Ramadan Series: 1

Prepare for
Ramadan
Prepare for
Ramadan
 Contents
4

Shaʿban:
Preparation for Ramadan

13

Plan Ramadan Part 1:

Goals & Actions

23

Plan Ramadan Part 2:

Time to Detox

28

How to Connect to the

Qur’an this Ramadan
 Shaʿban:
Preparation
for Ramadan
Each year we are reminded that this Ramaḍān may be our
final one. We also often remember those who were here last
year but have passed on to Allah  since then.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Ramaḍān,

by the will of Allah, is the lifeline we desperately need:
patience through fasting, tranquillity through the night prayer,
purification through repentance, comfort through du‘ā’ and
contentment through dhikr.

For this Ramaḍān to be our best, we should start preparing

now, spiritually but also physically. By preparing in Shaʿbān,
we are more likely to taste the sweetness of fasting and
qiyām in Ramaḍān inshāAllah.
 The month of Rajab is the month
for planting, the month of Shaʿbān
is the month of irrigating crops,
and the month of Ramadan is the
month of harvesting the crops.”
(Abū Bakr al-Balkhī )
 The following are some of the ways in which we can prepare
for this momentous month:

1 Start fasting, especially if you have qada fasts

ʿĀ’ishah  said: “I did not see him  fast in any month as

much as he fasted in Shaʿbān.” (Muslim)

Usāmah b. Zayd  said to the Messenger of Allah , “O

Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting in any month as
much as you fast in Shaʿbān.” He  said, “That is a month
which people do not pay much attention to, between Rajab
and Ramaḍān. It is a month in which the actions are taken up
to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds are taken
up whilst I am fasting.” (Nasā’ī)

Just as performing the sunnah prayers before the farḍ prayers

awakens the heart, prepares you to enter the farḍ prayers
with greater khushūʿ, and compensates for the deficiencies of
the farḍ prayers, fasting before Ramaḍān prepares you for
Ramaḍān physically and spiritually.

Ibn Rajab  wrote, “As Shaʿbān is a prelude to Ramaḍān,

fasting and reciting Qur’ān has been prescribed in it just
as it has been prescribed in Ramaḍān. This is so that you
are prepared to enter Ramaḍān and you train yourself
to perform acts of obedience.” By becoming accustomed
to fasting in Shaʿbān, fasting in Ramaḍān will be easier.
Similarly, experiencing the sweetness of fasting in Shaʿbān
will help you to fast Ramaḍān with greater enthusiasm.

If you have any outstanding fasts from last Ramaḍān, use this
month to make them up (qaḍā).
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2 Increase in your recitation of the Qur’an

Ibn Rajab  wrote, “The predecessors used to devote

themselves to the recitation of the Qur’ān in Shaʿbān, and
they would say ‘The month of Shaʿbān is the month of the
Reciters.’”

Set a realistic – yet slightly ambitious – target for recitation

for this month to ensure you have a smoother entry into
Ramaḍān. It may be increasing your recitation by 5 minutes or
even an extra hour. Whether you increase the amount of time
or the number of pages, either way increase on what you
usually do.

“ When Shaʿbān would begin, ʿAmr b. Qays  would close

his shop and free himself for the recitation of the Qur’ān.
“Glad tidings for the one who rectifies himself before
Ramadan”. (Laṭā’if al-Maʿārif)

3 Start praying at night

If waking up for tahajjud before Fajr is difficult, pray a
minimum of 2 rakʿahs in addition to what you usually pray for
ʿIshā’ before you go to sleep.

4 Give charity

Our beloved Prophet  said, “Whoever provides ifṭār for a

fasting person, he will have the same reward as him, without
anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting
person.” (Tirmidhī)

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 Give charity in Shaʿbān, so that the poor can gain energy
to fast Ramaḍān and perform qiyām, as our predecessors
used to do. An additional benefit is that if you donate ifṭār to
the poor in other countries now, it is more likely to reach them
at the beginning of Ramaḍān, allowing you to receive the
reward of the full month.

5 Start reading/listening to something which will

boost your iman
Slowly start weaning yourself off what snatches your time
away from Allah (Netflix/social media etc) and substitute it
with what will remind you of Him.

