay them back. If you gossiped about someones ask for their forgiveness or make duaa for them or spend in charity so that Allah forgives you.

-             Forgive

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