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In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful. 

Get Ready for Ramadan.

 

Written by: Sk.    

Translated by Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa

 

28 Sha'ban 1429H

29 August 2008AC

 

Thanks be to Allah, the Merciful, the Almighty, the One the Only. He knows all what is in heavens and what is in earth. He knows what we say and He knows what is in our minds.

 

Allah has favoured this nation with this month every year. Ramadan approaches like a graceful visitor. Some people become good hosts and honor the month of Ramadan. While, some people, Ramadan departs with the worst effects and worst memories.

 

Good tiding to this for which Ramadan shall testify positively, and Good tidings to this for which the Koran will testify positively. On the day of resurrection and the day of reckoning, the fasting and the Koran will testify for the slave. Fasting shall say: "O' Lord, I kept him off his food and his lust, allow me to mediate and put in a good word for him". And the Koran shall say: "I came between him and his sleep at night. Allow me to mediate for him". And their mediation is accepted.

 

Ramadan is a season of goodness and riches; provided by Allah to mankind. It is the season for the devout, and a shop or a market for the righteous. Each commodity in any market has its season. Those business people keep a watch for that season. During such a season they increase their business activities, and increase their efforts many fold in order to maximize their profit. They put in so much effort in order that they may make profit. But like in any business they may make profit or may not. And if they do make profit; they may benefit from it and they may not. And if they benefit from such profit for one day, they may not be round for long to keep on benefiting from it. Indeed they may die and leave it behind.

 

This worldly life has it own business people, and the next life has its business people. Business men and women of this worldly life keep a watch on its business seasons in order to maximize their profits. Business people of the next life also keep a watch for the its seasons in order to maximize their profits too. But, their profit is different; it is in the form of forgiveness and mercies from their Lord and paradise.

 

Ramadan comes every year as an opportunity to the Muslim to increase the goodness and reduce sins. Doors to goodness are open, just like the doors to paradise, while doors to hellfire are closed and Satans are chained or cuffed. This is an indication to the increased numbers of doors and paths leading to goodness, and the reduced and limited tracks for evil.

 

What a happy ending for those who take advantage of this opportunity. The messenger (PPBU) said: {When Ramadan approaches, the doors to paradise are opened, and the doors to hell are closed, and Satans are cuffed and chained. A caller calls: "You who seek goodness go ahead, and you who seek evil confine yourself."}. This reminds those who have been forgetful about Allah for the past eleven months. Put your hand in the hand of Allah. Approach Allah with good fasting, good night prayers and plenty of deed of obedience.

 

Good fasting means that your fasting is not mere fasting of the stomach and lust; while your tongue is not fasting, your eyes are not fasting; your ears and all your other senses are not fasting.

 

The messenger (PPBU) said: {This who does not give up speaking falsely (or lying) and acting (or living) by it; as far as Allah is concerned; there is no point for him/her in giving up the food and drink}. And he also said: {Fasting is a shield and protection. When one of you fast, let them not argue or do evil. And if someone curses him; or fight him; let him say: "I'm fasting"}. Meaning let this who is fating not respond to evil with evil; rather he/she should respond to evil with good. Let him remember that he is in the process of an act of worship which should not be broken or bruised. Let him say with his heart and his tongue to himself and others that he is fasting. Some ignorant Muslims hurt and abuse others verbally and then say: "excuse me; I am fasting!!" As if Allah through fasting has given permission to destroy the morals and behaviour of people. A fasting Muslim ought to control himself, control his tongue, control his ears and eyes and all his/her senses. A many a person gains nothing from his fasting except hunger and thirst. Yes, there are those who suffer the hunger and thirst in fasting; but do not give fasting what it deserves. Indeed, many scholars go as far as saying that backbiting, tattling, lying and other evil acts spoil the fasting. And any who does one of those acts during fasting will need to fast another day as a replacement. Some other scholars said those acts do not spoil fasting but it takes away its rewards. And even this is not a simple matter. Imagine fasting; feeling the hunger the thirst; your mouth going dry; for a full day; and finally you find no reward for it with Allah. You come out empty handed. Watch yourself and control what you do and say; purify your self this month.

 

Fasting is an opportunity to elevate your self to the horizon of angels. The messenger (PPBU) said: {Whoever goes through Ramadan (or do nightly prayers in Ramadan) in faith and expectations; all his previous sins are forgiven}. And he also said: {the five daily prayers; and the Friday to Friday; and Ramadan to Ramadan are cleansers of sins which happens between one and the next; as long as major sins are avoided}.

 

Dear brothers let us prepare for the night prayers as we prepare for fasting. Encourage your spouse to attend taraweeh prayers at the mosque in order to share the reward.

 

Well done to this who spends the night in prayers; kneeling and prostrating; contemplating the life after; and in expectation of Allah's mercy; tearful eyes and revering heart, and a tongue busy praising Allah and reciting His words. Allah says: {No soul knows what Allah Has hidden for them to their eyes contentment; as a reward for what they used to do}. You who seek good come on up, and you who seek evil refrain. And Allah each and every night in Ramadan proclaims some Muslims to be set free from ever being touched by Hellfire. Be one of those.

 

One of the successful paths during Ramadan is the night of Qadr. And what do you know about the night of Qadr. The night of Qadr is better than a thousand months. The messenger (PPBU) said: {Whoever stays up the night of Qadr in faith and expectations, then all his/her previous sins are forgiven}.

 

Another path is the reciting of Koran. Try to recite the Koran a plenty during this month. Try to get the lessons in its verses. Listen to it being recited, follow its guidance. The messenger used to recite the complete Koran during the month of Ramadan. Gabriel used to revise the Koran with the messenger (PPBU) once every Ramadan. The year the messenger (PPBU) died; Gabriel revised it twice in that Ramadan.

