Preparing for Ramadan 2021

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Generous 

In sha Allah (God willing) in three months time, we will be witnessing the blessed month of Ramadan 1442/2021. It will be around middle of April, depending on the Moon sighting as our Hijri calender is based on Moon. Ya Rabbi, enable us to prepare and witness the sacred month. 

There is a saying that when we fail to plan, we plan to fail. So the question we all must ask ourselves is am I preparing myself for the great month? Are we ready to welcome Ramadan 1442/2021 

Our spiritual ancestors, specially the great companions (of our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) used to start their preparation six months ahead of the month. They truly understood the significance of this great month. When we embark on a journey, we prepare the provision for the journey. So what can we do to prepare for Ramadan? I have put together a list of activities I am trying to follow on a regular basis in sha Allah. My list is based on lessons with my respected teachers as well as books I have been reading to prepare for Ramadan.

So here are some activities to get us into Ramadan mode in sha Allah bi idnillahi ta'ala: 

1. Sincerity (Ikhlaas) is the key: Every action is judged by its intention. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala always looks at the state of our heart. He only accepts the deeds which are solely done for His sake, not for any other ulterior motive. So the first priority should be to purify our intention and do the activities only for His pleasure in sha Allah. He is the controler and changer of our hearts so let us supplicate to Him on a regular basis to change our hearts for His sake and purify our intentions. This is an ongoing process so we need to keep renewing our intentions in sha Allah till we meet Him. 

2. Fasting on a regular basis: Our beloved Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. Fasting twice a week is quite doable. We can fast Mondays and Thursdays to get into fasting mode in sha Allah. If it is difficult then we can fast three days a month like our beloved, Rasulullah salllallahu alaihe wa sallam, who used to fast the middle of the months (Hijri calendar). Abu Dharr radiAllahu anha reported: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam said, “If you want to observe Saum on three days in a month, then fast on the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of the (lunar) month.” [At-Tirmidhi] Fasting three days out of 30/31 days is very doable. Moreover, the reward for the three fasts is really great alhamdulillah. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-’As radiAllahu anha reported: The Messenger of Allah subhanahu wa ta’aa, “Observing Saum on three days of every month is equivalent to a full month’s fasting.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] How generous is our Rabb! So let’s get into fasting mode in sha Allah! 

3. Connecting to the Qur’an (Allah swt's Words): Ramadan is regarded as the month of the Qur’an as the sacred Book was revealed to our beloved Rasulullah salllallahu alaihe wa sallam during the night of power (Lailatul Qadr). The goal of Ramadan is to connect to our Lord through His worship. By reading, reciting, studying, memorizing, reflecting on His Book on a regular basis, we can become more conscious of Allah subhanahau wa ta’ala. Our Ramadan 2021 can feel truly meaningful if we prepare for the month through daily connection to the Qur’an from now on. Let us work for that lofty goal in sha Allah. I am studying the Juz amma (30th part of the Qur’an) and suarh Al-Baqara with my amazing teacher mashAllah. Try to find a good teacher and sit with the teacher on a regular basis in sha Allah. We can also listen to tafseer by Sheikh Akram Nadhwi, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, Mufti Menk, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan, Sheikh Omar Suleiman, Imam Suhaib Webb and the list goes on alhamdulillah.

If you cannot find a teacher, try to team up with like-minded friends and sit together to listen to lectures by reliable scholars. Even if we can learn a single verse a day, by the time Ramadan approaches, we can increase our connection to the Qur’an in sha Allah. 

One of my beautiful teachers always remind us that Ramadan is not the month to start our worship of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala but the month to increase the various forms of worship and perform these worships with presence of heart (mindfulness). 

4. Studying the seerah: Studying the seerah (the biography of our Messenger sallallahu alaihe wa sallam) is also a great way to inspire us to get ready for Ramadan. The more seerah we can delve into, the better in sha Allah. The more we know about our beloved, the more we will be passionate to love him and follow him to please our Rabb. My personal favourite is Martin Lings’s Muhammad. It is quite a short, concise seerah and beautifully written mashAllah. We are reading the book as a family. Children are always excited to know what happens next. This year I am also hoping to complete reading the “Sealed nectar” (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum) by Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri. I am blessed to be part of a seerah bookclub where we are reading the Sealed nectar quite thoroughly alhamdulillah.  Another beautiful seerah book worth reading is Muhammad: As if you can see him by ‘A’id al-Qarni. To prepare specially for the month of Ramadan, a beautiful book to read is The prophet’s Ramadahaan by Mufti Muhammad Khan Qaadri. 