6 Clear your heart

As this is the month when your yearly actions are raised to

Allah (subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā), cleanse your heart from hatred
and grudges. Forgive people who have wronged you and
start talking to people you haven’t talked to in a long time.
The Messenger of Allah  said, “Indeed Allah looks down
in the middle night of Shaʿbān and He forgives all of His
creation, except anyone who commits shirk or harbours
hatred.” (Ibn Mājah)

7 Hold yourself to account

Our actions are raised up daily to Allah twice: in the morning

and the evening. Then, they are raised up weekly to Allah
twice: on Monday and Thursday. They are then, raised up
to Allah yearly in Shaʿbān. Thus, the Prophet  liked for his

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 ‘annual performance review’ to correspond with him being in
a state of fasting.

Use this month to evaluate your last year’s actions. Do as

much ʿibādah as you can, so that the angels will ascend to
Allah with your good deeds.

8 Purify yourself before Ramadan by seeking forgiveness

Seek abundant forgiveness and turn to Allah in sincere

repentance. Allah  says, “So seek your Lord’s forgiveness
and turn to Him in repentance. Surely my Lord is Most
Merciful, All-Loving.” (11:90)

Purify your heart to welcome Ramaḍān in the best manner

possible. Don’t let your sins prevent you from tasting the
sweetness of worship in Ramaḍān. Wuhayb b. Ward  was
asked, “Can the sinner taste the sweetness of worship?” He
said, “No, not even the one who considers doing the sin.”

9 Take the following physical steps:

• Adjust your sleeping routine from now so that your body is

adjusted by the time Ramadān begins.

• Buy your Eid outfits and gifts now. If you are going to
purchase new items this year, then do it now (in Shaʿbān) to
avoid wasting precious time in Ramaḍān.

• Make a plan for simple and nutritious iftar meals to avoid

wasting time in the blessed month.

• Plan how you are going to give your zakāh and ṣadaqah.
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10 Draw up your Ramadan timetable

Plan a Ramaḍān timetable. See the next section for tips on

how to devise a successful plan.

Revive A Neglected Sunnah

Our beloved Messenger  described Shaʿbān as, “A
month which people do not pay much attention to,
between Rajab and Ramaḍān” (Nasā’ī).

This indicates that many people are heedless of this

time, and it is especially virtuous to worship and
remember Allah in places and times of heedlessness,
e.g. the markets. It also helps us to perform deeds in
secret, as others are heedless, and thereby giving us a
chance to increase in our sincerity (ikhlāṣ).

Whilst we will all be fasting in Ramaḍān inshāAllah, this

is our chance to fast in secret.

May Allah allow us to revive the sunnah of increasing our

worship in this month, and allow us to reach Ramaḍān.

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The (pious predecessors) used to
make duʿā’ for six months prior to
Ramaḍān, asking Allāh to allow
them to witness Ramaḍān.”
(Laṭā’if al-Maʿārif)
Plan Ramadan
Part 1:
Goals & Actions
When we have to undertake a project, we invest a great deal
of effort and time into ensuring the project will be successful.
Projects are initiated, then planned out, then executed and
monitored. And once they are completed, they are evaluated.

If we can do this for projects at work, then surely the ‘project’

of Ramaḍān is far greater. As people seeking the pleasure of
Allah and Paradise, Ramaḍān is the ‘dream project’ that has
landed effortlessly on our desks.
 The Goals of Ramadan
In order to prepare a plan which will help us to successfully
complete this project, we have to be clear about its goals.
These goals will provide the framework of a successful
Ramaḍān. Everything we do in Ramaḍān should lead to the
following goals:

1 Forgiveness for sins

Our beloved Prophet  said: “Whoever observes the fasts

of Ramadān with firm belief and hoping for reward, all of his
previous sins will be forgiven” (Bukhārī).

2 Freedom from Hell

Deeply shudder at the possibility of being from the people of

the Hell-fire; and then beg Allah to release you from the Hell-
fire. Our beloved Prophet  said, Allah frees slaves from the
Hell-fire every night.” (Tirmidhī)

3 Submitting to Allah

In our everyday lives, we are accustomed to giving in to our

desires. If we feel like eating, we eat. If we feel like drinking,
we drink. Through Ramaḍān, we should aim to train the nafs
(inner self) to submit itself to Allah, and to comply with His
commands.