 

Dear Muslims, one of the most important characteristics of Ramadan is to adopt perfection in words and deed. Generosity is one of the characteristics the messenger (PPBU) used to have, and he used to be most generous during the month of Ramadan. Slaves of Allah: Be good and be perfect. Allah likes those who are good and who are seeking perfection in obedience of Allah. Be generous by giving in donation part of what you value. And avoid stinginess; skimpiness and greed and do not listen to Satan.

 

Another deed of Ramadan is E-tikaf or taking seclusion in a mosque for the last ten days of Ramada; as the messenger (PPBU) used to do. E-tikaf is for an individual to limit himself to the boundaries of the mosque in obedience of Allah, and seeking the life after.

 

Allah says: {You faithful, fasting has been written upon you as it was written upon those before you.}

 

Dear Muslims, one of the most direct paths leading to Allah during this month of Ramadan and right through the Muslim's life is duaa or supplication. By asking Allah of your needs. Indeed {supplication is a worship}. Allah says: {call me (or make supplications to me) I will answer. Those who are proud to worship me; they shall be entered into hell with disgrace}. The messenger (PPBU) said: {Who does not ask Allah, Allah will be annoyed with.} Dear Muslims, do aplenty of asking to Allah, in sick and in health; in rich and in poor. Ask for the best in this life and next. Allah says: {Dear God, give us in this life goodness, and the next life goodness, and protect us from the torment of fire}

 

Dear Muslim, seek the points or times of sure answer. One who is fasting has an answered prayer. Most likely it is at the time when he or she break their fasting. And every night of Ramadan has an hour during which if a Muslim asks for anything, he or she will be answered by Allah. Allah says: {and if my slaves ask you about me; let them know that I am close by; I answer the call of a caller if he/she call me. Let them respond to Me; and believe in Me so they may be religiously true}. Pray and ask Allah with succumbed, broken and insistent hearts. Ask Allah for anything and everything. Ask Him for the little and great things. For nothing or nobody can stop what He gives; and nothing or nobody can give what He withholds.

 

God, make it easy for us and make us avoid the hardships,

God, make us in this month amongst those who receive your acceptance.

God, bring us out of this month being forgiven.

God, make us lucky with mercies, forgiveness and set free from fire.

God, help us to fast its day (days of Ramadan) in faith and expectation, and stay up in prayers its nights also in faith and expectation.

God, make our day be better than our yesterday, and our tomorrow be better than today. And make our end be good in all matter. And guard us from shame in this life and from torment in the next.

God, make the word of Islam to be the upper word, and the word of the enemies be the lower.

God, make us victorious over your enemies; the enemies of Islam.

God, hold back off us their cheats and conspiracies; and take them as an able noble.

{Our Lord, forgive our sins, and forgive our excessiveness in our matters, and hold fasten our feet, and make us victorious over the infidel}.

{Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers in faith ahead of us. And let no enmity to those who entered into faith. Our Lord thy are the clement, kind and merciful}

God, make us and our offspring be of those who do prayers. Lord, answer our prayers.

God, forgive us and our parents; and forgive all the faithful on the day of Judgment.

 

Slaves of Allah, Allah says: {Allah and His angels pray for the messenger; All you believers; pray for him and greet him in peace and submission}. Dear God give prayers, peace and blessings for your slave and messenger Muhammad, and his family, companions and those who followed him.

 

Dear Allah, help us to achieve perfection in our obedience and our deeds. Guide us to what leads to your acceptance and contentment in words and deeds. Amen.

We ask Allah to give us knowledge which will be of benefit, and a good accepted deed. And all thanks be to Allah.

 

 

 

Notes:

  1. Adhan - The call to prayer.

  2. Ansar (or Al-Ansar): The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.

  3. Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.

  4. Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.

  5. Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat): is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.

  6. Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.  

  7. Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa) 

  8. Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.

  9. Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.  

  10. Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life. 

  11. Duaa: a prayer in the form of talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.

  12. Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.

  13. Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.

  14. Fiqh - Religious law.

  15. Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.

  16. Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.

  17. Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar.  One of the five pillars of Islam.

  18. Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.

  19. Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers.  Considered authoritative and perfect.

  20. Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.

  21. Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.

  22. Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.

  23. Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.

  24. Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.

  25. Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.  

  26. Iman: belief or faith

  27. Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.

  28. Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.

  29. Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise.  The place of the faithful in the afterlife.

  30. Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."

  31. Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels.  They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.

  32. Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.

  33. Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".

  34. Khutbah  - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.

  35. Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.

  36. Koran - Also spelled Qur'an.  The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel.  Koran literally means "the recital."  It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)

  37. Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.

  38. Masjid - A center for Muslim activity.  It is referred to as a mosque.

  39. Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act

  40. Mecca or Makkah: is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).

  41. Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.

  42. Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.

  43. Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations.  He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah

  44. Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.

  45. Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.

  46. Nasara - Christians.  Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.

  47. Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.

  48. Paradise - Another word for heaven.  A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live  in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.

  49. PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.

  50. Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.

  51. Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.

  52. Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.

  53. Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.

  54. Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.

  55. Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.

  56. Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.

  57. Shirk - Associating another god with Allah.  Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.  

  58. Siam  or Soam- Fasting

  59. Sunni: is a the title of  those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.

  60. Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.

  61. Surah - A chapter of the Koran.  

  62. Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.

  63. Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)

  64. Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah.  A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.

  65. Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.

  66. Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.

  67. Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.

  68. Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.

  69. Zaboor - The Psalms

  70. Zakat - The third pillar of Islam.  Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.

 


Faheem Bukhatwa, my email address is : faheemfb@gmail.com