These are just some suggestions I have come up with. Anything you can benefit from is from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and anything which is not of benefit is solely due to my own shortcomings. I hope and make dua that by His grace, we can truly understand the significance of this great month like our beloved Rasulullah (saw) and the blessed predecessors and He subhanahu wa ta’ala enable us to prepare for Ramadan and do our best to connect to Him, ameen! I hope to hear from you about how you are preparing for this great month in sha Allah. Please do share your thoughts on this topic. Jazakallah khairan katheeran for reading.

A precious bond

I am surrounded by special sisters. They are always there for me. During my hardship, they help me with their kind words and beautiful dua. I know I can rely on them. I know that they keep me in their precious dua. They are my soul sisters. And the special love they have for me is priceless. I can't buy this love. A love so pure and precious subhanallah! The source of this love is my Rabb. It is Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala who enables us to love each other so sincerely for His sake !

I can't thank my Rabb enough for surrounding me with such kind and gentle souls alhamdulillah. Without my beautiful soul sisters, my life would be so difficult to live. My soul sisters teach me to always be loving and caring to others. They encourage me to be positive and resilient, no matter how difficult the life may seem . They have taught me not to underestimate the power of any good deeds, it can be a kind word, a sincere dua, sending a bouquet of beautiful flowers or homemade cakes and the list goes on. Let's be the soul sister for each other in sha Allah! Let's create a strong and never ending bond of sisterhood in sha Allah! Let's hold each other's hand and enter jannatul ferdous together in sha Allah bi idnilllahi ta'ala!

Some lessons from 2020

I can't believe 2021 is already here! It feels so surreal given 2020 has been such a challenging year for me. At the end of April, just when we were preparing to welcome the blessed month of Ramadan 1441, my beloved dad had tested positive for Covid-19. He was working as a consultant up north near Shrewsbury. He was almost 70. He had to be hospitalised as he was struggling to breathe. He was on the ventilator for more than two months. Several times, hospital staffs called us to inform us of his critical state and to be prepared for the worse. Multiple organ failures, long days and nights of just waiting , fear of the unknown...2020 was definitely a roller coaster of so many mixed emotions for me and my loved ones. But my faith helped me so much during that difficult phase of my life. I don't know how I would have survived without the immense Mercy and Love of my Rabb, my Creator, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. I would like to share the lessons I have learnt through my ordeal of 2020 and how I would like to spend year 2021 based on these precious lessons (blessons = blessings+lessons) I have learnt in sha Allah.

Lesson 1 : All I need is the company of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) 

Nothing can help us or calm us when we are going through a hardtime. Only running back to our Rabb can give us solace. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala have enabled me to connect to His Magestic Words, the Qur'an during that difficult time. I felt so connected to His Words that I thought I am the subject of the Qur'an. It is talking to me ! My Rabb is doing my much-needed therapy at every stage of my life alhamdulillah. Nothing can replace that peace of mind I had alhamdulillah! Telling me to hang in there. And that's how we should approach the Qur'an, I beleive. It is a message of guidance to every single one of us. It is a much-needed letter to me with so much love and concern for me! Is there any doubt in this Book ? As a believer, we don't have any doubt in the Qur'an. We know that it is indeed the blessed Words of our Lord. He Himself tells us at the begining of the Qur'an that there is no uncertainty in His Book. So why as believers, we don't connect to the Qur'an on a daily basis? Why do I rush back to reciting it, only when I am facing any trouble? Why don't I always have a strong connection to the Words of my Loving Rabb? I felt so ashamed and thought I must change my attitude towards the Qur'an. I hope to build a good and strong relation with the Qur'an bi idnillahi ta'ala. I want the Qur'an to be my daily companion, my best friend . I want to spend more quality time with the Qur'an by reading, reflecting, reciting and most importantly implementing the lessons in my daily life in sha Allah bi'idnillahi ta'ala. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among the people of the Qur'an, ameen! May my precious Rabb make the Qur'an the spring of my heart ❤️! 

