Ismail Kamdar – How to Prepare for Ramadan

			and recap of why this month is important. What we should hope to achieve in this month and how we
can go about doing so.
		

			So the month of Ramadan is a very special month it's one of the only months mentioned by name in the
Quran
		

			in surah Al Baqarah Chapter number two, verse 183. And 185 A wants to have a handle with Allah
teaches us about the thick of Ramadan, the obligations of Ramadan, and it talks about fasting talks
about the Quran, but he also talks about why
		

			I look on the horn so that you can increase the Allah conditio Quran said you may be grateful I
there is a clear why behind the law. It's not just a matter of fasting for no reason, or praying for
no reason. They are things you were supposed to get out of fasting. The primary goal of Ramadan is
that we should exit Ramadan and a higher level of demand and we entered it.
		

			Our fate our iman, is something that is constantly fluctuating.
		

			Right The scholars of the past used to say I'll Imani iezzi Dua Yonkos. Eman goes up and down. It
increases and decreases. And throughout the year, every time we do good deeds, our demand increases.
Every time we fall short or we commit a sin or we make a mistake, our image decreases. And we kind
of need like that
		

			shut off of extra image to get to boost us to the next level and to prevent us from just completely
crashing.
		

			And that's what the month of Ramadan really is. It's it is that annual recharge of one's Iman. It's
an annual recharge of one's fate.
		

			So if you are coming up towards Ramadan, and you feel like you are not as pious as you were a year
ago, are you feeling spiritually burnt out or you feel like your Eman is low? Then the good news is
Ramadan is there to revive it. Ramadan is there to revive your Eman, it's there to increase your
taqwa. It's there to get you back up to that level that you were at a year ago, or maybe even
higher. But to get there, we need to take advantage of this month and utilize it in the way that
Allah wants us to.
		

			And this is where many of us fall short. That sometimes Ramadan for us becomes just a culture over
some of us it becomes just a matter of of getting it over with because everybody else is doing it.
Right. So some of us we just fast because everyone else is fasting and we pray that all we because
everyone else is praying that are we but we don't get any spiritual benefit out of it and the
prophets will allow the Psalm he he mentioned this in a hadith he said there are some people who get
nothing out of their fasting besides hunger and thirst, meaning they get no reward for their fasts
and they get no spiritual growth and benefit from the fast. Why? Because they may be staying away
		

			from food and drink because everybody else is staying away from food and drink. But they are using
bad language they are backbiting they are slandering, they are wasting time or haram entertainment.
They they are not spiritually growing. You know the fast is just a cultural practice for them. So we
need to be aware that we don't fall into this category that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
described as the people who get nothing out of fasting besides hunger and thirst, rather our fast it
should be the Allah content. According to our Taqwa increases, the Allah kunda schoolrooms, our
gratitude to Allah increases.
		

			So how do we attain these goals during Ramadan, I want us to focus on five things, five acts of
worship five acts of Ibadah that we can do an increase and increase the quality of in the upcoming
Ramadan, that we can do these five things. Then inshallah by the end of Ramadan, our Taqwa will be
on a higher level, our gratitude will be on a higher level, our connection with Allah and our
connection with the Quran will be on a higher level. Number one, obviously is fasting. Right? Number
one, Ramadan is the month of fasting.
		

			And this year, I want us to fast, intentionally fast with a conscious awareness of what we are doing
and why we are doing it. Don't just fast because everybody else is doing it or because it's your
culture because your parents are making you do it or whatever that case may be fast for the sake of
Allah. And don't just fast from food and drink fast from things that waste time. Fast from the sins
of the doubt, fast from committing any type of sins. Utilize this month to improve yourself
spiritually. If you have a bad habit, Ramadan is the time to quit.
		

			I know of many people who gave up smoking in Ramadan. I know many people who gave up
		

			Much worse things than that you Ramadan. Right things we don't even have to mention. But it is
possible that you can go 30 Days Without it, you can go for life without it. It's a great time to
try and give up some of your bad habits. It's a great time to try and get new good habits.
		

