What You Need to Know Before Ramadan Begins.
A famous scholar of Islam, Ibn Rajab (May Allah have mercy upon him), mentioned in one of his books, that Mu`alla bin al-Fadhl said:
“They (the sahabah) would supplicate to Allah for six months to allow them to reach Ramadan. Then, they would supplicate to Him another six months to accept it from them.”(Lata`if al-Ma`arif p. 280, by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali ).
The supplications / actions we should do to prepare our self for RAMADAM, We'll divide it into 3 parts
2. Increasing in Good Deeds,
we should make supplications to Allah to allow us to reach the month of Ramadan as there is no guarantee when death will knock on our door. Below are some common duas that can be made.
اَللّهُمَّ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان
"Allahumma ballighna Ramadan"
O Allah! Let us reach the month of Ramadan.
The other dua that we can make is
اللهم سلِّمني إلى رمضان، اللهم سلم لي رمضان، وتَسلَّمه منّي متقبَّلا -
"Allahumma sallimnee ilaa Ramadhan, Allahumma sallim lee Ramadhan, wa tasallamhu minnee mutaqabbalaa"
O Allah, commit me to Ramadan. Oh Allah, commit Ramadan for me. And receive it from me with acceptance.
2. Increasing in good deeds.
Changing your daily habits is a process which requires time and effort; therefore it is recommended that we start increasing our good deeds in the coming months before Ramadan in order to avoid shock and disorganization during the advent of Ramadan
In another hadith narrated by Aisha (R.A) she stated:
"…I never saw the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha'ban."
Actions to Increase Good Deeds:
1. fulfilling Islamic obligations as a priority.
2. Increasing voluntary prayers (Sunnah and Nawafil).
3. Intensifying the recitation of the Qur'an.
4. Minimizing distractions, especially screen time, to boost productivity.
5. Seeking forgiveness, repenting, and abandoning bad habits.
6. Stopping EVERY haram you are engaged in.
Before we start fasting in Ramadan, we decide in our hearts and minds that we want to do it. It's like making a promise to ourselves and to God that we're going to fast during this special month.
Making an intention is like deciding to do something good. For Ramadan, it means deciding in your heart that you want to fast from sunrise to sunset every day during the whole month. It's a personal commitment to follow the rules of Ramadan.
Islam teaches us that our actions are not just about what we do physically but also about our intentions. Making a clear intention is like setting a goal. It helps us stay focused and sincere in our actions.
For Ramadan, the intention is crucial because it's what turns an ordinary day of not eating into a special act of worship. It's like saying, "I'm doing this for God, to get closer to Him and to become a better person."
When Do We Make the Intention:
We make the intention in our hearts before the first day of Ramadan starts. It's like preparing ourselves mentally for the month ahead. You don't have to say it out loud; it's a personal commitment between you and God.
What If We Forget or Miss It:
Don't worry if you forget to say it out loud or in your heart. If you wake up and realize it's Ramadan, just make your intention right then. God understands our intentions, even if we don't say them out loud.
Allahumma ballighna Ramadan.
