Preparing for the Month of Allah

The month of Ramadhan is a time when the act of fasting awakens our sleeping spirit. Blessed is the one who spends his/her time in turning towards Allah holding “secret” conversations in the midst of the night and seeks for His forgiveness for surely the month of Ramadhan is the month of Pardon.

But this feeling of closeness towards Allah does not come overnight. We have to work our minds, our conscience and our hearts and prepare ourselves so that we may earn the rewards of this Blessed month in which is hidden the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr).

Before one goes on a trip, one always ensures they pack the necessary items before their departure. Likewise, Ramadhan is a Spiritual trip for the believer. During the month, the believer travels towards Allah. On the way we will pass many difficulties which may slow down our journey. To make sure that our trip goes well, we need many items. Preparing for the month of Ramadhan means ensuring we have the necessary items for this spiritual trip.

As the soldiers of Allah we march towards this month. The fragrance of the month of Ramadhan is already in the air. Many of us started this spiritual journey by fasting in the month of Rajab and Shaban. Following are some of the items a believer needs to prepare for the journey towards the Blessed Month:

Go to bed earlier so that you can wake up earlier for Fajar Namaz.
Try and stay in wudhu all the time.
Thank Allah for what He has given you, and ask for forgiveness of your sins.
Start giving Sadaqah daily, no matter how little. Make it a habit just like eating and drinking.
Find time to pray extra namaz/sala, for example: Salatul Layl also called Namaz-e-Shab
Try to write articles on Islam for Muslims as well as for non-Muslims.
Speak with fellow Muslims so that you may learn from them.
Train yourself to do good and be kind.
Don’t watch TV; instead spend more time reading the Quran and other Islamic books.
Don’t look at unlawful pictures, whether in magazines or billboards.
Avoid going to movies; instead go to the mosque.
Don’t eat too much. Only eat when you are hungry and stop eating before you are full.
If you smoke, lower how much you smoke a day, or else Ramadan will be very difficult for you.
If you listen to music, stop listening to music and instead recite and listen to Quran.

Preparing ourselves before the month of Ramadan is a wonderful way to wait for it. Our ultimate thought should be that these actions towards the month of Allah should not only remain for this time of the year. However, we have to remember that each day of our lives we are marching towards Allah and each breath takes us closer to our graves. So let these actions be a part of us and let our spiritual journey not be limited to the month of Ramadhan, but it should be our point of take off towards our goal of getting closer to the Almighty
Inshallah, if we sincerely work hard and try out best, Allah will accept our efforts and will help us in our journey towards Him

Preparing for the Month of Allah By Azra

Preparing for the Month of Allah
By Azra