			And also even the habit of fasting, you know, many of us will restrict it to Ramadan. But we really
need to build a habit of fasting outside of Ramadan, fasting on the, you know, the day of Hijra of
Arafa, the day of Muharram, the 10th of Muharram, fasting Mondays and Thursdays, fasting even in
this month, right? It is the habit of Rasulullah saw the month before Ramadan, he would start
increasing his optional fasting. So he would be spiritually and physically used to fasting right and
Ramadan comes around. This is another lasuna in our times. So let us take our fasting and elevate it
spiritually. Let us fast consciously that I am doing this for the sake of Allah. So I'm not going to
		

			waste time while fasting. I'm not going to sit around backbiting and gossiping while fasting. I'm
not just going to sleep through the month of Ramadan. I'm going to spiritually grow through this
fast that is fast is going to teach me self control is going to teach me how to give up my bad
habits is going to teach me how to build new good habits is going to show me how much self control I
really have. So number one is fasting. The second act of worship, that we all should be increasing
in this Ramadan in terms of both quantity and quality is the recitation of the Quran.
		

			The only verse in the Quran that mentions the word Ramadan links directly to the Quran itself. Allah
says in Surah Al Baqarah Chapter number two verse 185, chakra Ramadan Allah the goon Zilla V Hill
Quran orderliness, the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind.
		

			They initial revelation of the Quran was in Ramadan, and it was the Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam that every Ramadan he would sit when the angel Jabra eel and recycled ever had been
revealed to him of the Quran to the gem to the angel to ensure the preservation of the Quran. And in
his last Ramadan, he recited the entire Quran twice to the angels you brought you and then this
becomes the practice of the righteous that the righteous will dedicate the month of Ramadan to the
recitation of the Quran there many of them would do stop everything else they would even stop
studying Hadees and they would stop studying the books are fake, and they will just be the Quran for
		

			the entire month of Ramadan that this is the month of the Quran and they will do nothing but the
Quran for the entire month.
		

			And you know, sometimes read the stories and we think they exaggerated but they're not. Some of the
early Muslims would recite the entire Quran twice a day in Ramadan.
		

			Not when you were young but over time building up the practice you know like when you young if you
reciting the entire Quran once a month, the next year twice, two times in a month, next year three
times in a month. If you keep growing. By the time you in your 50s or 60s, it is possible to be
reciting the entire Quran every day in Ramadan. This is possible with Baraka in time and Allah's
blessings and being accustomed to the recitation it is possible, but this is how much time they gave
to the Quran and Ramadan. And I want us to to connect to the Quran in three ways this Ramadan number
one, increase your recitation. So if you recited the entire Quran twice last year, Ramadan tried to
		

			do it three times this year. If you do it five times last year, tried to do it six times this year,
increase your recitation of the Quran we should be reciting at least two Jews of the Quran per day a
little bit after fajr a little bit after Zohar a little bit bit while waiting for Iftar right but
increase your recitation of the Quran number to increase your understanding of the Quran. We go back
to the verse where the Allah say Allah says that he revealed the Quran in Ramadan why hudl in us as
guidance for mankind. Ask yourself is the Quran my guidance? Do I take my life lessons from the
Quran? Do I take my way of life my philosophy of life the way I think about the world from the
		

			Quran? Do I allow it to guide my relationships? If not let this be the month where the Quran becomes
your means of guidance. You can read the translation you can attend at the FCM Holika you can listen
to the Imams explanation before after taraweeh you can watch YouTube videos explaining the Quran but
do something to increase your understanding of the Quran. And the third thing, the third thing we
should do this Ramadan related to the Quran is the goal
		

			to reflect and ponder on the verses of the Quran and how it applies to you.
		

			In this age of social media, we are dangerously losing our ability to sit alone and think deeply. We
are constantly connected and we are constantly online and we are never alone with our thoughts. This
Ramadan try to disconnect try to have an hour with this. You're not online no one can get hold of
you. It's just you and the Quran. You are reciting. You are reading the translation you are thinking
		

			In deeply about it you are reflecting on its meanings and how it applies to your life. Connect to
the Quran on a deeper level.
		

			So this increase your recitation, increase your understanding, and reflect on how the Quran applies
to your life. This is how we get the Quran to become who Daniel Linares become our guidance for us.
		

			The third act of worship that we need to focus on this Ramadan is praying the nights of Ramadan,
spending the night of Ramadan in prayer without going into the fake and all the controversies we
know every Ramadan people fight over the fake and the controversies about the night prayer. Don't
get into the controversies focus on on praying at night for the sake of Allah. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said My alma Rama Dharma and karma Ramadan Imana wa T Saba or hopefully
Rolla, who might have heard them Amin zombie, whoever spends the night of Ramadan in prayer in the
Kiama Lane Imana what is Alba, doing sincerely for the sake of Allah hoping for reward from Allah?
		

			Who Pharaoh the who might accord them in Zambia, he all of his past sins will be forgiven.
		

