Ramadan Quotes

Ramadan is the month of excitement for Muslims. Ramadan is the month
of revelation of Quran, the month of reading and reciting the whole
Quran,the month of Tahajjud and Qiyam al-layl prayers,Sadaqah, Zakah
al-Fitrand Zakah al-Mal. Ramadan is also a month of social activities
amongMuslims.
No one can go anywhere without preparation, andno one invites a guest
without preparing to welcome him / her. Similarly, to welcome Ramadan,
the month of fasting, one has to prepare. The following are some tips
to help the reader prepare accordingly:
1.Start reading Quran daily after Salat al-Fajr.
2.Spend some time listening to recitations from the Quran.
3.Train yourself to go bed early so that you can wake up far Salat al-Fajr.
4.Keep yourself in a state of Wudu (Ablution) most of the time.
5.Evaluate yourself daily before going bed.
6.Thank Allah for good deeds, and repent to Him for your mistakes and sins.
7.Start giving Sadaqah daily, no matter how little. Make it a habit
like eating and drinking.
8.Find time to pray extras, such as Tahajjudprayers.
9.Spend more time reading Islamic books, especially the Quran, Sirah,
Hadith, and Fiqh.
10.Find time to help others with your wisdom, knowledge and other talents.
11.Try to write articles onIslam for Muslims as well as for non-Muslims.
12.Associate with Muslim scholars / ulama and other pious people so
that you may learn from them.
13.Train yourself to do good, render free service to others to seek
the pleasure of Allah.

About Ramadan in Al Qur'an

(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on
a journey, the prescribed number (Should be madeup) from days later.
For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of
one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free
will, it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if
ye only knew. (2:184)
-
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to
those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint, (2:183)

Ramadan Articles - Just a Few More Days to Ramadhan:What Should You Do?

