4 Essential Steps to Prepare Your Soul for Ramadan
A person
generally feels happy when someone approaches him to help him achieve his goals
and desires. A Muslim, in particular, feels happy when a month approaches that
erases his sins, elevates his ranks, and pardons his mistakes. If human
happiness in general is material due to its connection to worldly life, then
the Muslim’s happiness
is broader because it is connected to the Hereafter.
How to Prepare Yourself for Ramadan
A Muslim
should prepare himself to welcome this blessed month because of its immense
virtue and abundant reward. This preparation takes place through the following:
1- Supplication (Du`a’) Before Ramadan
A Muslim
prepares to receive this noble month by supplicating that
Allah Allows him to reach it. It was reported from the Prophet (peace be
upon him), as narrated by At-Tabarani from Anas
Ibn Malik, that when Rajab entered he would say: “O
God, bless us in Rajab and Sha`ban and bring us to Ramadan.” (Weak
narration)
Mu`alla Ibn
Al-Fadl said: The Companions used to supplicate to Allah for six months to Allow
them to reach Ramadan, then they would supplicate to Allah for six months to Accept
it from them.
Yahya Ibn
Abi Kathir said: Among their supplications was: “O Allah, deliver me to
Ramadan, deliver Ramadan to me, and receive it from me accepted.”
The state
of those preparing for Ramadan says: “O you whose absence from us has been long, the
days of reconciliation have drawn near. O you whose losses have been
continuous, the days of profitable trade have arrived.
Whoever
does not profit in this month, then when will he profit? Whoever does not draw
near to his Lord in it will remain distant. How many hoped to fast this month,
but their hopes betrayed them, and they were taken to the darkness of the
grave. How many greet a day they do not complete, and hope for tomorrow they
never reach. If you could see death and its course, you would despise false
hopes and their deception.” (1)
2- Giving Glad Tidings to Believers About the Hidden Good
in Ramadan
The
Prophet (peace
be upon him) used to give glad tidings to his
Companions of the coming of the blessed month of Ramadan and spread its virtues before them so they would
approach it eagerly and perform acts of worship with greater strength.
An-Nasa’i
narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Ramadan, a
blessed month, has come to you during which God has made it obligatory for you
to fast. In it the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of al-Jahim are
locked, and the rebellious devils are chained. In it God has a night which is
better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of its good has indeed
suffered deprivation.”
This glad
tidings shows that Allah Wants His servants to turn to Him. He promised them
the closing of the gates of Hell, the opening of the gates of Paradise, and the
prevention of satanic whispers.
He also promised, at the end of every day of fasting, emancipation from the
Fire.
In
At-Targhib Wat-Tarhib, from Ibn Mas`ud, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said: “Allah,
Mighty and Majestic, frees sixty thousand people from the Fire every night at
the time of breaking fast during Ramadan. When it is the Day of Eid, He frees
the equivalent of what He freed throughout the entire month thirty times sixty
thousand.”
Allah
would not have Granted these virtues to the believers except out of love for
them, desiring their return to Him and wishing to protect them from His
punishment. So seize the opportunity—seize it—O seeker of salvation and
companion of those who turn to Allah!
3- Repentance to Allah Before Ramadan
Repentance to Allah
is nothing more than a servant’s acknowledgment of his shortcomings toward his
Lord, apologizing for what he has done, seeking the forgiveness of Allah, and
continuing obedience to Him.
When
Allah Sees sincerity in His
servant’s return to Him, He rejoices over it. Allah Says, {Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers,
so that you may be successful.} [An-Nur 24:31]
In Sahih
Al-Bukhari and Muslim, from the hadith of Ibn Mas`ud, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said: “Allah
is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who
loses his riding beast carrying food and drink. He sleeps (being disappointed
of its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for that, until he is
stricken with thirst. then comes back to the place where he had been before and
goes to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands waiting for
death. And when he gets up, lot there is before him his riding beast and his
provisions of food and drink. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His
servant than the recovery of this riding beast.”
