﷽
*claims stage*
*grabs mic*
*clears throat*
Yes, it is me again 😌
Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuhu.. 🤍
Have I missed writing to you? Yes.
Will I do better? errrr.. Allaahu Musta’an.
But I am here now, let’s make the most of it, shall we?
PSA: It’s 9.33am, I am still sore from all the cleaning I did yesterday night; sleep deprived because insomnia has hijacked my existence — so expect many shots fired. I love you.
Ramadan is in what.. about 20 days?
I’m not sure how you feel — regardless, let me be the first to tell you that it’s not over yet, and good work can still be done.
If you are feeling unprepared, then there’s still time to do good work to feel better prepared.
If you are feeling very well prepared, then it’s not over yet, there’s still time to be better prepared.
If you are بين هؤلاء — then, it’s not over yet, there’s still time to be better prepared.
But you need to start now.
Preparing for Ramadan is a rewarding experience.. because anyhow you look at it, there is benefit.
If we do make it to Ramadan -
اللهم بلغنا رمضان- we, by the Grace of Allaah will reap its benefits.
Even if we don’t, or unprecedented issues arise in Ramadan, we benefit from the lofty intentions we set and Allaah rewards for the intentions of good deeds.
In [part] of a Hadith, Abdullaah Ibn Abbas رضى الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
…He who intends to do a good deed but he does not do it, then Allah records it for him as a full good deed, but if he carries out his intention, then Allah the Exalted, writes it down for him as from ten to seven hundred folds, and even more…
[Bukhāri]
This is the part where I remind you of the generous gift that Ramadan is and why you must do your best to take advantage of it —
but
You’ve read/heard/been told that already and if you haven’t, well..
It’s part of the to do list
THE to-do list: 5 things you MUST do before Ramadan —
Make Du’aa:
It is the sunnah and the custom of the Salaf to make Du’aa for Allaah to spare their lives to witness the month of Ramadan. And you knew that already.
But how often has your Allaahumma ballighnaa Ramadan been accompanied with sincere longing and desperate need for acceptance? Because..
what if you actually die before Ramadan?
Deep it.
Pay back your missed fasts:
This one too, you’ve heard. And planned. And promised yourself you’ll do. But you dragged your feet, and convinced yourself you still have time.
Even I, told you there’s still time — but I added a caveat “you need to start now”.
The thing about delaying those missed fasts till the nick of time is everything then feels rushed.
Before you realize, it’s a few days to Ramadan and you’re asking malam if you’re exempt from the no-fasting-a-few-days-to-Ramadan rule because you still have pending obligatory fasts.
But you had the whole year.
And I’m not judging.
We’ll, maybe I am.
Sis, debt is following you, are you not tired?
Get your act together:
Or should I say: change your ways!!
Ramadan doesn’t miraculously change people — work is involved. And the work doesn’t start in Ramadan, it starts before.
The Salaf used to prepare themselves for Ramadan 6 months before.
But you already heard that one before..
Question is, what did you do with the information?
And the Salaf, they were not like us — marinated in negligence and drenched in sin.
And yet, they dedicated half the year in preparing themselves to reap the benefits of and grow in Ramadan.
But that’s not it.
Be sincere in your Tawbah.
Fulfill its conditions.
Don’t fix yourself only for the month of Ramadan.
We are not accountable to Ramadan, we are accountable to the Lord of Ramadan and He is Al-Hayy; The Ever Living — who is as alive in Ramadan as He is in every other month, سبحانه وتعالى
The Music you’re stopping for Ramadan, is it just for Ramadan?
The Hijab you’re now wearing in Ramadan, is it just for Ramadan?
The backbiting and snide remarks you’re avoiding, is it just for Ramadan?
Or is it for (the sake of) Allaah who is the Lord of Ramadan?
Issokay, take a moment.
Relearn Ramadan:
Is it me or do we recycle the same Fiqh questions every single year in Ramadan?
Every year at Tafseer sessions in the Masjid, the very same Fiqh questions.
And man is indeed forgetful.
But if man were to remind himself before Ramadan, then indeed reminders benefit the believers.
But that’s not all..
Relearning, particularly matters of the deen, has a multitude of benefits — and one of them is the depth it adorns your understanding with.
You thought you got it, but nowwww, now..
you Gettt! 💡
Right?
Make a Plan:
There’s much to be said for planning and that’s why I made this planning guide for you.
Many of you got a copy, بارك الله فيكن and decided to adorn your shelves or tables with it.
It may be aesthetic but I promise it was intended for a different purpose.
And yes, I’m judging.
Back to planning.
My approach to planning is one that gives you an overview of what needs to be done to achieve what you want to be achieve.
Because goals are one thing, we all have them. But they don’t materialize simply because you have them — work must be done.
In the same way that Fasting (the work) is done to achieve Taqwa (the goal).
So plan.
What is the goal and what needs to be done in order to reach the goal — everywhere— in Sadaqah, Qur’aan, Relationships, Salah, ‘ilm etc.
In living Ramadan terminology;
What do you need to do in order to become who you want to become?
Better yet,
Just get a copy of the planning guide.
And youuu, yes, you!
USE your planning guide. 👀👀😏
—
If you found this post helpful leave a 🤍 in the comments please — if you ignore me, I’ll know it’s my cue to keep my thoughts to myself, thank you.
—
Your sister in striving,
Fatimah,
On the road to Ihsan.
💖❤️❤️
🤍🤍