Ramadan is here, here is Ramadaan!!!!!!

People, here it is! The blessed month of Ramadan is here once more - I dont know where a year has gone, Subhanallah, time flies.

So firstly, Ramadan Mubarak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint, (2:183)

Ok this year, I have decided, will be the best Ramadan ever (insha'allah)! Why?
Because I plan to learn self-restraint this year.

I'v been looking back throught my Ramadans and have realised while I've loved Ramadan and its many blessings, I have never used it properly as a time of self-improvement. And thats what its all about. Its about becoming a better person, about losing your bad habits... not about gorging yourself of food and sweets as most seem to think it is!

So for this Ramadan I have drawn up for myself a daily list of things I have to do, these include: al-Ma'thruaat twice a day, my Ramadan duas, Dua of forgiveness at Tahajjud everyday, 1/2 hr of Tahajjud every night, 1 Juz (chapter) of the Quran a day plus one surah before Maghrib eg. Surah al-Mulk or ar-Rahman, and 1/2 excercise a day (somehow this maybe the hardest!).

When I say I have drawn up, I mean it literally - there is now a piece of paper with this list on it on my wall (!) and each day I have to tick it all off.

I dont know if it will work but I hope so. I think its important to remember that the Prophet (SAW) told us that the first 10days of this months are mercy the middle 10 are forgiveness and the last 10 save your necks from the hellfire. As I want Allah to have mercy on me, forgive me and save me from the hellfire, then I'm gonna have to utilise each and every day effectively.

There us a really amazing website I have found that lists what duas you should be making on each day of Ramadan - its so useful. Its a site totally dedicated to Ramadan.

The Prophet (saw) said on his sermon welcoming Ramadan "O People! The month of Allah (Ramadhan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours.

This is a month in which he has invited you. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful. In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the Sawab/thawab (heavenly reward) of 'Tasbeeh' (the praise of Allah on rosary beads), and your sleep has the thawab of worship."

There are 4 deeds that MUST be done in Ramadan, the 1st 2 are to please Allah and the 2nd 2 are for yourself, these are tasks the Prophet (SAW) told us to do:

1 & 2: Make Astaghfar and say La illaha illalah
3 & 4: To ask Allah for al-Jannah and to save you from the hellfire.

Allah told us through Hadith Qudsi: "All the deeds of the Children of Adam are for them except fasting, which I reward, and how much I reward only I know. And fasting is a protection...."

The Prophet (SAW) told us that "Anyone who fasts for one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will take his face 70years from hellfire!"

The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed - so read it. Honour it. Revel in it. The Prophet (SAW) has told us that on the Day of Judgement the Quran and Sawm will intercede for the fasting person. They will say 'O Allah, I stopped him from eating and drinking, let me intercede. Allah, I stopped him from sleeping, let me intercede' and eventually Allah will accept their intervention!

So do not allow there to be a barrier between your heart and the Quran - remove the love of Dunya from your heart.

Remember that Ramadan is the month of Itikaaf, esp. in the last 10 days. "Whoever makes itikaaf in Ramadan, it is as if he has made 2 umrah and 2 hajj." Think of the reward!! Itikaaf doesnt have to be complicated, the maximum it can be for is 10 days, and the minimum is the time for one prayer! So see - we can all do it! I just cant get over the reward something so simple can produce, subhanallah

And Ramadan is also the months of the night of Laylatul Qadr - the night of a 1000 months. Where each worship will be as if you had done it for a 1000 months (thats 83years and 3.3 months!) The Prophet (SAW) said " Whoever denies the good in this night, all good will be denied him". Subhanallah.

This is our best shot at being forgiven for ALL of our sins, this is our best way into Jannah - we have to make use of it.

All of a saaims duas are accepted, we have been told a saaims duas are of there three Allah wont reject - therefore ask Allah. Ask. Make dua for me, for the millions of people, muslims, out there suffering. Their suffering is beyond out imagination. Pray for peace, pray for understanding. Pray for justice. Pray for the freedom of the oppressed. And dont forget - pray for yourself!

The Prophet (SAW) told us "Allah saves 1 million people everyday in Ramadan from the hellfire. And on the last day of Ramadan, He saves a number equivalent to that which He saved in the month". I wanna be one of those!!!

And finally, a warning, a reminder; The Prophet (SAW) said "Whoever lives in Ramadan and Allah does not forgive him - may Allah never forgive him!" Sounds harsh and scary - because in Ramadan Allah has given us all of these opportunities and if you have not been forgiven by its end - it means you wasted your time, and your squandered your opportunites , it means your were ungrateful.

I hope that was a useful reminder - I wrote it to remind firstly myself but also so I could share with you some of the knowledge of Ramadan and remind you - so that you too could enjoy and make use of this month, Insha'allah.

Ok so now, I'm gonna go and try to implement my list. Make dua that I am successful and that Allah grants me mercy and forgiveness and success in this life and the hereafter.

(oh, and if you have any tips please let me know, any particular worships I should be doing - anything!)