Ramadan 2009

[Winnie]

Assalamu Alaikum,

In a blink of an eye, another year has passed.
In less than 2 months, we will all be fasting in worship of Allah (swt) and thankfulness of our blessings.

Let us share tips, naseehas, and stories of this wonderous time of year!

Include Ramadan festivities this year so that our ummah may join in gathering to remember our Lord.

May Allah (swt) keep us strong in iman, steadfast in prayer, and patient with dua.
May He reward us through our sacrifice in observing sawm (our fast).
May He bless those less fortunate in the world with the same He bestows upon us.
May our deeds be accepted and bring us closer to Allah (swt).
And May He bless us all to remain healthy and heal those who are ill.
May He continue to guide us along the right path to jannah.
And most importantly, I pray for bounty and protection from Allah (swt) unto all of us: our grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, and their offspring to come.
~Ameen.

[Winnie]

Ramadan, My Dear Guest, I'm Sorry
Yaser Birjas

http://muslimmatters.org/2008/09/28/...uest-im-sorry/

Honoring the guest is mandatory in Islam. Muslims, due to their religious values and duties, are known as the most hospitable people. Guests should be honored the moment they arrive, and they should honored most at the time of their departure. This practice is a polite way of making the guest feel the most welcomed next time he or she comes back. Imagine, for a whole year you have been expecting an honorable guest to come to your place, and then finally he arrives. He is kind, generous, and the most beloved. For twenty-nine or thirty days, you have developed an emotional relation with him that you started becoming worried and anxious over the day when he leaves. Eventually, the time comes and the day of his departure is here, and your beloved and blissful guest, Ramadan, is leaving, and leaving soon. This wonderful guest is so polite that he does not come back very often, so that you always desire his return later. Now that you realize his departure, you do not know if you will ever see him again. He might not come next year, or you may not be there when he comes back. These anxious thoughts of fear and hope provoke your heart to cry and your eyes to shed tears. They make you prepare the best farewell party ever made for a guest who, as he leaves, was the most welcomed, Ramadan.How do you bid farewell your honorable guest?

1. My dear guest, I'm sorry
It's the last night of the month of Ramadan. His luggage is packed, placed by the door and the place is full with people who came to have a final look at him and enjoy a last moment with the guest. As we watch the guest sipping his final drops of our hospitality, he asks to be excused; we realize now that all the hospitality we offered was not yet enough to meet his status. So we hold his hand tight wish that he would not let go and hope to keep him longer. We become remorseful and ask for forgiveness and say "My dear guest, I'm sorry."

At the end of this blessed month we say "O Allah, forgive me. My Lord, I could have done more but I did not, so forgive me. My Lord, excuse my shortcomings and blemishes, You are indeed oft -Forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me."
Istighfaar, or seeking forgiveness, at the end of every good deed, not just bad deeds, is the way of the righteous. We need forgiveness to patch the holes we created in our fasting due to our faults and mistakes, or at least for falling short on fulfilling the full rights of hospitality to the guest. After all, arriving with a batched record is better off than arriving with no records at all.

Omar ibn Abdulaziz, the Umayyad ruler famous for his justice, may Allah have mercy on him, used to send his deputies around the country with the command to summon the deeds of Ramadan with Istighfaar and charity. Let us have a moment of remorse, and excuse ourselves by seeking forgiveness from the Lord of Ramadan.

2. My dear guest, a final token of appreciation
Our guest deserves the best farewell party, the Eid prayer. We decorate our lives and go out of our way for this party. We take a shower, we come early, we dress nicely, we take different routes back and forth to spread the news of his departure and we bring to the party all people. We bring out our families; our wives and children, the old and young even the most shy maidens and women with legal excuses. It is a procession of goodness, which no one can afford to miss. It is a final token of appreciation. It is a way to say to our dear guest, thank you.
In order not to show our departing guest any sign of sadness on that day, we show him deliberate happiness. Therefore, we eat few dates prior to our arrival at the party site, the prayer area. He now knows that we accept his inevitable departure, we just broke our long time fast.
Anas may Allah be pleased with him narrated: "The Messenger of Allah would not leave to Eid-ul-Fitr until he eats few dates, and he used to eat them in odd number." (Bukhari) It saddens our beloved guest not to follow the example of Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Not breaking the fast until we come back from the Eid prayer is indeed a sign of fake piety.

