How To Prepare For Ramadan

Only a few more days till Ramadan starts! I'm especially excited about it this year because I get to spend at least twenty days of it at home - not worrying about school - since it's starting in late september. and as one of my favorite muslimtees.com shirt states: "Ramadan: time to recharge" check it out (and buy it - because you can never have enough witty shirts, right?) here

I was searching online for Ramadan-esque stuff and came across this amaaazing post from www.suhaibwebb.com. Take some time to read through it and perhaps, i'A, apply it :)

A lot of us yearn to prepare for Ramadan, but we have no idea how to start. Below are a few tips to insha’Allah help prepare our minds and hearts for this upcoming Month of Mercy.

1. Making the Intention

Simple to do and has a powerful impact. Maybe you want to prepare for Ramadan, but between school, work, family, and any other activities, you just have no idea how to fit in ‘Preparing for Ramadan’ time. Instead of making ‘preparing for Ramadan’ something separate from your daily activities, MAKE your daily activities a means of preparation for Ramadan.

For example, perhaps your mom asked you to pick up your brother from school on the day you finally had time to read a few extra pages of Qur’an. Instead of feeling upset and feeling like you have lost a great preparation for Ramadan opportunity, make the intention that you are picking up your brother to please Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and prepare for Ramadan by obeying your mother, helping your family members, building ties of kinship… and the list continues.

The point is that preparing for Ramadan does not have to be some magnificent, enormous, extra-special thing that needs to be done at a certain time of the day. Many of your daily actions can be turned into Ramadan preparation actions with a sincere intention, insha’Allah.

2. Do these easy-to-reap-reward actions:

1. Asking Allah to forgive your brothers and sisters. “Whoever seeks forgiveness for believing men and believing woman, Allah will write for him a good deed for each believing man and believing woman.” [at-Tabarani, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

1. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (r.a) said “The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Whoever says subhanAllah wa bi hamdih (praise and glory be to Allah) 100 times, morning and evening, his sins will be erased even if they are like the foam on the sea.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6042; Muslim 2691

1. If a person says “SubhanAllah” (glory be to Allah) 100 times, a thousand good deeds are recorded for him and a thousand bad deeds are wiped away. Narrated by Muslim 2073

1. Remember Allah when you go shopping : “Whoever enters a market and says:
‘Laa ilaha illallah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu yuhyi wa yumeetu wa huwa hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khair, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer’[there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise, He causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die. In His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent]Allah will write for him/her a million good deeds and erase a million bad deeds and raise him a million levels.” [at-Tirmidhi, classed as hasan by al-Albani]

3. Up your worship

To help condition your heart for this blessed month, intensify your worship before Ramadan begins. Just a small, consistent amount is enough. The Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam told us:

“The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.”

For example, if I always pray 2 rakats of sunnah after ishaa, from this day until Ramadan begins- and even through Ramadan, let me make the intention that I will now pray 2 extra rakats of sunnah after ishaa. And every time I pray these extra 2 rakats, which are more than what I normally pray, let me remember that I am doing these with the intention of asking Allah to help me be prepared to strive and exert my utmost effort during Ramadan.

4. Make a duaa list today

This is THE MONTH to ask for EVERYTHING, both related to this life and the Next. Let us not wait until the last 10 nights to make special duaas, and then once Eid passes realize that we had completely forgotten about fifty other things we needed to make duaa for. Let us start making our lists now, and add to it as more things come our way. Insha’Allah this should help us remember to make constant duaa in this month where duaa is accepted, and help our hearts pour out to the One Who can make those duaas happen, subhanahu wa ta’ala.

5. Write out your objectives for Ramadan

Praying all of your fard prayers? Praying all of your sunnahs? Reading the entire Qur’an? Giving $1 charity a day? Making itikaaf in the masjid? Leaving one serious sin that you’ve been trying to get away from for some time now? Sincerely turning completely back to Allah?

Write out a list, put them somewhere you will see them, and make duaa for your success in fulfilling these objectives.

6. Make a plan!

Look at your objectives, and try to make a plan on how to actualize those objectives in this month.

For example, perhaps you are really struggling to pray your sunnah prayers. In this month, realize the enormity of the ajr of praying the sunnah prayers… think that perhaps these sunnahs will be the deeds that will be so heavy on your scale of good deeds when you are intense need of them- on yowm al qiyamah. Therefore, fight to keep doing them all throughout Ramadan. If you can’t pray your 2 rakats after dhur right away, make sure to do them as soon as you get a chance.

Thus, your plan might look something like this:

Objective: Pray all of my fard prayers.

Method: Envision myself on the day of judgment seeing the insha’Allah weight of praying my sunnah consistently during this month. Make sure to pray sunnah salah immediately after salah. If I cannot, do it as soon as the opportunity arises… don’t let myself put it off!