Lesson 2 : Be grateful and maintain an attitude of gratitude

No matter what we go through, there is always plenty to be grateful for, alhamdulillah. Gratitude is a very important virtue to have and maintain on a daily basis. It helps me to appreciate every single blessing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has gifted me. We don't deserve anything. That's why I said gift. Everything is a gift from my Rabb. When we appreciate the countless gifts He has given us, life becomes so beautiful and meaningful for us.When we are gratfeful to Him, He even gives us more ! How Merciful and Giving is my Rabb Subhanallah! During the stressful and painful phase, my loved ones have supported me so much with their constant support and immense kindness alhamdulillah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reward them with the best , ameen! I felt like our beloved Prophet Ibrahim AS who was thrown into the fire but he felt peaceful and calm in the midst of the fire! I can't thank Him enough for all the blessings He has surrounded me with during my hardship! I hope to be grateful at every moment of my life in sha Allah. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among His grateful slaves, ameen !

Lesson 3 : Be kind, gentle and helpful to everyone

Never underestimate the value of kindness.What people tend to remember is how we treat them. Am I kind and gentle to people around me? A simple act of kindness can change someone's whole day. Kindness generates more kindness. What sort of legacy would I like to leave behind? Will my loved ones remember me as a gentle and helpful person ? One of my greatest weaknesses is I can become very harsh. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by very kindhearted and gentle souls alhamdulillah. The more I receive their precious kindness the more I feel inspired to reciprocate it in sha Allah. I also hope to be in service of others in sha Allah. Our beloved Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihe wa sallam was always in service of people (khidma). He is sent as a Mercy to the humanity. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among the kind, gentle and very helpful people, ameen!

Lesson 4 : Be always positive and generate positivity 

Among all the negativity, given the current Covid situation, I must be positive. If I have Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala with me, I can't let any negative thought affect me. I need to help others to feel positive too. By being there for others, we can help each other during this difficult time. The more positive we are , the better in sha Allah! Our faith teaches us to inculcate a positive mindset. The Qur'an tells us numerous stories of the prophets to inspire us to be positive and remind each other the power of positivity. Feeling hopeless is acually a sin. Our beloved prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wa sallam's Seerah (Lifestory/biography) teaches us to be always positive and hope for a happy future. He is send as a Mercy to us. When we deeply study his amazing life, we find somany lessons of hope and positivity . One of the greatest blessings in 2020 for me was to join a Seerah bookclub where I met some very passionate sisters who have helped me so much to connect to Seerah in a meaningful way alhamdulillah. The more deeply we can study the seerah, the more positive we can become in sha Allah. 

Lesson 5 : Hold on to precious teachers

My teachers are very precious to me. I can't thank my Rabb enough for enabling me to be a student/seeker of knowledge alhamdulillah. Everything on this earth is cursed apart from the beautiful teachers who remind us of the ultimate truth (Al-Haqq) , the students of knowledge and the circles of knowledge. Our faith is based on knowledge. The true people of knowledge are the most Godconscious people on this earth and they are the most righteous among the humanity. They are also the most helpful and generous to the creations of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala due to their intense love for Him. When someone falls in love with his/her Creator, he/she loves His creations too. My Rabb has enabled me to spend time in their precious company alhamdulillah. They always remind me of my Lord and His beautiful attributes. They help me to connect to His Book, the Qur'an and His beloved Messenger, Rasulullah sallallahu alaihe wa sallam. My ultimate teacher is my Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and He is the One Who facilitates for me to learn and strive for His sake alhamdulillah. So all praise belongs to Him, subhanahu wa ta'ala. May Allah reward my precious teachers, accept their efforts, preserve them and reward them with the best , ameen ! May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable us to be among the people of learning and the people of striving, ameen! May we honour our teachers and learn from them, ameen!

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala enable me to remember these 5 lessons and enable me to act accordingly, Ameen! May this year be a year of endless blessings for all of us, ameen!