Ramadan Marathon! Are You Ready? Psychological Approach to AchievingYour Goals

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Most people slack off all year religiously and wait for Ramadan to get
a new boost of spiritual energy. These individuals are spiritually
out of shape & religiously flabby- not praying any sunnah prayers,
lacking khushu (sincerity), barely having time to read the Quran. They
come into Ramadan completely depleted of iman, breathlessly crawling
towards the month in order to resuscitate themselves before they
spiritually die. It's a vicious cycle that a lot of people experience,
yet very few address.
What usually happens with these individuals whoare so religiously out
of shape? It takes them 2 weeks to get in the groove– the first week
will be filled with headaches and grogginess until the new schedule
falls into place, then when they finally get accustomed to the new
program, Ramadan is over. The abundance of blessings are so
overflowing during Ramadan that anyone who puts forth even the
smallest amount of effort will reap the rewards. However; they are
getting the bare minimum amount of blessings and missing out on an
ExtremeSpiritual Makeover !
What if we changed our perspective and started planning for Ramadan
the way we would plan for a marathon? How different will our
experience be if we were already prepared,sprinting into Ramadan with
full iman gusto? The way we can do that is by training way in advance
in order to build our spiritual stamina. Whether we are preparing for
Ramadan or any other event in our life there are a series of steps we
need to take in order to achieve our goals:
"A goal without a plan is just a wish." Larry Elder
1. Write down the goals, prioritize based on importance and make a plan.
Break down large goals into small, achievable goals. For instance, if
one of our goals is to completethe Quran during Ramadanthen make a
plan to read for instance 4 pages after each prayer. This will make
it easy to achieve. By starting ahead of time and taking small steps
towards the goal, once Ramadan comes along we will be prepared &
trained.
To start with the end in mind means to have a clear understanding of
the destination. Stephen R. Covey
2. We need to focus on what we want to achieve and what kind
ofoutcomes we want. Visualize achieving the goals. We need to see
ourselves overcoming our temptations, reaching our goals and having
success. See yourself achieving attainable goals for Ramadan.
What the mind of man canconceive and believe it canachieve! Napoleon Hill
3. Ask yourself good questions : The questions we ask or the questions
we fail to ask shapes our destiny. The way we evaluate our life is by
asking questions; therefore if we ask good questions then our mind can
come up with good answers which will affect our interpretation of
events. We need to ask what is good about this situation? What can I
learn from this test? How can I bring out the best in this person?
How can I make the most of Ramadan?
It's not the events that shape our life that determine how we feel and
act, but rather, it's the way we interpret and evaluate our life.
Anthony Robbins
4. Be optimistic: Having a nice, positive attitude makes all the
difference in achieving any goals. Whena person is hopeful, puts trust
in Allah and makes the necessary effort, anything is possible.
Right now we need to start implementing the steps to achieving our
Ramadan goals in order to get the maximum benefit:
1. Start fasting Mondays and Thursdays to prepareyour body for Ramadan
– this would be equivalent to 2 intensive work outs during a week to
prepare for a marathon.
'A'isha said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, used to take care to fast on Mondays and Thursdays."
[at-Tirmidhi]
2. Increase your baseline in worship by simply increasing your
worship, so if you currently only pray the obligatory prayers, start
praying sunnah and also do the dhikr afterwards – this would be like
increasing the amount of weight you are pumping in the gym.
3. Set goals for reading Quran daily - reading the Quran nourishes the
soul the way healthy, nutritiousfood rejuvenates the body.So start
feeding your soul!

