Days pass, weeks come successively, months alternate -- and the month of goodness, blessings and mercy draws closer. This urges the believers to increasingly chant and repeat their immortal supplication, "O Allah, grant us the grace to witness Ramadan."
It is the supplication which the Prophet, , used to repeat upon the approach of the noble month. It was narrated that when it was the month of Rajab, the Prophet, , used to supplicate Allah saying: "O Allah bless for us Rajab and Sha‘baan and grant us the grace to witness Ramadan."
"O Allah, grant us the grace to witness Ramadan."
The noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, learnt and lived with this immortal supplication. They looked forward to the month of Ramadan with longing, eagerly asking Allah The Almighty to enable them to witness it six months before its advent, and then weeping for another six months after it departed .
"O Allah, grant us the grace to witness Ramadan."
The noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, learnt and lived with this immortal supplication. They looked forward to the month of Ramadan with longing, eagerly asking Allah The Almighty to enable them to witness it six months before its advent, and then weeping for another six months after it departed .
"O Allah, grant us the grace to witness Ramadan."
It is an appeal and supplication. When the Muslim fully realizes its implications, it excites his longing and emotions to live to witness the best month and the best of times. Therefore, the Muslim prepares himself for this noble month and plans for it in the best way.
How does one receive this month properly? How does one prepare oneself for the advent of this month? How does one protect oneself during this month from wastefulness, hatred and heedlessness?
Let us start together with simple steps to witness Ramadan:
- Intensifying supplications: "O Allah, grant us the grace to witness Ramadan." It is one of the most effective means to spiritually prepare oneself for Ramadan. Moreover, you should remember Allah The Almighty frequently and enjoy the gardens of paradise on earth. You should not forget the authentic Athkaar (words of remembrance) of morning and evening, the Athkaar of day and night. You should also remember Allah The Almighty at all times and in all situations.
- Intensifying fasting during Sha‘baan: This prepares one for the advent of Ramadan. It is better to follow one of the following two forms, either fasting the first half of Sha‘baan in full or fasting on Monday and Thursday of each week along with the three White Days (the13th, 14th and 15th) of the month.
- Living in the shade of the Quran and preparing oneself to fully live with the Quran in Ramadan: One can achieve this by reciting more than a Juz’ (a part of thirty parts of the Quran) daily during Sha‘baan along with holding assemblies for reflection and contemplation on meanings.
- Tasting the sweetness of performing the voluntary night prayer from now: This can be achieved by performing a two-Rak‘ah prayer every night after the ‘Ishaa’ (night) prayer. One should also taste the sweetness of performing the night voluntary prayer during the pre-dawn hours by performing a two-Rak‘ah prayer before dawn at least once a week.
- Reading all the rulings pertaining to fasting: At the very least one can review the part relevant to fasting in the book Fiqh As-Sunnah by Shaykh Sayyid Saabiq. One should also learn the details of fasting, the goals of the month of Ramadan, the secrets of fasting, and so on, by reading books like Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom Ad-Deen, as well as the interpretation of the verses of fasting from Fi Thilaal Al-Quran and Tafseer Ibn Katheer.
- Preparing small Ramadan presents from now: These should be given to people as a means to attract their hearts and endear obedience and worship to them. This could include cassette tapes, brochures, booklets, posters, and so on.
- Preparing a Ramadan magazine in the residential complex where you live: In this you can explain how to receive Ramadan.
- Disciplining the self: You can achieve this by preventing the soul from some of its desires and worldly luxuries, and training it to be ascetic with regard to the pleasures of this world as well prevent it from coveting other people's possessions. One should not consume excessive food and drink, nor be extravagant in purchasing clothes and the like as most people do with the advent of Ramadan.
- Training oneself to strive: A person should strive against the tongue, so that it does not say vulgar words; against the stomach, so that one does not undergo humiliation for this; against sexual desire, so that one is not controlled by it; against the self, so that one does not transgress and against the devil, so that one does not behave insolently.
- Taking oneself to account daily: This helps achieve the previously mentioned steps of preparation for Ramadan.