Days pass by, from one year to another, bringing the glad tidings of
the coming of the blessed month ofRamadanand announcing various forms
of blessings: ease in performing acts of righteousness, and abdundance
in mercy, forgiveness, and finally, salvation from Hell. InRamadan,
the valuesof love, brotherhood, tolerance, patience, open-handedness,
and generosity prevail, the ranks of the believers are raised, and the
manners of the fasting people are refined – all out of the Mercy of
Allaah The Almighty, Lord of the Worlds.
Al-Hasan Al-Basrisays,"Allaah The Almighty made the month of Ramadan a
racetrack where His creatures compete in obeying Him to attain His
Pleasure. Some people come first and thus have won; others remain
behind and thus have lost. How amazing is the runner who laughs on the
day when the doers of good win and the doers of falsehood lose!"
As the month ofRamadanapproaches, I advise myself and you to do the following:
Supplicate Allaah The Almighty tokeep you alive until the coming ofRamadan:
It was narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Maalikthat when the month
ofRajabcomes, the Prophet,, said:"O Allaah, bless Rajab and Sha'baan
for us, and let us live till the coming of Ramadan."]Ahmad and
At-Tabaraani[ For that reason, Ibn Rajabsays,"The hearts of the
believers long for the coming of this month and feel pained at its
departure."
Thank Allaah The Almighty for witnessing this month:
Obeying Allaah The Almighty is the greatest blessing Allaah The
Almighty grants the slave. The Prophet,, said:"Ramadan hascome to you.
It is a blessed month that Allaah The Almighty prescribed fasting
during it and wherein the gates of heavens areopen, the gates of Hell
are shut, and the rebellious devils are chained. Allaah placed a
night, which is better than one thousand months, in this month.The
Muslim who misses the goodness of this night is the real
loser."]A-Nasaa'i and Al-Bayhaqi[
Ibn Rajabsays,"This Hadeeth is the basis for congratulating Muslims on
the coming of Ramadan. Why should it not be when the believer is given
the glad tidings of opening the gatesof Paradise? Why should it not
bewhen the sinner is given the gladtidings of closing the gates of
Hell? Why should it not be when the wise man is given the glad tidings
of a period of time in which the devils are chained?"
In his bookAl-Athkaar,Imaam An-Nawawisays,"It is recommended for the
person who experiences an obvious favor or is protected from an
obvious curse that he prostrates in gratefulness to Allaah The
Almighty or praises Him duly."
Rejoice at the special virtues of the month:
The virtues of the month ofRamadaninclude opening the gates of
Paradise, closing the gates of Hell, forgiveness of sins, showering
with mercy, and granting safety from Hellfire. Here is an amazing
story teachingus that a single month ofRamadanmay unimaginably raisea
person's degree in Paradise.
It was narrated on the authority of Talhah ibn 'Ubaydillaahthat there
were two men from the tribe of Baliyy who came to the Prophet,, and
embraced Islam at the same time. One of them was more active in
worshipthan the other, and it happened that the active one was
martyredin a battle and the other one lived for one more year.
Talhahsaid, "I saw in my dream that I was at the gate of Paradiseand
the two men were standing there. Someone came out and gave permission
to the man who lived for one more year to enter Paradise, then gave
permission to the martyr. He then returned to me and told me to go
back forpermission had not been given tome yet."
In the morning, Talhahrelated to the people what he saw and they were
surprised to know this. When the news of thisstory reached the
Prophet,hesaid:"Why should you be surprised?"They said, "O Messenger
of Allaah, the man who was martyred was more active in worship, but
the other one entered Paradise before him." The Prophetsaid:"Did he
not live for one more year?"They answered in the affirmative."Did he
not fast for one more Ramadan,"the Prophetcontinued,"and prayed
such-and-such a number of prostrations in this year?"They answered in
the affirmative. The Prophetsaid:"The difference between them is equal
to the distance between the heavens and the earth."]Al-Munthiri: Hasan
and Ibn Hibbaan:Saheeh[
Determine to give up sins and repent
Ramadanis considered the actualbeginning of the year because the deeds
of the year are submitted in the month ofSha'baan. In that
sense,Ramadanmarks the beginning ofa new year after the submission of
deeds. Therefore, the Muslim needs to turn over a new leaf with Allaah
The Almighty, and this requires repentance from all sins, giving them
up, and not returning to them.Ramadanis the month of repentance, and
if aperson misses this opportunity, when will he repent? Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:
*.}And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you
might succeed.{]Quran 24:31[
*.}Oyou who have believed, repent to Allaah with sincere
repentance.{]Quran 66:8[
O Allaah, I repent to You from thecountless sins I have committed, and
I complain to You from the misdeeds and faults that afflict me!