			So instead of arguing over how many Raka is the night prayer, is it tahajjud? Or is it tarawih? Is
it better off the issue of betting the last 1/3 of the night, focus on doing it for the sake of
Allah hoping for reward from Allah, focus on the quality of your night prayer, that you are
utilizing the nights of Ramadan, to connect to Allah subhanho wa Taala to praying at night.
		

			Focus on the quality of your night prayer. And this is a good chance to build a habit that can
continue after Ramadan because really the prophet the prophetic habit, the Sunnah of the night
prayer is not restricted to Ramadan. It's all year round. Ayesha Raja Anna said the prophets Allah
Allah Azza would pray the pm will lay in and out of Ramadan in and out of Ramadan initially is habit
throughout the year.
		

			But Ramadan is a time for the average Muslim to engage in it, and to try and build some kind of
habit. And one simple tip for how you can improve your night prayer this Ramadan is to do a little
extra and by a little extra, I mean, when you wake up for sure, instead of waking up just when it's
time to eat, wake up 10 or 15 minutes earlier, make voodoo pray to the gods of tahajjud and so they
make dua. The quality of those two rockets is on another level. The effect it has on your Imam is on
another level. And perhaps you will fall in love with the night prayer by just waking up a few
minutes earlier and worshiping Allah when everybody else is asleep. So he said number one, improve
		

			your fasting. Number two, connect deeper with the Quran. Number three, improve the quality of your
night prayer. Number four, be more generous.
		

			The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salam was described as the most generous of people. But the Hadith
says the Prophet Solomon was the most generous of people, but his generosity increased in Ramadan.
Right, even though throughout the year, he was the most generous of people. He was extra generous in
Ramadan. And so it is the Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and the Sahaba to give
extra charity in Ramadan to be extra generous in Ramadan. And we need to revive these practices,
whether it's hosting Iftar whether it's donating food to the to the poor, so they can have Iftar
whether it's just giving charity everyday to different causes, whether it's inviting people over for
		

			meals, whatever it is, but we should everyday in Ramadan, be doing something with our wealth for the
sake of Allah. Everyday in Ramadan be doing something with our wealth for the sake of Allah. This
will activate the baraka in our wealth. And this will remove from our hearts that attachment to the
dunya. And this will have a ripple effect throughout the year.
		

			Whenever you gave in Ramadan, it's going to come back 10 times over or more. It's going to have a
Baraka effect for the rest of the year.
		

			Make sure we increase in our charity in the month of Ramadan. I know most of us, we pay our car in
Ramadan because it's easier to remember the lunar dates by working with Ramadan. And that's good.
Right? Although remember, technically you get paid at any time of the year. It's not directly linked
to Ramadan, but it's fine to do it in Ramadan as well. But don't only do that, increase your sadaqa
increase your sadaqa think about doing it the way the Sahaba did. The verse of the Quran Allah Allah
says, it is not piety unless you give that which you love. This, try giving something that we love.
Let's try giving something that hurts. You know, like it's easy to give charity when you don't need
		

			it. But if you love if you love something and you give it to charity, that's that's, that's the
Sunnah. That's what the Sahaba would do. When this verse was revealed about dukkha and sorry, he
talked about what he loved the most. And he talked about his most profitable garden, the most
profitable garden in Medina. And you don't need to need as a walk of Usabilla the first workup in
Islam was because of this first. Imagine thinking what's the thing I love the most and giving that
visa video that we don't expect us to be on that level, but at least give till it hurts. Don't just
give that which you can easily password
		

			To increase the quality and the quantity of our sadaqa in the month of Ramadan. And number five,
number five is only for those who can because it's not compulsory, and it's very difficult. But
number five, if you can, if you have the opportunity, and if you have the resources, and you have
the time, try to spend the last two nights of Ramadan in Ithaca.
		

			This is becoming lasuna for many people, many people have never done it the coffee in their life,
and to spend the last few nights of Ramadan in the masjid just focus on the worship of Allah. By the
way, if you're doing this, don't take your phone. Don't Don't take social media in there with you
don't take the internet in there with you. The whole point of it take off is to be disconnected from
the world. If you're just sitting on Facebook and Twitter in the masjid is that does not really take
off, you're still not you're still out in the dunya you just physically in the masjid. Right. So
disconnect if you're doing it take off, do it for the sake of Allah and do it and do it in a way
		

			that is pleasing to Allah do it in a way where it's just you. Worshiping Allah for 10 days, is one
of the greatest good deeds that we could do. But in our time is becoming a bit of a lost art. Right?
We don't see people as excited for it as they used to be in the past. And as many people doing it as
it used to be in the past to understand for younger people who have small children, and they need to
be at home, it's difficult. But if your children are grown up and you've got more time on your
hands, and you've got more freedom when it comes to your work hours and being able to take a week
off from work and things like that, if you're at that point in your life, you should seriously start
		

			thinking of doing a coffee for you. Because this is like one of the most powerful acts of worship
that can transform our lives. And he's really in danger of becoming a a lasuna in our communities.
		