There is
consensus that repentance is obligatory because sins are destructive
and distance a person from Allah. Therefore, one must flee from them
immediately.
Repentance
is required at all times. A person is never free from sin. Even if he avoids
outward sins, he may still harbor sinful thoughts. Even if he is free from
that, he may be affected by whispers of Satan that distract him from the
remembrance of Allah.
Even if
he is free from that, he may fall into heedlessness and
deficiency in knowing Allah and His Names and Attributes. All of this is
deficiency, and no one is free from it. People only differ in degree, but the
root of deficiency is inevitable. (2)
4- Reconciling Relationships
This
means forgiving those
who have wronged you and seeking forgiveness from those you have
wronged—whether verbally or physically. The Prophet (peace be
upon him) clarified that this action is
superior even to voluntary acts of worship.
Abu Dawud
narrated from Abu Ad-Darda’ that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Shall I not
inform you of something more excellent in degree than fasting, prayer and
almsgiving (sadaqah)? The people replied: Yes, Prophet of Allah! He said: It is
putting things right between people, spoiling them is the shaver (destructive).”
Therefore, the Companions
exerted great effort in reconciling disputes.
In
Al-Bukhari, `A’ishah narrated that `Abdullah Ibn
Az-Zubayr (May Allah be pleased with them) had said in respect of selling of a
gift which was presented to her: “By Allah! If `A’ishah does not stop this kind
of thing, I will declare her incompetent to administer her property.” `A’ishah
(May Allah be pleased with her) asked: “Did He ('Abdullah bin Az-Zubair) say
so?” The people said: “Yes.” `A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: “I
vow it before Allah that I will never speak to Ibn Az-Zubair.” When this
desertion lasted long, `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair sought intercession with her,
but she said: “By Allah I will not accept the intercession of anyone for him,
and I will not commit a sin of breaking my vow.” When this state of affairs was
prolonged, Ibn Az-Zubair felt it hard on him. He said to Al-Miswar Bin
Makhramah and `Abdur-Rahman Bin Al-Aswad Bin Yaghut: “I beseech you in the Name
of Allah that you should take me to `A’ishah because it is unlawful for her to
vow to sever relations with me.” So Al-Miswar and `Abdur-Rahman took him with
them. They sought her permission, saying: “As-Salamu `Alaika Wa Rahmatullahi Wa
Barakatuhu! Shall we come in?” `A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
“Come in,” They asked: "All of us?” She said: “All of you,” not knowing
that Ibn Az-Zubair was also with them. So, when they entered, Ibn Az-Zubair
entered the screened place and got hold of `A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with
her), his aunt. He was requesting her to forgive him and wept. Al-Miswar and `Abdur-Rahman
also pleaded on his behalf and requested her to speak to him and to accept his
repentance. They said to her: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade to cut off relationship because it is unlawful for any Muslim
not to talk to his (Muslim) brother (or sister, for that matter) for more than
three (days).” So when they persisted in urging and reminding her of the
superiority of having good relation with kith and kin, she began to weep,
saying: “I have made a vow which is a matter of very serious nature.” They
persisted in their appeal till she spoke with `Abdullah Bin Az-Zubair, and she
freed forty slaves as an expiation for breaking her vow. Later on, whenever she
remembered her vow, she would weep so much that her veil would become wet with
tears.
Thus, it
is not appropriate for a Muslim preparing for Ramadan to carry hatred, resentment, or enmity in his heart
toward anyone, nor to know that he has upset someone without seeking
reconciliation, nor to be aware of a dispute between Muslims he could resolve
yet neglect it. Rather, he should hasten toward good deeds in order to attain
the virtue of these blessed days.
For Further Reading:
- Can Fasting Ramadan Erase Major Sins?
- 10 Acts That Expiate Sins
- 5 Tips for Time Management in Ramadan
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Footnotes:
1- Lata’if Al-Ma`arif by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali, p. 257.
2-
Mukhtasar Minhaj
Al-Qasidin by Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi, p. 228.