Ramadan Articles - Reaping the benefits of Ramadan

One of the virtuous callers to Islam told me the story of a young man
who had not reached seventeen years of age. That young man had a great
zeal forDa'wah)calling to Islam( and waspreoccupied with it all the
time. He used to prepare himself to perform good and righteous deeds
with the advent ofRamadan. For example, he used to stand by the side
of a street before the time ofIftaar)time of breaking the fast( for
over a quarter of an hour and then he would go to the areas where
there were frequent traffic jams and distribute dates and cakes among
the fasting people to break their fast with. He also used to
distributeDa'wahrelatedpamphlets and periodicals that encourage the
spread of the religion, virtuous conduct and noble morals. He used to
do this for many years with a bright smile and a face shining with the
light of faith.
One day while doing this righteous act at the traffic light, a
speeding car hit him and killed him. He died while he was fastingand
providing fasting people with something to break their fast, pleasing
them and their children and makingDa'wahto Allaah The Almighty. What
an excellent deed! May Allaah accept him in Paradise!
This story affected me and reminded me of theHadeeth)narration(
narrated by Anaswhere the Messenger of Allaah,, said:"'When Allaah
wants good for a slave, He employs him.'He was asked, 'How does
Heemploy him, O Messenger of Allaah?' The Messenger of
Allaahreplied:'He grants him success to do what is good before he
dies.'"]At-Tirmithi:Hasan Saheeh[
There is an enormous difference between that young callerand many
Muslims worldwide who witness manyRamadanswithout seizing the great
and rare opportunities available therein. There is a great difference
between those who utilize their time by performing acts of obedience
and those who waste it by committing vices.
If we were to think long and hard and use our minds in order to
reflect upon how to seize the opportunities and reap the benefits of
this month, we wouldno doubt come up with numerous ideas and means.
Consequently, we would realize the value of this great month andits
multiple blessings that we arenot aware of.
Many channels of good deeds, means of reforming thoughts
andDa'wahprojects could be implemented in this noble month. Thus, we
would lead the way of righteous people in utilizing their time in a
way that benefits ourUmmah)Muslim nation( and society.
Why isRamadana chance of a lifetime?
If we think deeply about our livesand time, we would have no doubt
that in each second and minute we live there are many chances that
never return again. The long line of days that we spend joyfully
toiling to reach a beloved goal are surely struck off from our life
forever, whether realize this or not. There is no escape from Allaah
The Almighty except by returning to Him, utilizing our time in doing
good deeds and abandoning frivolous play and wasting time that will
culminate and cause regret and bitterness later on in life. Some
people will say upon death as Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}…until, when death comes to one of them, he says,"My Lord,
send me backthat I might do righteousness in that which I left
behind."{]Quran 23:99[
One of the greatest chances, rather the most comprehensive chance and
the most important of all opportunities inRamadan,is that of
worshipping Allaah The Almighty, fulfilling His rights, resorting to
Him, and beseechingHim. This is the real great chance in life and the
Universe, and any other chance is but a branch of this great origin,
from which all other aspects of our deeds, worship and dealings stem.
Seize your chances
Different people receiveRamadanin various ways. Some receive it by
indulging in play and means ofentertainment, some receive it
byconsuming food and drinks, others receive it by scheduling time to
follow programs and soap operas on TV, and so on. These are the ways
of the heedless people who are unaware of the merits, virtues and
importance of the rites ofRamadan.
However, the believers who hasten to do good deeds receiveRamadanby
hurrying to do righteous deeds and avoiding evildeeds, bearing in mind
the verse in which Allaah The Almighty Says)what means(:}And hasten to
forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and the
earth, prepared for the righteous{]Quran 3:133[
Those who hasten to do good deeds and seize opportunities usually look
forward to and long for all the opportunities for performing acts of
righteousnessand the ways leading to the pleasure of Allaah The
Almighty, seeking His satisfaction and fearing His painful punishment.
They know for sure that Allaah The Almighty urges His slaves to hasten
to do goodness. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
*.}So race to ]all that is[ good.{]Quran 2:148[
*.}O you who have believed, when ]the Athaan[ is called for the prayer
on the day of Jumu'ah ]Friday[, then proceed to the remembrance of
Allaah{]Quran 62:9[
Moreover, they know that they contradict the Quranic methodology if
they hasten and race towards worldly gains. Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:
*.}so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision{]Quran 67:15[
*.}do not forget your share of the world{]Quran 28:77[
The believers notice that the command to hasten came in the context of
doing good deeds andseeking the reward of the Hereafter, whereas there
is no hastening or racing mentioned inthe context of seeking worldly
temporal gains. Therefore, AllaahThe Almighty urges hastening in
seeking the Hereafter and remembering Him. On the other hand, in the
context of worldly matters He Says )what means(:}So walk among its
slopes{]Quran 67:15[ There is a significant difference between
hastening or racing and walking. Therefore, Allaah The Almighty made
hastening and racing the basis of the slave's deed to gain the reward
of Allaah The Almighty in the Hereafter. On the other hand, Allaah The
Almighty Says about the worldly affairs)what means(:}do not forget
yourshare of the world{]Quran 28:77[
When we reconsider these verses, it becomes clear that "walking" is
used in the context of seeking worldly life because it is an instinct
in humans and these natural instincts do not need special commandments
or require arousing of the desire to perform them . However, people
are addressed by theSharee'ah)Islamic legislation( to seek the reward
of the Hereafter -- an act that necessitates hastening. Human beings
do not need encouragement to be enthusiastic about pursuing gains in
the worldly life unlike good deeds which need encouragement.
The best and most worthwhile manner to seize the opportunities
presented byRamadanis by fulfilling the rightsof Allaah The Almighty.