Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
You have done well to askthis question, because youhave asked how to
prepare for the month of Ramadaan. Many people misunderstand the true
nature of fasting, and they make it an occasion for eating and
drinking, making special sweets and staying up late at night and
watching shows on satellite TV. They make preparations for that long
before Ramadaan, lest they miss out on some food or prices go up. They
prepareby buying food, preparingdrinks and looking at the satellite TV
guide so they can choose which shows to follow and which to ignore.
They are truly unaware of the real nature of fasting in Ramadaan; they
take worship and piety out of the month and make it just for their
bellies and their eyes.
Secondly:
Others are aware of the real nature of fasting in the month of
Ramadaan, so they start to prepare from Sha'baan, and some of them
even start before that. Among the best ways of preparing for the month
of Ramadaan are:
1 –Sincere repentance
This is obligatory at all times, but because of the approach of a
great and blessed month, it is even more important to hastento repent
from sins between you and your Lord, and between you and other people
by giving them their rights, so that when the blessed month begins you
may busy yourself with acts of worship with a clean heart and peace of
mind. Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you
may be successful"
[al-Noor 24:31]
It was narrated from al-Agharr ibn Yasaar (mayAllaah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "O people, repent to Allaah for I repent to Him one hundred
times each day." Narrated by Muslim (2702).
2 –Du'aa' (supplication)
It was narrated from some of the salaf that they used to pray to
Allaah for six months that they would live until Ramadaan, then they
would pray for five months afterwards that He would accept it from
them.
The Muslim should ask hisLord to let him live until Ramadaan with a
strong religious commitment and good physical health, and he should
ask Him to help him obey Him duringthe month, and ask Him to accept
his good deeds from Him.
3 – Rejoicing at the approach of the blessed month
The arrival of Ramadaan is one of the great blessings that Allaah
bestows upon His Muslim slave, because Ramadaan is one of the
occasions of good in which the gates of Paradise are opened and the
gates of Hell are closed. It is the month of the Qur'aan and of
decisive battles in the history of our religion.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"Say: 'In the Bounty of Allaah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the
Qur'aan); —therein let them rejoice.' That is better than what (the
wealth) they amass"
[Yoonus 10:58]
4 – Discharging the duty of any outstanding obligatory fasts
It was narrated that Abu Salamah said: I heard 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah
be pleased with her) say: I would owe fasts from the previous Ramadaan
and I would not be able to make them up except in Sha'baan.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1849) and Muslim (1146).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
From her keenness to do that in Sha'baan it may beunderstood that it
is not permissible to delay making them up until another Ramadaan
begins.
Fath al-Baari (4/191).
5 – Seeking knowledge in order to be able to follow the rulings on
fasting and to understand the virtues of Ramadaan.
6 – Hastening to completeany tasks that may distract the Muslim from
doing acts of worship.
7 – Sitting with one's family members – wife and children – to tell
them of the rulings on fasting and encourage theyoung ones to fast.
8 – Preparing some bookswhich can be read at home or given to the imam
of the mosque to read to the people during Ramadaan.
9 – Fasting some of the month of Sha'baan in preparation for fasting Ramadaan.
It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to fast until we said: He will not break his fast, andhe used not
to fast until we said: He will not fast. And I never saw the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) complete a month
of fasting except Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast more in any month
than in Sha'baan.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1868) and Muslim (1156).
--
- - - - - - -