Another example is that of finishing the Qur’an:

Objective: Finishing the entire Qur’an in this month.

Method: Read 4 pages of the Qur’an after every salah. 5 prayers X 4 pages = 20 pages. 20 pages= about 1 juz. 1 juz X 30= the entire Qur’an.

——-
So many Muslims have passed away since last month. So many people have not made it to Ramadan this year. Last year was their very last Ramadan. Will you make it to this Ramadan? Will this be your last Ramadan?

Aim to strive in this Ramadan. With a very small amount of effort, such as just making a small intention, or adding a few extra acts of worship, we pray that Allah will help our hearts soften and honor us with making it easy to turn to Him and open up to Him.

May Allah make us of the successful in Ramadan, and make it easy for us to turn to Him completely and perpetually. Ameen

Appreciatin' and Praisin'

A while ago I received a pocket sized book from the mosque called Fortress of the Muslim - Invocations from the Qur'an & Sunnah. I've been looking through it a lot this summer and am amazed at how many different supplications and invocations there are... it's beautiful how Allah SWT has made everything so simple for us - if we only take the time to look. My favorite one so far is What A Muslim Should Say When He Is Praised, and subhan'Allah, while I was looking for the duaas typed up online I ran into Muslimology.org and the blogger has the same book AND scanned the duaas AND made a post on this very subject! So here's a snippet from that post and insh'Allah you will check out their website, too.

How a Muslim should praise another Muslim

If any of you praises a Muslim then let him say:

“I consider (such and such a person), and Allah is his Assessor,






wa laa uzakee ‘alallaahi ahadan

(meaning: and I cannot claim anyone to be pious before Allah) -if you know of this (good character trait in the person) to be such and such (saying what he thinks is praiseworthy in that person).” (Muslim 4/2296)

What a Muslim should say when he is praised








Allaahumma laa tu’aakhidhnee bimaa yaqooloona, waghfir lee maa laa ya’lamoona [waj'alnee khairam-mimmaa yadhunnoon].

Oh Allah, do not call me to account for what they say and forgive me for what they have no knowledge of [and make me better than they imagine].

(Al-Bukhari, Al-Adab Al-Mufrad no. 761. See Al-Albani, Sahih Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (no. 585). The portion between brackets is from Al-Baihaqi, Shu’ab Al-Iman 4/228, and comes from another account.)

I love the "and make me better than they imagine" part :) maan it's like Allah SWT is giving us some elbow room as we're keeping our egos in check.

Peace

Abaya: The New Black?

Found this article in New Statesman from 2006. I'm glad there are women writing about wearing the abaya, because judging from the way "covering up" is portrayed in the media, the public needs to see different perspectives on it to make their own decisions. The article's informative and witty - my favorite mix :) - read on and let me know what you think.

The new black
Raya al-Khalifa
Observations on covering up

The fashion industry is no longer concerned with being elegant. It just wants to sell everyone the same outfit. It may be my elevated taste in fashion or just the likes of Paris Hilton wearing head-to-toe logos but looking none the less like a joke. After all, anyone can don a theatrical Dior jacket. Just as money doesn't buy happiness, it doesn't secure elegance, either.

This is why I am contemplating wearing the abaya full-time in the west. When in my husband's country of Qatar, I indulge in wearing my beautiful abayas. The long black gowns drape my body as elegantly as anything worn by a 1940s Hollywood starlet. An abaya comes complete with a train that glides as I move across the desert terrain. The sleeves of my gorgeous silk creations are always lightly embellished with crystal designs and lace to add some extra glamour. My headscarves are usually wrapped lightly around my head with extra corners revealing the co-ordinating designs of my dress. I am mysterious, modest and chic, all within the margins of being religiously conscious.

Looking good never felt so right. In Qatar, even when I'm wearing a grubby old pair of jeans, I can simply slip on my abaya to do my errands. Instantly, this desperate housewife feels confident and statuesque. As I stroll through the aisles of the Mega Mart contemplating different cheeses, my abaya drapes me with every move, ensuring my modesty while enforcing my elegance. My steps are hidden and I look as though I am gliding across the marble floors.

This is a far cry from negotiating the local Tesco. Here, I must continuously push back my messy hair, hold my top as I reach for stacked loo roles, and reveal my underwear to ogling men as I bend down for my muesli, inevitably placed on the lowest shelves.

A girl in an abaya doesn't have to be a slave to fashion to look chic. I want to feel glamorous every minute of the day. A big old T-shirt makes me feel more frumpy than comfy. My inner peace is achieved by feeling good while being modest - showing some beauty yet not too much booty. Wearing my abaya helps me in my quest for effortless elegance. How else can a woman look and feel good without attracting annoying attention from gross men? (As if I would waste my time on such losers, anyway.)

But, in any case, I have become tired. Tired of squeezing into "skinny" jeans, tired of holding in my stomach and tired of unwanted advances.