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Allah’s Plan for You and Me

Allah had a plan for youbefore you were born, andHe still has a plan
for you. Allah's plan for you is necessary and glorious. Hisplan is
vital to your successand important to the world.
Allah's plan is not set in stone, as if we were robotspre-programmed
in the factory. That would strip us of free will and deny our natures.
Rather, I believe that Allah has a flexible plan for each human being:
a plan that allows that person to benefit the world with his/her
unique talents.
This is in fact the Islamic view of al-Qadar, or predestination. There
is nodoubt that Allah has decreed everything that happens in the
universe from the beginning of time to the end, and that Allah has
written it all in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz (the Book of Decrees).
"Know you not that Allahknows all that is in the heaven and on the
earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz). Verily,
that is easy for Allah" (Quran, al-Hajj 22:70)
In Saheeh Muslim (2653) itis narrated that 'Abd-Allah ibn 'Amr ibn
al-'Aas (may Allah be pleased with him)said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "Allah wrote
down the decrees of creation fifty thousandyears before He created the
heavens and the earth."
Everything happens by thewill of Allah. Whatever He wills happens, and
whatever he does not will does not happen. However, as Sheikh Muhammad
Saalih Al-Munajjid explains ,
Belief in al-qadar does not contradict the idea that a person has free
will with regard to actions in which he has free choice. Sharee'ah and
real life both indicate that people have this will.
Allaah says concerning man's will (interpretation of the meaning):
"That is (without doubt) the True Day. So, whosoever wills, let him
seek a place with (or a way to) His Lord (by obeying Him in this
worldly life)!" [al-Naba' 78:39]
(and other similar ayaat)
These verses confirm that man has a will and the ability to do what he
wants and not to do what he does not want.
With regard to real life, everyone knows that he has a will and the
ability to do what he wants and not to do what he does not want. And
he can distinguish between the things that happen when he wants them
to, such as walking, and those that happen without him wanting them
to, such as shivering. But the will and ability of man are subject to
the will and decree of Allaah.
Sheikh Al-Munajjid's last paragraph is the key to understanding
Al-Qadar: walking (voluntary) versusshivering (involuntary). Other
scholars have explained it as two types of Qadar, fixed and flexible.
The fixed Qadar is that which happens to us from beyond our control.
For example the time and place of our birth, any illnesses and natural
disasters that befall us, etc.The flexible Qadar is that which is
within the realm of our free will. Whether we do good or evil, and
what we choose to believeand how we choose to live. Sheikh-ul-Islam
Ibn Taymiyyah wrote:
There are two types of provision and lifespan: the first type has
already been decreed and is written in Umm al-kitaab, and cannotbe
changed or altered. Thenext type of qadar, Allah has informed His
angels of His decrees. This is the type where provisions andlifespan
may increase or decrease. Hence Allah the Almighty says what may be
translated as, "Allah blots out what he wills and confirms [what He
wills]. And with Him is the Mother of the book." (Surat Ar-Ra'ad,
verse 39) The mother of the Book (Umm al-Kitaab) is
Al-Lawhal-Mahfoodh, in which Allah has decreed all things as they will
always be without change. However, the decrees contained in the books
of the angels, such as lifespanand provisions, may increase or
decrease according to various circumstances; thereafter, the angels
will re-write a person's provision and lifespan. If a person upholds
the ties of kinship,his provisions and lifespan will be extended,
otherwise they will decrease." [See Majmoo'al-Fataawa 8/540]
So Allah has a plan for you,but fulfillment of that planis up to you:
the choices you make, as well as your degree of faith, persistenceand
determination.
Allah's plan for you is important to the world because Allah created
nothing in vain. Look at His creation. Everything has a purpose, from
the sun that heats our world, to the bacteria that consume waste.
You are the same. You have a purpose. You are necessary to the world.
If your presence were not vital in some way, then you would not have
been made.
Discovering Allah's Plan
Allah's plan for us is not always what we might wish it to be.
How do we discover Allah's plan for us? Where do we find it? How do we
realize it in our lives?
It's not as difficult as we might think. It wouldn't make sense for
Allah to have a plan for us and then leave us stumbling in the dark.
Allah's plan doesn't have to be a mystery.....

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First Words of a Little Girl

The following incident was mentioned by a Shaikh from Toronto, Canada.
The incident is about his 18 months old daughter. The shaikh also has
a son who is about 3 years old. The shaikh has already started
teaching the young son about Quran and ahadith without wasting any
time. Mashallah, the boy has already memorized surah Fatiha and
various other surahs. One day, his young daughter who is only 18
months old was sitting beside the son while he was asked to recite
surah Fatiha by the shaikh. This little girl is pronouncing her first
words clearly in these days. Now, when the son recited the 5th verse
of surah Fatiha untill "IhdinaSirat...", the small girl suddenly said
"Al Mustaqim" and completedthe verse. Subhanallah! How blessed is this
child whose first words are among the words of the Holy Quran, which
she learned through her father when he was teaching her brother.
It is very important to teach Islam to our children in their early
childhood. We can easily bend trees in any direction when they are
still small. But when the trees become big and tall, 10 people pushing
together is unable to bend them. Similarly, teaching the children when
they are young is necessary so that they go towards the right
direction.

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Allah Will Protect Me

Once Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) was taking rest under a tree
when he was returning from an expedition and hung his sword from the
tree. A Non-Muslim personcame quietly, took hold ofthe sword and,
addressingthe Prophet said to him:"O Muhammad! now who will save you
from my hand?" The Prophet heardit, rose up from his seat and said:
"Allah will save me." Hearing the name of Allah, he was overawed and
the sword slipped from his hand. The Prophet rose up from his place,
took the sword intohis hand and questioned him: "Now who will save you
from my hand?" He felt sorry and begged apology. The Prophet forgave
him. He was so impressed by this kindness that he embraced Islam. He
then went to his tribesmen andexpressed that he never found a man
better than Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Source: "The Miracles of the Prophet" by Shaikh Ahmed S. Dehalvi; also
related in Bukhari and other sources with slight variations.
Related to the protection of the Prophet Muhammad, Allah has mentioned
in the Quran"O Apostle! proclaim the message which has been sent to
you from your Lord. If you do not do it, you would not have fulfilled
and proclaimed this mission. And Allah will defend you against men who
mean mischief. For Allah guides not thosewho reject faith." (Al Quran
5:67).

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