THIS RAMADAN, I WILL …

This Ramadan, I will …

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A personal plan for the month of Ramadan

A very important set of questions comes to my mind every time I hear the hadith of Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in which he said, “The month of Ramadan has come to you, a blessed month …”
Were the several months of Ramadan I went through in my life blessed months? What kind of blessings did they bring to my life and how did they do so? The more important and more relevant question is, “How can I make this coming month of Ramadan a blessed month for me and for those around me?” I know that Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said that Allah sets some people free from the hellfire in every single night in Ramadan. Was I set free at any of these numerous nights I went through in the past Ramadans? Am I going to be chosen to be set free in one of the nights of this Ramadan? I know that there is a night in the last ten days called the night of Al-Qadr that is better than a thousand months. Again, I ask myself, “Did I ever worship Allah in this night and gain the tremendous reward mentioned by Allah and his Messenger?”
Trying to answer these questions, I realized that Allah does not choose people randomly for these blessings. I am sure He does not set people free based on their gender, race, or wealth. I am of the belief that the great night of Al-Qadr is a gift Allah gives to some people who show some effort during the month and probably throughout the year. The most important question is how can I make myself subject to all these blessings? How can I make this coming Ramadan a real change in my life? In this
article, I am sharing with you my personal plan in getting the maximum out of this Ramadan for it may be the last Ramadan I ever experience.

What if I do not plan?
You may ask, what if I don’t plan for this month? The answer lies in the following few lines. One should understand that the month of Ramadan is a month of preparation for the whole year. It is a strong boost to our level of Iman that will help us move throughout the rest of the year. Missing Ramadan one year is as if we missed preparation for the whole year. Missing many Ramadans is as if we missed a portion of our life. Missing Ramadan throughout our life is as if we missed our whole life. Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was once climbing his three-step minbar, when he said Amin each time he climbed a step. When asked by his companions about why he had said so, he  mentioned that Jibril had come to him and made three supplications and asked him to say Amin, confirming and joining him in these supplications. One of these three supplications was, “May Allah humiliate him who reaches Ramadan and does not get his sins forgiven.”

What is so special about Ramadan?
In the month of Ramadan, one can make all sorts of acts of worship and obedience to Allah سبحانہ وتعالی. Fasting is a very beloved deed of Allah and a sign of sincere intention. The nights of Ramadan are full of mercy and blessings for those who are living in them. Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an where extra attention should be paid to the Qur’an. The Messenger used to be more charitable in the month of Ramadan than any other times. It is a real opportunity that we can utilize and ask Allah to help us all. If all of us do the same and try to get the best out of this month, we as a community of believers will show our obedience to Allah  سبحانہ وتعالی and He may bestow His mercy upon us, our families, our society, and the whole world.
This Ramadan, I will ...

On the first night of Ramadan
1. I will reflect on the hadith in which the Prophet said about this particular night. He said, “When the first night of Ramadan comes, the gates of heavens are open and not a single gate is closed, and the gates of the hell are closed not a single gate is open. The devils are chained. A caller will call, ‘O you who want to do good, come forth; O you who want to do evil stop.’ And Allah sets people free from hell every single night.”
2. I will make the duaa (supplication) which the Prophet (pbuh) used to make, “O Allah, start this month with good and Iman, safety and Islam,” I will then address the crescent and say, “Your lord and my lord is Allah.”
3. I will gather all my family and share with them this remarkable moment. I will remind them with these universal changes and we will all get excited about the month of Ramadan. We will try to feel the difference of this beloved month.
4. I will make phone calls to my family members. I will call my parents and congratulate them. I will remind them to benefit from the blessed month and I will ask them to make duaa for me.
5. I will send emails to all my friends congratulating them with the blessed month. I will ask them to
remember me in their duaa while worshipping Allah in these beautiful moments. I will post the congratulation on my Facebook. I will change my status to, “blessed with the blessed month, in dire need
of Allah’s mercy.” This will help in reminding everyone to pray for me.
6. I will use the moment to repent to Allah expecting his great forgiveness to cover me in these remarkable moments. I will make a strong determination to quit all my sins and come out of Ramadan a different man.
7. I will not FORGET to offer Taraweeh at this night which is the night BEFORE the first day of fasting
and is almost forgotten by many people.
8. I will NOT get into long disputes about the method of deciding the beginning of Ramadan and I will follow my local community if they adopt any of the legitimate scholars’ opinions in their decision. I will explain briefly to those who waste their time in this dispute that it is better to spend our time worshipping Allah rather than disputing about something which Allah will not hold us accountable for. I will try to foster unity in my community and between local communities as much as I can.
9. I will make a list of my friends and colleagues who may not know much about the blessings of Ramadan and try to make a plan of how to get them closer to Allah in this blessed opportunity.