3. My dear guest, this is your legacy
As we prepare for the party, we make sure that everybody around is happy and satisfied. All should participate in this party and no one should be left behind. That was the reason why our guest had come visiting us for anyways, he came to teach us how to care and share. Our guest should not leave us seeing anyone unhappy or dissatisfied. We feed the hungry and keep Ramadan's legacy alive. We give Zaka-ul-Fitr.
Ibn Omar may Allah be pleased with him narrated: "The Messenger of Allah obliged the payment of Zakat-ul-Fitr, the amount of Sa' (four cupped hands) of dates, or barley. This should be paid on behalf every male and female, free or slave and adult or young, from all the Muslims." (Bukhari and Muslim)

4. My dear guest, allow us to sing for you
Escorting the guest out with chanting and du'a until he is out of sight is an Islamic etiquette of honoring the guest. And there is no guest who deserves it more than our beloved Ramadan. Once the announcement of his departure is delivered, as we sight that gesture at night -the hilal, we start making our du'a and chanting our takbeer until the party next day is over.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says: "He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him (in takbeer) in that He has guided you, and perchance you shall be grateful." (al-Baqara 2:185)
Ibn Abbas may Allah be pleased with him says: "It is an incumbent duty on all Muslims, when they see the crescent for the beginning of Shawwal, to start their chanting with takbeer until they are done with their Eid prayer."

5. My dear guest, I just did what I could, but I'm sorry.
Our guest is leaving and as he slowly walks away, he turns to us and say: "Farewell my dear friends and good companions. Know that I may not see you again after this day." The shocking reality strikes, we need to make sure that he leaves happy and satisfied and therefore we concern ourselves with the acceptance of whatsoever we offered of hospitality, even if it was little. It is no longer how much we did; it is how much was accepted and approved. We turn to our guest and present our case and say: "Please, accept the little of our hospitality, for what you saw was indeed the utmost we could afford of our generosity."

Ali bin Abi Talib may Allah be pleased with him once said, "Be concerned more over the acceptance of your deeds than over the deeds themselves for Allah does not accept deeds except from the righteous. Didn't you read Allah's statement: 'Verily, Allah accepts only from the Muttaqeen -Righteous.' (al-Ma'idah 5:27)"

Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "The pious predecessors used to spend their efforts on completing their deeds perfectly and precisely. They then, concern themselves over their acceptance, fearing it might be rejected. Those are the people about whom Allah says: "And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear, because they will return to their Lord." (al-Mu'minoon 23:60)

So here we are in a moment of muhasaba and self reckoning. We remember the days we spent with our guest, how much good did we do? And how much of what we did we can count on as a sincere act of hospitality?
It's time to prepare our presentation for the angels to see and report to Allah. How professional do you think our presentation will look? This is the time when you need all the skills of du'a and invocation you have learned so far. And if you feel it's too late to prepare for this presentation, then know that Allah accepts from the deeds their ends. Therefore, make your last deeds the best of all deeds.

We ask Allah to accept from us the little, regardless of how much it was, of what we offered from acts of worship during this blessed month of Ramadan.

6. My dear guest, I'll keep in touch
Our guest is now taking his ride, and his departure becomes inevitable; we start running after him hoping for one final glance from him. He turns the window down and waves to us gracefully saying with a loud reminder: "Don't forget about me." "Never," we vow, "Keep in touch, and write back," he says and we answer back, "of course we will." Then as we start slowing down we reiterate to ourselves the pledge we have just given to our guest, that we will never forget about him and we shall keep in touch, we build loyalty to our guest and our friend, the month of Ramadan.

How can we keep loyal to Ramadan? And how can we stay in touch with him?
Obviously, Ramadan and the reminisces of Ramadan should remain in our hearts. Then we keep loyal to him and in touch with him, by keeping our deeds, which we had established with him, continuous. Because of this blessed guest, we were able to establish a new way of life, a life of regular fasting, night prayers, recitation of the Qur'an and other Ramadan deeds. Moreover, as loyal friends of Ramadan, even long after his departure, we shall keep in touch with him by keeping alive what we have learned from him. We sure love Ramadan.

Aisha may Allah be pleased with her narrated the Messenger of Allah said: "The most beloved deeds to Allah, are the continuous ones even if they were little." Once the Messenger of Allah establishes an act of worship, he used to maintain it continuously. Therefore, follow the example of your beloved Messenger and keep in touch with Ramadan. Continue the good work; continue fasting.

