10 goals of Ramadhan
Ramadhan is leaving us soon let's make full use of the remaining days. I just received an e-mail with the above title and thought it's something nice to share. Here it goes:
1 Eat, drink and be moderate
Almost all of us do it - once Iftaar time hits, we just keep ploughing food and
drink into our mouths till it's hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do
it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we're
supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the
Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water
and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.
2 Give a rand a day in charity...or five or ten
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.
3 Memorize 4 new Surahs of the Noble Quran
Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it
in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new
Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've started, you'll
build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.
4 Go to Taraweeh prayers
Post-Iftaar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your
best to head out to the mosque for Taraweeh prayers. Praying alone is wonderful,
but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of
Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year. If going every day is not
possible, try going at least once a week.
5 Attend the Taraweeh prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished
Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the
recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran's
recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow
it.
6 Stop swearing and/or backbiting - with a special box
It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's upset us. Whether we utter
those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we
know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we
want to build our spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.
Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put
some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount
that makes it feel like punishment.
At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person
whom you've backbitten the most against.
7 Call/email your relatives
You'd think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance
calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we'd keep in touch with family and
friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life's 'busyness.'
Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call
family and friends or at least email them and ask them how their fasting is
going.
8 Go on a technology diet
Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal
email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftaar, instead of plopping
yourself in front of the screen, go to Taraweeh. The same goes for the
television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual
elevation this month.
9 Read 5 minutes of Quran a day...just five, not more, not less
Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your
cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the
Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to
connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.
10 Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still
upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you
still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go
of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you.
Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the
soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness,
shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too?
If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three
people.
1 Eat, drink and be moderate
Almost all of us do it - once Iftaar time hits, we just keep ploughing food and
drink into our mouths till it's hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do
it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we're
supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the
Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water
and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.
2 Give a rand a day in charity...or five or ten
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.
3 Memorize 4 new Surahs of the Noble Quran
Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it
in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new
Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've started, you'll
build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.
4 Go to Taraweeh prayers
Post-Iftaar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your
best to head out to the mosque for Taraweeh prayers. Praying alone is wonderful,
but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of
Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year. If going every day is not
possible, try going at least once a week.
5 Attend the Taraweeh prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished
Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the
recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran's
recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow
it.
6 Stop swearing and/or backbiting - with a special box
It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's upset us. Whether we utter
those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we
know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we
want to build our spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.
Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put
some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount
that makes it feel like punishment.
At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person
whom you've backbitten the most against.
7 Call/email your relatives
You'd think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance
calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we'd keep in touch with family and
friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life's 'busyness.'
Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call
family and friends or at least email them and ask them how their fasting is
going.
8 Go on a technology diet
Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal
email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftaar, instead of plopping
yourself in front of the screen, go to Taraweeh. The same goes for the
television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual
elevation this month.
9 Read 5 minutes of Quran a day...just five, not more, not less
Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your
cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the
Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to
connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.
10 Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still
upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you
still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go
of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you.
Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the
soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness,
shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too?
If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three
people.
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