Blessed Ramadan
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn piety and righteousness” (Qur’an)
Did you know that....?
* Fasting is a forgiveness of sins.
* Ramadan is when the Mercy and Blessings of Allah descend upon us continuously.
* Fasting is purification and a way of feeling closer to Allah.
* The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “whosoever does not give up telling lies or acting in a false manner, Allah has no need for his giving up eating or drinking.”
* There is blessing in sahur, the pre-dawn meal.
* In Ramadan, the devils and rebellious jinn are chained up, the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are closed.
* Fasting is more than giving up food and drink; it is about improving behaviour and refraining from sin; so no lying, backbiting or being rude to others.
Preparing for Ramadan
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn piety and righteousness” (Qur’an)
As the blessed month of Ramadan is starting, it is vital to ensure we are well prepared to take maximum benefit of the month. To make the most of this Ramadan:
o Ensure that you have made up any missed fasts from the previous Ramadan.
o Prepare a personal action plan. Set specific targets and plan your time wisely.
o Evaluate yourself each day before going to bed. How can you improve yourself? What good deeds can be repeated and what bad deeds can be avoided?
o Make a personal du’a list: both big and small, for others as well as yourself, for this world and the hereafter.
o Train yourself to go to bed early to avoid missing Fajr prayers.
o Read more Islamic books & listen to lectures for inspiration and motivation.
o Go on a ‘technology diet’ – less TV, internet and unnecessary phone calls. Less distraction so more time for Qur’an, prayers, dhikr and charity.
o Plan activities in your community: feed the homeless, do charity work, pick up litter, greet your neighbours.
Getting the Most From Ramadan "Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time"
The following actions are recommended in order to gain the most from the blessed month of Ramadan: o Reflect, contemplate and evaluate.
o Make Tawbah, repent, and ask Allah to forgive your sins.
o Pray more Nafl, voluntary prayers, increasing iman and piety to bring more reward.
o Strengthen your relationship with the Qur’an by reading, reflecting upon the meaning and acting on what you have learned.
o Learn a set number of ayahs/surahs every day; see how much you can achieve by the end of Ramadan.
o Go to your local mosque for the five daily prayers and tarawih; join in with the iftar and take part in Qur’anic circles.
o Make du’a: long, deep and sincere. Open your heart to Almighty Allah and make good use of this blessed time and opportunity.
o Charity and Sadaqa – give what you can to others regularly and witness the blessings of your actions.
o Family: spend time with loved ones; even quality time with your family is an act of charity.
o Focus on good works that will move our community forward to becoming a good example to all our neighbours.
o Stop swearing, backbiting and watching anything that is haram.
Acts of Worship The Prophet, peace be upon him said, “the du’a of three persons are not refused: A fasting man when breaking the fast, a just ruler and an oppressed person”(Tirmidhi)
Fasting o Fast from backbiting, swearing and watching haram things as well as from eating and drinking
Qur’an o Make the Qur’an your daily companion
o Get a tafsir (explanation) so you can understand the message
Prayers o Try to be on time for all prayers
o Get up early for Fajr & increase Qiyam-ul-layl (night prayers)
Du’a/Dhikr/Istighfar/Tasbih o Make your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah
o Remember Allah anywhere, any time and with every action you take: cooking, working, travelling
Sadaqa and Zakat o Give in charity as often as you can, as it removes sin
o Quality time with your family is charity
o Even smiling at another person is charity
Parents and Family o Do simple acts to please your parents
o Organise a family get together and re-establish the bonds of kinship
Health and Diet The Prophet
said, “...for the fasting person there are times of joy; a time when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from teh mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of musk.” (Bukhari)
o Eat and drink, but be moderate! Remember to fill your stomach with a third food, a third water and a third space to breathe.
o Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) – keep it light and healthy and eat slow digesting foods to keep you going throughout the day; e.g. cereals, vegetables and rice.
o Reduce your fat intake – less of the fried, greasy and sweet foods to avoid feeling bloated. Opt for healthy alternatives such as baked foods and whole grains.
o Eat fruits and mixed nuts (dates, bananas, almonds) – which are rich sources of vitamins and minerals
o Drink sufficient fluids, including water between iftar and bed time to avoid dehydration during the day.
o Milk and dairy products are good sources of protein and calcium.
o Exercise after iftar to help your mind and body feel refreshed.
o Stop smoking – try one day at a time, then one week, then during the month of Ramadan and beyond...
o Take a short siesta during the fasting day – just 15 minutes can leave you feeling revitalised. It also helps you adjust to the demanding schedule in Ramadan.
Fidiya & Kaffara For those that miss any days of fasting during Ramadan, there are two types of missed fasts. For any days missed through necessity, fidiya is payable. For any days missed unnecessarily, kaffarah is payable.
What is Fidya?When someone cannot fast in Ramadan and cannot make them up afterwards (due to ill health or pregnancy) they pay for someone else to be fed.
How much is payable?
It is at a rate of £3.00 per each day that is missed. (This should provide one person with 2 meals or two persons with 1 meal.)
If someone misses all the fasts of Ramadan - it would amount to £90.
Give fidiya here
What is Kaffarah? Kaffarah is the compensation that you should give if you deliberately miss or break a fast in the month of Ramadan without a valid reason.
How much is the required payment?
To atone for the missed/broken fast, someone must either fast continuously for 60 days, or feed 60 poor people at a rate of £3.00 per day per person. This amounts to £180 Kaffarah for each missed/broken fast.
Give kaffara here Zakat-ul-Fitr Before the end of the month of Ramadan, every adult self-supporting Muslim who has food in excess of his needs must pay what is known as Zakat-ul-Fitr. He must pay for himself and can pay on behalf of his dependants (he must do this if they are unable to pay).
Zakat-ul-Fitr must be paid before the Eid prayer. It is to be paid in the form of what is considered as staple foods of the community.
As Islamic Relief acts as an agent, we can be given the money to pay for the food beforehand which we will than spend where needed at the correct time to buy the food stuffs and distribute among those two categories.
The quantity the Prophet
described as one saa’ of food. One saa’ is equivalent to four madd. A madd is the amount that can be scooped up when one puts their hands together. If we translate this into a monetary value based on the price of a staple food such as flour or rice, it is approximately £3.
Therefore the amount due for each person is £3.
Subject: Ramadhan Checklist 
Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:08 pm