7. My dear guest, thank you for coming
In a final moment of showing our gratitude to our beloved guest and how much we were honored with his presence, we raise our voices with thanks and praises, with shukr and takbeer to Allah. Allah subhanahu wa ta'aala says: "He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him (in takbeer) in that He has guided you, and perchance you shall be grateful." (al-Baqara 2:185).

Moreover, as our guest leaves, we return to our inner homes, and then in a moment of contemplation, immediately we go and check on him and act as if he was still there. We could not wait long to display our loyalty to him and our love for him, therefore, we followed his example and fasted six days of Shawwal right after Eid day.

Abu Ayyoub al-Ansaari may Allah be pleased with him narrated the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan and then followed it with six days of Shawwal, it would be counted for him as if he had fasted the whole year." (Muslim) We do not want to stop thinking of him and from that point onward, we will keep in touch and join his fans club, club Ar-Rayyan.

8. My dear guest, I'm sorry I forgot
It has been awhile since our guest left, we thought we will never forget about him, unfortunately we were wrong. Soon as he came out of sight, our hearts changed on us and changed on him. We're no longer entertained by his presence which always worked for us as a frequent reminder. As time passed by, the vow of loyalty we had given him faded away, and life chores took the best of our hearts. We forgot about Ramadan and we forgot the dear lessons of Ramadan. We went back to the old bad habits we had prior to his graceful visit. Naturally, the prolonged separation caused a great damage to our connection with Ramadan. My dear guest, my dear Ramadan, I'm sorry that I forgot.

As Ramadan announces his departure, it is hard to believe that this blessed season has ended. Never lose hope from the mercy of Allah, celebrate the end of Ramadan with another act of worship, with Istighfaar and do not forget to pay your Zakat-ul-Fitr. Make your concluding act with Ramadan perfect, pray Eid on time with perfect, halal style. Celebrate the departure of Ramadan with takbeer, dhikr and du'a, you definitely need your deeds be accepted. Stay in touch with Ramadan, continue the good work and start with the sequel event of the six days of Shawwal. Finally, keep the beautiful memories of Ramadan; they will always come handy and will always be a source of inspiration. Ramadan, my dear guest, may Allah forgive me. For seeing you departing so quickly, I will always be sorry.

Wassalam,
Al Huda Institute, Canada
www.alhudainstitute.ca

[sabrun_jamilun]

Originally Posted by Winnie

May Allah (swt) keep us strong in iman, steadfast in prayer, and patient with dua.
May He reward us through our sacrifice in observing sawm (our fast).
May He bless those less fortunate in the world with the same He bestows upon us.
May our deeds be accepted and bring us closer to Allah (swt).
And May He bless us all to remain healthy and heal those who are ill.
May He continue to guide us along the right path to jannah.
And most importantly, I pray for bounty and protection from Allah (swt) unto all of us: our grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, and their offspring to come.
~Ameen.

Ameeeeen !

[faisel]

My fave time of the year! Lets make this ramadan count! A number of the Companions used to prepare for Ramadan 6 months ahead of time. Lets start preparing now!


May this Ramadan be the that we enhance our relationship with our Glorious Creator

[Winnie]

http://www.masnet.org/news.asp?id=565

Why Do Muslims Break Their Fast with Dates?

Date Posted: Friday, October 17, 2003

Dear Editor,



Why is it considered healthy to break the Ramadan fast with dates, and why are Muslims recommended to pray before iftar? – S.H.



Dear S.H.,



Breaking the fast with dates is a Ramadan tradition, as most of its benefits are unique to this particular fast. Breaking one’s fast with dates, as well as praying before iftar, are both mentioned in the Hadith literature: "The Messenger of Allah would break his fast with ripe dates before he would pray. If those were not available, he would eat dried dates. If those were not available, he would drink some water.”



One of the many physical benefits of breaking the fast with dates is that our body benefits from the date’s high level of natural sugars. Sugars travel most quickly to the liver, where they are converted into energy more quickly than any other nutrient. Muslims have an immediate need for this energy when they break their fast, for they need energy to perform their sunset prayers. Ironically, one also needs this energy to consume the iftar meal. When a person eats, the body uses energy to digest the food. Eating large quantities of food immediately after fasting is not healthy for the body, which is in a weakened condition. Eating a date first helps the body start its digestive process and gives it the energy to deal with the secondary, more complex foods, eaten during ifta.



