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Start preparing your mind
form the month of Sha'ban for according a befitting reception to
Ramadan. Keep fasts frequently before the fifteenth of Sha'ban.
Hadrat 'A'isha (God be
pleased with her) relates:
"The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to keep fasts more often in
Sha'ban than in any other month".
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Make an effort to sight the
Ramadan moon with full attention and eagerness and say this prayer on
sighting the moon:
Allahu kbar Allahumma
ahillahu 'alaina bil-amni wal-imani was-salamati wal-Islami wat-taufiqi
lima tuhibbu wa tardu rabbuna wa rabbukallah.
" God is the
greatest ! O God ! Do make the appearance of this moon a token
of peace, faith, salvation and Islam for us. Do make this moon arise
as a favour to us so that we may perform deeds which conform to Thy Will
and are dear to Thee. Our Lord and thy Lord is God ".
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Do take special interest in
offering devotions during the month of Ramadan. In addition to
obligatory prayers, make it a point to observe supererogatory prayers (Nawafil) also. Make a firm resolve to win
the maximum favour of God has reserved His special favours and blessing
for this great and propitious month.
On the final day of
Sha'ban. the Holy Prophet ( p.b.u.h) in a discourse on the blessings of
the month of Ramadan affirmed :
" O people ! A great and blessed
month is going to set in on you. Each night of this month is better than a
thousand months. God has made fasting obligatory during this month
and has ordained Taravih as a supplementary prayer. Any man who
performs a good deed during this month of his own free wolition will
receive a reward equal to the reward for obligatory deeds performed during
other month, he shall receive a reward equal to the reward of seventy
obligatory acts during other month ".
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Keep fasts whole of the month
with deep eagerness and zeal. Even if you can't observe fast due to
some serious illness or for any other reason permissible in shariah,
strictly avoid eating before others out of respect for the sanctity of
Ramadan. To all intents and purposes. you must appear ad if you are
fasting.
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Make it a point to recite the
Holy Qur'an. The month of Ramadan has a
special connation with the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Qur'an was revealed in
this month and the other Divine Books also descended in the same month.
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Try to recite the Qur'an distinctly and with understanding. Along
with frequent recitation, be careful to grasp the meaning of the Holy
Qur'an with a elear impact of its message on your mind and heart.
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During " Taravih do listen to the recitation of the of the whole text
of the Qur'an. The Holy Prophet used to listen to the whole text of
the Holy Qur'an at least once during Ramadan.
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Say "Travaih' prayers with humility, eagerness and devotion. Do
not just complete the nimber of Rak'ash in a mechanical fashion.
Offer prayers with understanding and devotion so that your life may be
influenced by the propitious onfluence of the Namaz and your devotion to
God may become firm and deep. Do offer Tahajjud prayers also by the
favour of God.
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Do offer maximum rakatas of supplementary prayers during " Shab Qaqdr
and recite the Holy Qur'an. The importance of this night
is affirmed by the fact that the Holy Qur'an was revealed during this
night.
The Holy Qur'an say.
"Lo ! We revealed it in the Night of Power . And do you
understand what the Night of Power ! The Night of Power is better
than a thousand months. The angels and spirits descend therein, by the
permission or their Lord with all decrees. ( That night) Pace until
the rising of dawn.
The traditions record that ' Shab Qadr ' is one among the odd nights in
the last week of Ramadan. Say this
prayer During this night:
Allahumma
innaka 'afuwwan tuhibb-ul-afwa fa'fu anni
" God ! Forgiveness is Thy Greatest Attribute, for thou likost to
forgive. So forgive me ".
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Observe I;tkhaf in the last week of the month of Ramada. The Holy Prophet
( p.b.u.h) used to perform I'tkaf during the last ten days of
Ramadan.
Hadrat ' A'isha ( God be pleased with her) reports:
" When the last week of Ramadan approached, the Holy Prophet (
p.b.u.h) used to keep awake during most part of the nights and
devoted himself to worship. He also decreed the female of the
household to remain awake and engaged himself in the worship of God with
full zeal and perfect devotion".
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Show utmost tenderness and
affection to people in the month of Ramadan. Provide maximum
facilities to your employees and supply their needs with extreme
liberality. Deal with members with kindness and generosity.
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Say the maximum rakats of prayers with humility, zeal and devotion.
It is related in ' Durr Manthur'
that when the Holy Month of Ramadan came, the pattern of the Holy Prophet
( Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) life underwent a change. The
number of the rakats of superoragative prayers offered by him (
p.b.u.h). He (p.b.u.h.) observed deeper humility in prayers and
appeared totally overcome with fear of God.
The traditions record:
" In the month of Ramadan, God ordains the heaven supporting angels
to give up their supplications and say ' Amain ( So be it) after the
prayers of the fasting persons".
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Pay ' Sadaqa Fitr ' ( charity ordained before Eid prayers and the
end of Ramadan) with a willing heart and give it away before saying ' Eid
prayer. If possible, pay it well before the 'Eod so that the needy
and destitute may also buy necessary provisions for the ' Eid and go
to the 'ldgah with everybody else and join in the festivities of the 'Eid.
It is reported in the traditions that the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) made the
payment of 'Sadaqa Fitr' obligatory for his followers for two
reasons: first as an atonement for any improper or licentious deed
that the fasting people may have committed unconsciously in the
period of their fast; and secondly, 'Sadaqa Fitr' is to be paid to make
provisions of food for the poor and the indigent to afford them to enjoy
the auspicious Eid day.
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Besides practicing maximum
possible piety yourself in the holy days of Ramadan, persuade others
also with fervour, zeal, tenderness and
tact to do piety, so that the fear of God, love of piety and
goodness may reign supreme over all and the society. as whole, may derive
the greatest benefit from the limitless blessings of the holy month of
Ramadan.