			So the month of Ramadan is around the corner, let us increase in our worship in Ramadan. And let us
increase both the quality and the quantity of our worship and Ramadan by focusing on these five
things, the quality and quantity of our fasting, our recitation of the Quran, our taraweeh our
charity, and if possible, the take off and if you can do these things and inshallah by the end of
Ramadan, our Taqwa will increase, our gratitude will increase. Our guidance will increase and we
will never achieve the goal of Ramadan of exiting it on a higher level than we entered it We ask
Allah to allow us to reach the month of Ramadan and to benefit from it. Shahana robic Arabic is
		

			determined seafood was salam ala mousseline Al hamdu lillahi rabbil, Alameen.
		

			Hamdu lillahi, wa wa salatu salam ala manleigh Ba ba ba, ba circle, Hadith Nikita wala were heard
you heard you heard the Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was shattered Malinois desire to have a
call your modesetting with 18 Dolla dolla ltnp Now just a very brief advice on the whole and if Tara
		

			we tend to make a lot of mistakes regarding these two meals that affect the quality of our fast so
this Ramadan, I challenge us to do two things. Number one, to eat a healthy soul to eat a healthy
cereal, right and you wake up in the morning don't fill yourself up with things that are going to
make you lazy and lethargic and out energy and make you pick up weight for yourself with things that
energizing fill yourself with things that are healthy for yourself with things that are going to
sustain you throughout the day. Now whatever it is you decide there are many articles online about
healthy food options you can go online and research that yourself find what works for you what you
		

			enjoy the taste of and what what what what works best for your body. But let's try and eat healthy
first of all, I don't over eat and don't eat no the the leftovers of Easter don't eat fried stuff
for suhoor. Right. But when you wake up early in the morning and you're having your your your early
morning meal, try to keep it healthy. Let us challenge ourselves to have a healthy sort of this
year. And if you're not in the habit of waking up, wake up because the profits oil subsidies Baraka
in the soul. Why would you want to miss out on the bedrock of the last 1/3 of the night. This Baraka
in the meal is baraka into army that that time in Salah pray that that time towards the answer that
		

			time why would you want to miss out on this. So let us make sure we are waking up at that time. We
are eating something healthy. We're using the time for EBA that and we starting our days on the
right note in Ramadan. The second thing they challenge us to do this Ramadan is to eat moderately
for Iftar.
		

			Right another social practice that's not good, but it's common in most Muslim cultures is that we
tend to overeat at Iftar and not only does that have a negative impact on our health, right the long
term health consequences of that is disastrous, but it also has a negative impact on our
spirituality. Now even Kamal Josie Rahimullah when you listed the five main causes of people's
spirituality decreasing over eating him, he wasn't listed on that list, right? He mentioned
oversleeping and over eating as things that that that kill your heart. They have the opposite of the
of the purification of the heart effect. Right the deep purification of the heart is done through
		

			over eating
		

			It is not so not to overeat. Right? So let us try to eat moderately for if time I do and we over eat
and if that doesn't just affect us number one, we said it has a health issue number two, it affects
our purification of the soul. Number three, it makes us lazy for the tarawih when you over eat a
third time you get lazy to play taraweeh or you're running to the bathroom taraweeh time or worst of
all you're disturbing others with the gases into rabita right. So let us be conscious and let us
make sure that we are eating moderately which is the Sunnah throughout the year. The Sunnah of
Islam, the Sunnah of Rasulullah. Mata Sahaba is to eat moderately, they would never eat to default.
		

			And this is something that again, we all struggle with in a modern world. You know, we live in an
age of indulgence, and we have this habit of just eating until we have overstuffed, we need to
revive the sooner. The sooner is not just what's best for our human it's also what's best for our
health. So I challenge us this Ramadan, to eat a healthy suhoor and to eat a moderate Iftar and
these things will not just benefit us in terms of health, but they will benefit us spiritually as
well as Allah subhanaw taala to guide us to allow us to reach the month of Ramadan, Joe that was to
benefit from the month of Ramadan and to worship him as he deserves, and to answer all of our doors
		

			this month of Ramadan. Even those doors that seem impossible We ask Allah to answer those delights
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