Dates are also high in vitamins A and B6, folic acid, potassium, natural sodium, iron, and magnesium. Thus, eating dates daily during Ramadan is like taking a daily multivitamin. This daily multivitamin can create a stronger and healthier body, one more fit for fasting. Dates also contain large amounts of dietary fiber, which can prevent any constipation that might result from eating the traditionally rich foods served during Ramadan. Additionally, dates protect the stomach and intestinal tract from parasites and bacteria, and thus is a good preventative medicine when eating iftar at unfamiliar locations.



Dates also have a special place in Islam. In fact, they were one of the Prophet’s (SAW) most frequently consumed foods. For this reason, their benefit is most likely spiritual as well as physical. If their benefit were purely physical, one could perhaps consume any fruit high in natural sugars before iftar to gain similar benefits. However, the act of following the Prophet’s (SAW) tradition is one way of connecting and remembering him, which is spiritually beneficial for Muslims.



One should pray after eating dates and before eating the main meal, because this short break gives the body time to metabolize the dates and water that have been consumed and to start the body’s digestive processes, which have been resting all day. Eating large amounts of food immediately after breaking the fast resembles starting a car and the driving it without giving it enough time to warm up. As we know, this can damage the engine’s internal mechanics.



The same is true with the body, for jumpstarting the body’s digestive processes can shock the entire organ system. In some cases, this shock could be dangerous. In most cases, however, it is simply an unhealthy way to break the fast. The immediate dangers are apparent in the increased need to sleep after the iftar. This sleepy feeling comes about because the body has expended so much energy on the digestive system that it needs to lower its other bodily functions in order to perform its digestive duties properly. Over time, this habit can cause long-term damage to the body.

[Winnie]

Dua (Prayer) of Fasting
9/5/2008 - Religious - Article Ref: IC0809-3668
Number of comments: 3
By: Staff
IslamiCity* -

The following dua (prayers) are recited at the beginning and end of the fast to indicate and affirm the intention of the fast. A person's intention when fasting, is to bring him/herself closer to God.



Dua (Prayer) at the Beginning of the Fast


Wa bisawmi ghadinn nawaiytu min shahri ramadan
I intend to keep the fast for tomorrow in the month of Ramadan



Dua (Prayer) at the End of the Fast


Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamantu wa alayka tawakkaltu was ala rizq-ika-aftarhu
O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You and I put my trust in You and I break my fast with Your sustenance

[faisel]

Asalamoliqum warkathmathallahai wabarakatu

As we all now the blessed month of Ramadan is approaching, and the excitement is building up! Inshallah we should all set goals and plans about what we want to do in Ramadan and how we want to spend our time effectively. I read a VERY good article about this, by Sh Mohammad Alshareef, which is pasted below, inshallah I pray that we can all benefit from it, and take some action by using this good advice

Before the Sand Slips Away
By Muhammad Al-Shareef

"Hasn't there come upon man a period of time when they were nothing remembered?"
- Insaan 76/1

Imagine that you are on the beach. You are four years old. The camp leader has told you that you have five minutes to build a great castle. "Quickly," your three year old Ameer tells you, "the sand here is too soft. Run closer to the water and get better sand!"

Off you run and grab, with your tiny hands, as much sand as you can hold. But, as you run back, plop, plop, plop, you feel the sand slipping through your fingers. You can do nothing about it. In your haste, all the sand has slipped away. Bang. The competition is over. This is the analogy of our lives. This is the analogy of our time in Ramadan.

For many living in Western countries, Ramadan is passed daily with 9 to 5 jobs or school - nights where we may or may not go for Taraweeh. A peak at the TV (may Allah protect us) and the night is over. Back to work where all around us people are eating and drinking from crystal water fountains. Blink. Ramadan is over.

The question of the hour is: how do we take full advantage of this gift of Allah? This is our topic, before the sands of Ramadan slip away.

How many years have we been fasting Ramadan? 10 or 15 or 40 years? Are we 10 or 15 or 40 times better? Or, does it seem like we have arrived back at the drawing board every time Ramadan comes around? All acts of worship are for our own benefit! Don't do it and harm befalls you, which is the way life was programmed.

Ramadan is no small matter. It is one of the pillars of this Deen of Islam - without it one's Islam would not be complete. In this month, Rasul Allah - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - would intensify his worship of Allah ta'ala. In doing so, he laid the foundation for his Ummah after him to emulate.

