5 Essential Tips To Get Ready This Ramadan 2022!

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said:

“When Ramadan enters, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Every year, Allah Almighty has given us a chance to redeem ourselves and renew our spirituality to become a better Muslim, Alhamdulillah. It is one of the blessed signs of His Mercy, and that everyone deserves a chance to make up for their sins, to change their perspective of the world in a positive way, increase their Taqwa towards Allah The Merciful and enhance their profound love and appreciation towards our Ambassador, Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him.

Here’s a question for you to reflect on before we approach the blessed month of Ramadan.

How prepared are you to embark on yet another spiritual journey for 30 days?

Do you have any goals that you would like to accomplish during this Holy month of Ramadan?

What kinds of preparations have you done to maximise the quality of your time in Ramadan?

If you’ve been thinking about the answers for a while and nothing comes to mind, don’t worry. Everyone needs to begin somewhere to embark on this journey, and here are a few tips on how you can fully prepare yourself before you enter the gates of Ramadan this 2022, InshaAllah.

What are the Virtues of Ramadan?

Before you begin doing any of these things, it is best to remind yourself of the very virtues and merits of Ramadan to motivate yourself for the Holy Month. It’s not just about reinforcing your behaviour via a reward and punishment system, but to rectify your intentions to live and breathe in His Servitude at all times, increasing your Taqwa towards Allah Almighty especially during Ramadan.

1. The Gates of Paradise are Opened Wide, and Those of Hell are Closed

As mentioned earlier in this article, entering the month of Ramadan means that the Gates of Paradise are widely opened, and all Gates of Hell are closed shut. It is a means for us to gain the easiest access to Paradise, and it would be a shame to waste the opportunity away in Ramadan.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said:

“When Ramadan enters, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

2. Eradication of Minor Sins Accumulated for the Whole Previous Year

Imagine the kinds of minor sins we’ve all done consciously and subconsciously in one day, and multiply that by 365 days! SubhanAllah, Allah’s Mercy is truly boundless and He’s always ready to Forgive our sins whenever there’s an opportunity to do so. 

Abu Huraira reported:

Verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadan to Ramadhan are expiations for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins. [Sahih Muslim]

3. The Devils are Chained Up in Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is the time when Shaytaan intervenes the least in our daily routines. There would be no more temptations and distractions from them, InshaAllah but it doesn’t mean we are exempted from the challenges of our own animal soul and nafs! If you are still tempted to commit sins during the Holy Month, it is evident that the soul needs some fixing through purification or tazkiyatun nafs, InshaAllah.

Abu Hurairah said; ‘The Messenger of Allah said:

‘When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.” [Sunan An-Nasa’i]

4. Your Sincerity to Observe Fasting Eradicates Past Sins

Like any act of worship, you must be able to rectify your intentions and be sincere when doing so. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your sincerity and how you observe your fast during the month of Ramadan as mentioned in the hadith below:

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

‘Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and the hope of reward will be forgiven his previous sins.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

5. Bringing a New Meaning to Patience

If Ramadan could be summed up in just one word, it would be ‘patience’.  It is the month where we exercise patience the best we can, in all circumstances. It’s not just about being patient enough to suppress your appetite from dawn to dusk, but to refrain yourself from getting angry, lustful temptations and committing bad deeds such as gossipping, slandering others and more. 

A man from Banu Sulaim narrated:

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) counted them out in my hand” – or – “in his hand: ‘At-Tasbiḥ is half of the Scale, and “All praise is due to Allah (Alhamdulillah)” fills it, and At-Takbir (Allahu Akbar) fills what is between the sky and the earth, and fasting is half of patience, and purification is half of faith.” [Jami’ At-Tirmidhi]

5 Tips to Get Ready This Ramadan!

 

Now that you’ve been briefed on the virtues of the blessed month, let’s jump into the tips and tricks on how you can kick start your Ramadan journey the right way, InshaAllah!

1. Get Acquainted and Remind Yourself on the Virtues of Ramadan

Guess what? We’ve already done the first step for you! As you unconsciously go through the list of virtues of Ramadan listed above, it gives your mind and soul a moment to digest and understand the rewarding merits of Ramadan and how exciting this Holy Month can be if you truly put your mind and heart into it, InshaAllah. This will indirectly warm up your engine to get it all started with the right mindset and attitude to approach this blessed month.

