SUNNAH ACTS
Allah Ta’ala sent His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم to show us how best to live our lives. It’s a given fact then that the best way to please Allah Ta’ala would be to live a life as close to the Sunnah as possible.
In Ramadan and beyond, we should try to adopt the Sunnah life in as many ways as we can. Here are a few ideas:
•Praying the Sunnah Muakkadah and Ghayr Mu’akkadah Salahs
•Reading the Sunnah Duas at their prescribed time
•Wearing clothes that resemble the Sunnah, such as the hat (topi), the thobe (jubbah, kafni etc.), the ‘Imamah, khuffayn etc.
•For me, the growing of the beard, and for women, wearing appropriate clothing that covers
•Doing good and clean things with the right hand, and things that require cleaning with the left
•Giving and taking things with the right hand
•Entering the home, Masjid, washroom and even vehicles with the correct foot first and leaving with the correct foot first.
•Using the Miswak
•Being kind, gentle and forgiving to others
•Helping others out, whether it’s chores around the house, or helping a person in difficulty
PREPARING FOR RAMADAN
Since there’s a lot that needs to be done this Ramadan, you’ll need to ensure you’re as free as possible.
Firstly, recite the Sunnah Du’a in the two months before Ramadan, Rajab and Sha’ban. The Du’a below will allow you to ask Allah Ta’ala to help you prepare to make the most out of Ramadan:
O’ Allah, give us blessings in Rajab and Sha’ban, and allow us to reach Ramadan. (Musnad Bazzar)
As for any preparation that needs to be made for the Ramadan itself, such as any frozen Iftar foods, it should be done before the month starts. It’s unfair on mothers and sisters for them to be expected to cook as much as in Ramadan. Though it’s rewarding, they may be (and should be) aspirants of spending more time in worship too, which won’t be possible if they have to spend hours cooking.
Rather, food can even be ordered from outside. In the past, scholars would give the females of their house more time to engage themselves in worship and have the food ordered instead, just so that their families don’t miss out on the irreplaceable moments of worship.
Lastly, we need to give up any hobbies that are either futile, distracting or harmful for our spirituality. If we’re in the habit of watching movies, listening to music, keeping up with TV shows, then these must be left immediately and long before the month begins.
However, if we have other pastimes, such as playing video games, bingeing on YouTube videos, or even reading novels, we have to stop these too, even if it’s just for a month. All of the above may not have spiritual benefit, nor may they give us any reward in the hereafter.
Similarly, we may be engrossed in social media, receiving notifications from groups and subscriptions that we can do without in the month of Ramadan. We can pause and mute these for at least one month, and resume after Ramadan if we must, just so that there are no distractions this month.
Plus, in order to make time for the timetable we have in mind, we won’t have enough space unless we leave these habits, even if it’s for just a month. If we can give ourselves a busy schedule, we won’t feel idle and therefore tempted to do any of the above. It’s all about planning and being prepared.
By leaving these habits before Ramadan begins, we can start Ramadan in a higher gear rather than crawling in on first gear.
MAKING A TIMETABLE
After reading all of the previous slides, it will become clear that there is definitely a lot we can do and need to do. It won’t be possible for us to do all of this effectively unless we have a routine. To create a routine, we need to make a timetable for everyday.
Ideally, as mentioned early, it would be best to have the entire month off. However, not all workplaces will allow this, and state schools would never permit it. Therefore, we must build our timetables around our day to day activities and pray for the complete reward.
When making a timetable, you’d need to be realistic. Don’t give yourself too much to do. At the same time, we should be ambitious and give ourselves enough to challenge ourselves and keep us busy.
Think of the following when building your timetable:
•When would you sleep, and how many hours would you need?
•Will you be sleeping before Suhur after Tarawih, or will you be sleeping after Fajronly?
•Will you nap at any moment? If so, how long would you need?
•What will be your usual hours of work or education? When exactly would you leave home and return?
•Can you pray any of the required things in your breaks at work and school? Or on the way there and back?
•What times are the Salahs in your local Masjid and how long would it take from the moment you leave the house to the time you return? Consider that it may take five minutes to get ready.
•Will you be praying anything in the Masjid? If so, any additional Salahs, recitation or Dhikr?
•Which additional acts of worship are you going to do throughout your day? How much of each are you going to do and when would be the best time? How long will each take?
•Is your timetable going to change on the weekends? (ideally it should be the same each day so that it’s easier to follow and get into a routine)
•Is it going to change in the last ten days at all?
•Are you planning on doing Itikaf?
•When will you be having your Iftarand Suhur?
•When will you need to do chores? Do you need to do cooking, cleaning etc.?
•Make some time to sit down with your family if it’s a usual part of your family life.
•When would you have your baths and showers?
•If you have any homework, or office work, when will you do it?
Show your timetable to a scholar and they may be able to guide you further on how to improve it.
BY HUDA PRESS
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