Ibn AlQayyim - rahimahullaah - wrote: "From his blessed guidance - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - in Ramadan is that he used to intensify and diversify his actions of worship. So, for example, Jibreel used to rehearse the Qur'an with him during the nights of Ramadan. When Jibreel would visit him, he would intensify the amount of Sadaqah that he would give. He was the most generous out of all people - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - and Ramadan was the time when he was most generous. In Ramadan, he would fill his time with Sadaqah, treating people kindly, reciting Qur'an, performing Salah, remembering Allah, and performing I'tikaaf." - Zaad AlMa'aad

Observers described the way Allah's Messenger- sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - gave like Ar-Reeh AlMursalah, like the blessed wind. Why? The blessed wind, as they knew it, was a wind that brought coolness to everyone - no one was denied its blessing. The blessed wind, additionally, was not lazy in bringing its goodness to the people. It would come swiftly to all. This is how Rasul Allah - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - was described, and this is how our service to humanity should be: swift and encompassing. Bi idhnillah.

Below are ten ideas to help make the most of Ramadan - before it slips through our hands.

Idea one: Compound Your Siyaam!

If you told your financial broker that you just want to keep money in the bank and save it, he would say, "You are wrong." "Invest it in the stock market. That way your money will be compounded - you will earn multiple times what you put in." So now I ask the question: Wouldn't you love to get two times the reward of fasting Ramadan? How?

Zayd ibn Khaalid AlJuhanee narrates that the Prophet - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "Whoever gives a fasting person (food) to break his or her fast, he (the one feeding) will get the reward equivalent to the (fasting persons) reward - without diminishing anything from the reward of the (fasting person)."

How do we do this? Ask any Muslim relief agency if they have a feed a fasting person program. Subhan Allah, you may find that it only costs $1 to feed a person! So, for $30 you could come out of Ramadan having doubled your reward.

And, we should not forget the needy in our city. We think that in a 'modern' western country or city there are no needy people. That is not true. There are many needy families that are waiting to be discovered. Ask around and you will find a gold mine of people to help, in your own backyard.

I speak about Washington, DC. If one was to have a food drive, all the food could go to needy Muslim families in DC and still not be enough! I've seen this with my own eyes. How blessed it would be to get the youth that just hang out in the back of the Masjid during Taraweeh to take on this task. Organize the collection of the food and distribute it. It can happen! It just takes a leader with vision to set this up for the youth and all the good people who want to make a difference.


Idea two: Operation Guide the Youth

Often in Ramadan, there are khaatirahs, words of wisdom, halaqahs and reminders, all geared to the adults praying Taraweeh. The youth, it seems, are being disrespectful by talking in the back of the masjid.

"Shhhhh!" someone shouts at them. "Listen or go outside (and we prefer if you just go outside)!" So, quietly they sneak out of the Masjid and chat and chill all Ramadan. How Eeman boosting is that? Remember, Allah commands that you protect your wife and children also.

Try this: Just like there are things for the adults, we could have Ramadan activities and reminders geared specifically for the youth. And, it need not be 'in' the Masjid. Let's say the youth like to chat and chill outside in the parking lot. Why not organize the activity there? Yes, on the basketball court or in the parking lot. Have a 5-minute Khatirah, play games with them, and give them some noble projects to complete in Ramadan.

Again, making a difference like this needs a leader with vision, one who recognizes that the youth are his or her responsibility. I pray that person is you!


Idea three: Turnoff TV Month

Every parent knows that when they want their child to do well in their studies they tell them, "no TV." If this is for Dunya, then how about someone who wants to excel in Ramadan?

"Fasting and the Qur'an will come and testify on behalf of the 'Abd on the Day of Resurrection. The Fasting will say: O my lord, I denied him food and desires, so allow me to be a means for him to enter paradise. And the Qu'ran will say: O my Lord, I denied him sleep at night so allow me to be a means for him to enter Paradise. And (he will be entered into paradise) because of those two." - Musnad Ahmad

Try this: Announce in your household that Ramadan is the official turnoff TV month. Be an example for others and do fun and rewarding things instead. Visit people, take on a Ramadan feeding project, increase yourself in knowledge, etc. Turn off the TV and turn on life.