You can also look up many podcasts, online Islamic lectures and even attend physical lectures on the essentials of Islam and the virtues of Ramadan to further immerse yourself into the spirit. Here are a few suggestions for you to explore:

Podcast Episodes:

It’s Almost Ramadan – Mufti Menk

The Keys to Having Your Best Ramadan – Mindful Muslimah Speaks

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting – QuranTalk

Islamic Lectures:

Ramadan Tadhkirah 2021 Playlist – SimplyIslam Academy

The Virtues of Ramadan – Sheikh Omar Suleiman

2. Prepare a Checklist and Set Realistic Goals for the Whole Month

So, now that your head is in the game to make your Ramadan experience a memorable one, what’s next for you? If you have a good feeling on what you plan to accomplish for the next 30 days, now is the time to prepare a checklist and set realistic goals!

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to have a clear idea of what you want:

• Which specific area of my life do I want to focus on this Ramadan?
• What kinds of good deeds haven’t I tried yet that could be of great opportunity this Ramadan?
• What kinds of options are available to me if I plan to seek Islamic knowledge?
• Am I comfortable doing this alone? Do I want to reach out to others to embark on this journey?
• How do I want to feel after completing this journey? Peaceful? Knowledgeable? Optimistic?

If you already know the answer to all of these thought-provoking questions, it’s time for you to create your checklist! You can either create your own from scratch or you can simply download any Ramadan checklist template online to make it easier for you.

3. Find Companions if You Can’t Do it Alone

Sometimes, your doubts are the true culprit to success. You might be thinking to yourself, “I’m not sure if I’m cut out for this.” or “I don’t have the mental strength to be better even in Ramadan,”. Don’t let your doubts hinder you from unlocking your true potential as a Muslim. It’s easy to falter and beat ourselves up, but with the right moral support, companionship and determination, InshaAllah the journey will be much easier for you to endure!

Reach out to your friends and family and discuss with them about your goals. Ask them if they would like to join you on this spiritual journey in the month of Ramadan. If they don’t, the least you need would be moral support to remind you whenever you slip and forget.

4. There’s Nothing Better than Doing Constant Du’a

As we all know, du’a is the essence of worship and a means for you to communicate with Allah Almighty directly. It is a helpline for you to reach out to Allah Almighty and ask to help you in whatever regard. In this specific context, it is best to make du’a to ensure that you consistently do good, rectify your intentions and be a better Muslim not only during Ramadan, but even after the Holy Month. So, here are some of the du’as you can recite:

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَب، وَشَعْبَانَ، وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ

“O Allah make the months of Rajab and Sha’ban blessed for us and let us reach the month of Ramadan.” 

(Musnad Imam Ahmad)

اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْنِي مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، وَسَلِّمْ رَمَضَانَ لِي، وَتَسَلَّمْهُ مِنِّي مُتَقَبَّلًا

“O Allah preserve me for Ramadan, safeguard Ramadan for me and accept it for me.”

(narrated by Imam At-Tabrani)

5. Seek as Much Islamic Knowledge as You Can and Make it a Habit

Seeking knowledge is undeniably of utmost importance for every Muslim, as narrated in numerous hadiths. It is even the first revelation descended on the face of the Earth to our beloved Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings be upon him.

The ranks of those who know are definitely different from those who don’t and there is no harm in utilising the time in the month of Ramadan to seek knowledge. If you are not the type who reads or is at least curious, this is the time for you to begin and enrich your mind and soul with beneficial knowledge!

Narrated Ibn Mas`ud:

“I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, “There is no envy except in two: a person who God has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (ie religious knowledge) and he gives His decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others. “

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

This is your calling to begin, and there are many available avenues for you to seek Islamic knowledge in Singapore. You can either learn online or attend physical classes nearby anytime you wish! The possibilities are endless, SubhanAllah.

To wrap everything up, we hope that you are ready to kickstart the month of Ramadan this year with optimism, positive mindset and attitude for you to be a better Muslim. Always remember to rectify your intentions and seek for His Pleasure. InshaAllah, may Allah Almighty grant you perseverance, patience and steadfastness in performing ‘Ibadah on this Holy Month, Ameen ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.