I am ready to look and feel like a statuesque woman of class, not trash. I am ready to drape my frame with the luminous black cloth that perfectly outlines my silhouette. I am ready to express my glamorous side through the beautiful embroidery that delicately frames my face.

The abaya is my answer to the dilemmas of modern fashion. Glamour is achieved, modesty is secured, and self-esteem is upheld. And did I mention how slimming the colour black is?

Building the now for the promise of the Infinite

"Love" by Mos Def

They say the goodness in life belongs to those who believe.
So, I believe.

I start to think, and then I sink
Into the paper, like I was ink.
When I’m writing, I’m trapped in between the line.
I escape when I finish the rhyme.

My pop said he was in love when he made me.
Thought about it for a second, wasn’t hard to see.
I could hear he was sincere, was no game of promotion,
The entire affair was probably charged wit emotion.
When love call your heart, I guess you got to pursue.
12-11-73 my life is testament:
Praise the Beneficent, Element-at-Rest,
The Void in the form that make love manifest.

I spent my early years in Roosevelt Projects,
It was a bright valley wit some dark prospects.
In ‘83, Venny C was the host wit the most:
I listened to the Rap Attack and held the radio close.
I listened to the Rap Attack and held the radio close.
This is far before the days of high glamour and pose!
Aiyyo, power from the street light made the place dark!
I know a few understand what I’m talkin’ about,
It was LOVE for the thing that made me wanna stay out,
It was LOVE for the thing that made me stay in the house

Spendin’ time, writin’ rhymes,
Tryin’ to find words that describe the vibe
That’s inside the space
When you close yo’ eyes and screw yo’ face…

Is this the pain of too much tenderness
To make me nod my head in reverence?
Should I visit this place and remember it
To build landmarks here as evidence?
Night time, Spirit shook my temperment
To write rhymes that portray this sentiment:
We live the now for the promise of the Infinite.
We live the now for the promise of the inifinite,
And we believe in the promise.
(Yes, YES, y’all, and we don’t stop) because

I got love, l-o-v-e and I be

Love, l-o-v-e to MC
Get love, l-o-v-e and I be
Love, l-o-v-e I MC
Get love, l-o-v-e and I be
Love, l-o-v-e to MC
Get love, l-o-v-e and I be
The m-o-s-d-e-f-initely

My folks said they was in love when they made me.
I take the love they made me wit to make rhymes and beats
(Can you feel?) The raw deal, it’s all-wheel-driven
Contemplate the essence of beats, rhymes and livin’
Speech in line wit the rhythm, designed wit the rhythm,
Ears and eyes keepin’ good time wit the rhythm.
I shine wit the rhythm, the Black Star Gallactica,
Big number fleetin’, we ancient like the abacus.

After us, I see we proceed to be trees -
Sproutin’ leaves, givin’ breeze to the we who believe.
I MC, which means I Must Cultivate the earth,
Straight back, straight backs, hard beats and hard work.
I be the funky drummer to soften the hard earth.
(Amin) Pray Allah keep my soul and heart clean.
(Amin) Pray the same thing again for all my team.

This go out to Fort Greene and on out to Queens
Uptown to boogie down, yo’ just look around
And shook up the world!, like Ali in 6-3

I’m reachin’ the height that you said cannot be,
I’m bringin’ the light but you said we can’t see.

Saw the new day comin’
(it look just like me!)
Sun burst through the clouds
(my photo ID!)
I bring light to your day and raise yo’ degree,
The Universal Magnetic, you must respect it
From end to beginning,
praise True and Livin’,
Ever-changing, but Sustaining Magnificent!
Building the now for the promise of the infinite
Building the now for the promise of the inifinite.

Entry #1: Eye On The Prize

It's necessary for us to keep this world and the next - meaning we can't just go into a forest and worship all day, because there's no dunya or temptations involved in that. So it's about finding that balance which is probably our hardest job as Muslim-American teens. Good advice that I've gotten is that in everything you do in life, make sure the Hereafter is the biggest part of the equation - if dunya related stuff is bigger and the Hereafter is waay small, then rethink what it is you're doing. As Muslims it's our duty to keep our eyes on the prize... that is Jannat. Keep in mind that everything can be an act of worship if we keep our intentions straight.

"Our Sustainer
Let not our heart deviate now after You have guided us, But grant us blessings and mercy from Your own presence, For You are the granter of bounties without meaure" (3:8)

"O God! I seek Your protection
against knowledge that profits not
and a heart which fears not God
and a mind that is not satisfied
and aprayer thatis not answered." - from Islam The Natural Way...suppplications of the Prophet

"And keep yourself content with those who call on their Sustainer morning and evening, seeking His countenance, and let not your eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this life, nor obey any whose heart we have permitted to neglect Our remembrance, who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds." (18:28)