Idea Four: Dua' Time

Ramadan is the month of making dua' to Allah, an essential compliment to fasting. Rasul Allah - sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam - said, "There are three persons dua' that will be accepted (by Allah). The fasting person, the oppressed one, and the traveler."

Try this: Make a list of all your goals in life. Make a section for your a) personal goals; b) spiritual goals; c) economic goals; and d) contribution goals. Every day during Ramadan, take out your list and make dua' to Allah to grant you the tawfeeq to accomplish your goals. Insha Allah, you will attain your goals with hard work, both during and after Ramadan.


Idea Five: Parent Appreciation Month

We all know that the one who wakes us up for Suhoor is our mom. I know it was for me. If not for her alarm clock, her early morning cooking, her motherly love to go and wake everyone up...well, let's just say our iftars would have become our suhoors. If you are living away from your parents, you know what I'm talking about.

Remember the hadith of the person who doesn't reach Ramadan with forgiveness? The end part of the Hadith says they found their parents in old age and they were not a means for him to enter Jannah!

So, why not announce it loud and clear this month, "Thank you Mom! Thank you Dad!" Let's take care of them this month with extra calls, extra hugs, and extra love.


Idea Six: Masjid Power Hour

During Ramadan, why not spend a few more moments in the Masjid before taking off. This could be done after Fajr or after Asr. Sit back, grab a Qur'an and remember Allah. As your time in the Masjid increases, bi idhnillaah, your love and heart attachment will increase. Make this your personal Masjid power hour.


Idea Seven: Bad Habit Buster

Many people already do this. They may have a smoking problem or a TV addiction. When Ramadan comes around they say, "I'm going to train myself to stop smoking or to stop watching excessive TV by abandoning it throughout Ramadan."

So, you don't have a smoking problem huh? Everyone has a bad habit and everyone has a recurring sin they pray they could desist from. Make Ramadan the training month by telling yourself to go without this sin for the entire month. Then, if Allah grants one Tawfeeq to complete the month, one should continue to pray to Allah to keep them away from the sin after Ramadan.


Idea Eight: The Gift Groove

Have you ever noticed how beloved a bottle of perfume is when it is handed out by a little four year old Muslim? Everyone loves a gift.

Why not take this a step forward? Go to your local Islamic bookstore and request a bulk purchase of some beneficial Islamic materials, something in the $1 range. Then, hand it out to everyone that comes to your masjid. Bi idhnillaah, you will find for the little effort one may put, people all throughout Ramadan will be learning from the gift.


Idea Nine: Ramadan Muslims, Convert!

It is true that on the first day of Ramadan, the number of Muslims in the local Masjid multiplies considerably. And, it is a sad moment on the first day after Ramadan that the Masjid attendance drops significantly. This idea is Operation No More Ramadan Muslims. We want people all year long!

Ibn Abbas I'tikaaf: A man came to Ibn Abbas while he was doing I'tikaaf in the masjid and asked him for his assistance. So, Ibn Abbas stood to leave and people around him warned him, 'but you are in I'tikaaf'. He replied, "To assist my brother in fulfilling his need is more beloved to me than to perform I'tikaaf for 2 months in the Masjid of Rasul Allah - sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam."

Try this: Make a 'compassion crew' that reaches out specifically to Ramadan Muslims. Extra special attention is showered on them and roles of responsibility are delegated to them so that they can participate more in the Masjid. Invite them to special Iftars where they are the center of attention.

With this extra attention and responsibility, bi idhnillaah, every month will be Ramadan for them and the masjids will be full all year.


Idea Ten: Home Halaqah

Muslim families often keep their worship for the Masjid, but why not make Muslim family time at home. It could work like this: After Taraweeh or Asr, the family gathers together for 15 minutes. There are many things you could do in your Halaqah, the main thing is that you set time aside for it.

For example, each family member may recite a few verses of Qur'an. Or, one of the kids can read a story of the Sahaabah so that all family members can be reminded. Or, each family member can speak about the blessings of Allah upon them and what they have in their lives for which they are thankful.

Just 15 minutes for the home Halaqah. For the entire family, bi idhnillah, it will be a spring of Eeman.

Ten ideas to enhance your Ramadan:

Idea one: Compound Your Siyaam!
Idea two: Operation Guide the Youth
Idea Three: Turnoff TV Month
Idea Four: Dua' Time
Idea Five: Parent Appreciation Month
Idea Six: Masjid Power Hour
Idea Seven: Bad Habit Buster
Idea Eight: The Gift Groove
Idea Nine: Ramadan Muslims, Convert!
Idea Ten: Home Halaqah

http://forums.almaghrib.org/showthread.php?t=12225

[Winnie]

Things to do in Ramadan
9/28/2007 - Religious Social - Article Ref: IC0609-3120
Number of comments: 16
By: Dr. Aslam Abdullah
IslamiCity* -

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for the entire month, an act that brings joy and contentment to every Muslim who experiences the practice. We pray that this blessed month brings divine blessings to all of us.

This year, Muslims celebrate the month of fasting during some very challenging times. Islam and Muslims are under microscopic investigation. Every day new terms are coined to describe Islam. Sometimes, the believing Muslims are described as radical Islamists and Islamo-fascists. Often, our faith is linked with terror and we are accused of crimes that we ourselves discover when we open the front page of newspapers.

In times of difficulty, our only source of strength is our faith in the absolute power of God. We know that if we have His protection and guidance, we will be able to overcome all the challenges that surround us.

This month of Ramadan is giving us yet one more opportunity to re-dedicate ourselves to the absolute power of the divine and refocus our lives to worshipping Him and Him alone. Each of us can develop an individual plan to benefit from and we can all do something extra to earn some additional grace from God, the Almighty.

Here are a few suggestions that we can look into:

1. Let us make it a habit to visit the mosque as often as possible but atlas once a day with our families.

2. Let us make it a habit to break fast with fellow Muslims in the mosque at least once a week.

3. Let us invite our non-Muslim friends and neighbors to join us in the breaking of our fasts.

4. Let us pool our efforts and resources to feeding the homeless.

5. Let us be extra-generous and donate our money to worthy causes.

6. Let us encourage our children to offer taraweeh prayers with us at the mosque.

7. Let us at least try to complete reading the Quran with meaning once.

8. Let us ensure that we mend our relations with everyone regardless of the mistakes on the part of others.

9. Let us spend some time in seclusion at night praying to the Almighty.

10. Let us ensure that we will not hurt anyone and control our anger in all situations

12. Let us spend more time with our families especially in breaking the fast.

13. Let us make sure that we don't miss our Fajr prayer and pray all the other prayers on time.

14. Let us donate at least one book on Islam to a local library.

15. Let us ensure that we offer Zakat ul Fitr ahead of Eid prayers so that the poor and the needy can make use of it in an appropriate manner.


Let us place our trust in Allah in everything that we do. May Allah accept our ibada.


Dr. Aslam Abdullah is Editor-in-Chief of the Muslim Observer, director of the Islamic society of Nevada, Las Vegas and acting president of the Muslim Council of America, a Washington-based newly formed groups of Muslim activists.

[Shabab Al-Salim]

Assalamo 'Alaykum!

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[FaisalibnYounus]

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.”
{TMQ 2:183}

Soon inshAllah, the graceful month of Ramadhan will be upon us. It is the month chosen by Allah (swt) as a month of fast-ing. He (swt) favoured this month over all other months by making it the month of mercy and reverence for all the believ-ers. Indeed, Ramadhan is the most superior of all months: the one in which Allah (swt) commenced His final revelation - the Qu’ran.

In the month of Ramadhan we read the Qur’an everyday and recite it at length during the Taraweeh. But do we understand and practice this Qur’an? Aisha (ra) described the Prophet’s (saw) character as being the walking Qur’an. Do our charac-ters reflect the message of the Qur’an? Do we implement it in our lives? Do we feel its weight on our shoulders?
Allah (swt) says:

“Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and split asunder (crumbling) by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables that We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.”
{TMQ 59:21}

Allah (swt) reveals to mankind that had He sent the Qur’an upon a mighty mountain many times the size of a man it would crumble in the fear of Allah (swt)! Do we, in our petty and insignificant stature, then feel humbled by the Qur’an, which was revealed to us and not the mountains? Do we live by the commands and prohibitions that Allah (swt) has laid down in the Qur’an, His final revelation?

If Allah (swt) Wills, we will fast this month, but will we be alive to see the next Ramadhan? Will this be our last chance to taste the Mercy of Allah (Swt) within this blessed month? We should assess our behaviour and actions and reflect whether the Day we meet Allah (swt) will be our best Day or will it be a Day of disaster? Every one of us will meet Allah (swt) alone; with no parents to protect us and no wealth to save us. Allah (swt) has revealed:

“That Day shall a man flee from his own brother, And from his mother and his father, And from his wife and his children, Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others.”
{TMQ 80:34}

We will only have our actions in this life. So let us look back to the year that has passed and reflect. Let us look at what we did right according to Islam so we can con-tinue doing them, and look at what we did wrong so that we can ask Allah (swt) for forgiveness and strive not to repeat them again. The Prophet (saw) said:

“If comes Ramadan, the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of hell are locked, and the devils are chained”.
{Bukhari & Muslim}

Based on this hadith, the scholars say that Heaven liter-ally opens its doors and Hell closes its doors and the shayateen are chained! So the only enemy we have to overcome is our Nafs (inner desires).

Let us use this opportunity in which the shayateen are chained to overcome our Nafs and get accustomed to obey-ing Allah (swt) in all actions of life without exceptions, whether we are at the masjid or in the school, whether we are at home or at work, whether we are buying a house or selling a car. In short, we must follow Islam in all aspects of our lives.

Ramadhan is also a great opportunity to seek Islamic knowledge and increase our awareness of the Islamic cul-ture. The more we are aware of Islam the better chance we have to run our lives according to it. Allah (swt) revealed:

“Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, who have knowledge.”
{TMQ 35:28}

In the month of Ramadhan, the Prophet (saw) used to study the Qur’an every night with the Angel Jibreal. Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported that Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, had said: "The Prophet (saw) was the most gen-erous of people. He used to be the most generous in Ra-madhan when he would meet with angel Jibreal and study the Qur’an with him. Angel Jibreal would meet with the Prophet every night in Ramadhan to teach him the Qur’an. The Prophet was so generous when he met with Jibreal, more generous than the wind that brings rain." Imam Ah-mad added to this narration: "And nothing he was asked for but he would give it." Furthermore, Al-Bayhaqi reported that 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, had said, "When Ramadhan would start, the Prophet would release all pris-oners of war and fulfill the need of every person who would ask him for something."

Let us seek knowledge in this blessed month by studying the meaning of the ayat of the Glorious Qur’an. Let us read about the life of the Prophet (saw) and his companions (ra): how they lived their lives, how they sacrificed life and limb to make the Word of Allah (swt) supreme. Let us remember Musab ibn Umayr (ra): the sahabi who went from being the richest man to the poorest – so poor that when died he did not own enough clothes to cover his own body. Why did he face such a situation? Because he realized the promise of Allah (swt) is true. Let us read about the rules of interaction in Islam whether in trade, finance, agriculture or others. Let us see what Islam says about the relationships between men and women, family and children. Islam is a complete way of life and in this blessed month let’s make the sincere intention to cover some parts of Islam that we lack knowl-edge of.

Let us use this opportunity to extend the bridges of brother-hood and earn rewards by inviting Muslims for Iftar as the Prophet (saw) has said:

“He who feeds a fasting person will gain the same reward as he will, without decreasing from the fasting person's rewards.”
{Ahmad}

The month of Ramadhan in the time of the Prophet (saw) was a time of purification, enjoining the good, forbidding evil and striving hard with one’s life and wealth to make the word of Allah the highest. After the death of the Prophet (saw), Muslims carried this Sunnah on and Allah the Majes-tic used the believers to affect the course of history.

Ramadhan was a time of intense activity, spending the day on the saddle and the night in prayer, while calling upon Allah for His Mercy and Forgiveness. This was the spirit of Ramadhan that enabled our righteous forefathers to face seemingly impossible challenges.

So let us make this month of Ramadhan the month of prayer, the month of worship, the month of recitation of Qur’an, the month of giving Zakah, the month of strengthen-ing the relations between our relatives, the month of gener-osity and goodness to the needy, the month of being aware of our speech and actions, the month of re-invigorating our relationship with Allah (swt) and purifying our hearts, the month of increasing our knowledge of Qur’an, Sunnah and Fiqh, and the month of engaging in the da’wa to implement the Qur’an and the Sunnah on earth.

May Allah the Most Glorious One make us that generation of Muslims who lay the proper foundations of the Islamic rule for the coming generations and make us of those who carry out our Islam during Ramadhan and beyond.

“To the righteous soul will be said: ‘O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back thou to thy Lord, - well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! Enter thou, then, among My devotees! Yea, enter thou My Heaven.’”
{TMQ 89:27-30}