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 4 Elevating the soul from its base desires
(stomach and private parts)
Aim for your fasting and Ramaḍān to remove the love of
the world from your heart; and let your soul soar high above
the ground, away from the body, and upwards towards its
Creator and Originator.

5 Mercy

This Ramaḍān aim to be the recipient of Allah’s mercy and

loving care.

6 Developing good character

Excellent character is an integral part of our dīn, and there is

no better time to cultivate this than in Ramaḍān. Our beloved
Prophet  said, “When one of you wakes up fasting, he
should neither use obscene language nor act ignorantly. If
anyone insults him or argues with him, he should say: ‘I am
fasting, I am fasting’” (Muslim).

7 Consistency

Ramaḍān is a bootcamp and a training programme to

cultivate your heart, soul, morals and ultimately your life, so
that the obedience of Allah becomes your lifestyle.

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 Maximise Ramadan:
What Should You Include
In Your Schedule?
To make the most of the blessed month of Ramaḍān, have a
plan. Write down your daily schedule for Ramaḍān. Be happy
and feel the excitement in your heart knowing that you will be
spending quality time with Allah  .

Depending on your circumstances, your schedule on

weekdays may differ from the weekends. Aim to remain busy
with good deeds, as having free time makes it easier to sin.

What to include in your timetable:

1 Salāh

• The 5 daily prayers, including the sunnah prayers. Be

punctual with praying in congregation and aim to be there
before the opening takbīr.

• Qiyām al-Layl (Tarāwīḥ/Tahajjud). Along with fasting, this

is the highlight of Ramadān. This is the time of the year in
which you can truly connect with the Qur’ān. Recite slowly,
repeat the āyāt and feel the emotion in your heart. Think
that Allah is talking to YOU directly.

• Salāh al-Ḍuḥā. This can be read approximately 15 minutes

after sunrise till 15 minutes before Ẓuhr. The Messenger
of Allah  said: “Whoever offers Fajr in congregation and

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 remains seated, engaging in the remembrance of Allah until
the sun has risen, and then offers two rak‘ahs, he will have
a reward equal to that of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah.”
He  said: “Complete, complete, complete (i.e. complete
reward).” (Tirmidhī)

2 Qur’ān

• Have an ambitious target for reciting as much Qur’ān as

possible.

• Along with recitation, allocate time for memorising,

reviewing memorisation, learning the meanings and
reflecting on the Qur’ān.

• Bring the Qur’ān alive into your day. Have a minimum of at

least one thing you will act upon based on what you recited
in the day. (For an excellent Arabic resource on this, click
here)

3 Dhikr

• Morning and evening adhkār

• Adhkār after ṣalāh

• Adhkār of sleep

• General dhikr throughout the day

Spend time in acquainting yourself with the meanings of

the adhkār (remembrances), so that your dhikr is conscious.
Similarly, combine dhikr with deep reflection (tafakkur).
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4 Duʿā’

• Duʿā’ before iftār (and after opening the fast)

• Duʿā’ throughout the day when you’re fasting

• Duʿā’ in your sajdah

• Duʿā’ in the last third of the night, especially in sajdah

• Sunnah duʿās, such as before/after eating, entering/

leaving the house, using the bathroom etc. Some of these
have incredible rewards, which you shouldn’t miss out on,
especially in this blessed month.

• Increase your praise (ḥamd) of Allah at the start of your

duʿā’. This will specifically help you to build a special bond
with Him.

5 Helping others & family ties

• Try to help others as much as possible, especially the elderly

and the vulnerable people in your community.

• Maintain family ties and reach out to people you may have
cut off contact with.

• Choose specific acts of kindness which you will do for your

family e.g. unload the dishwasher/give a head massage/help
with homework.

• Give charity. Try to feed those who are fasting to acquire the
reward of their fasts inshallah.

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The Last 10 Days

In the last ten days, intensify your worship schedule, take

off time from work (if possible) and use it to focus your
connection with Allah .

Your Family

If you are a mother or father, don’t be selfish. Be considerate

and give your spouse their own ‘alone with Allah’ time
whilst you take care of the children. Your spouse connecting
with Allah will result in him/her being a better spouse and
parent to your children.

Spend quality time with your children. Tell them the stories of
the Prophets, Companions and the people of the past. Recite
Qur’ān with them. Hold a daily family circle where you can
have discussions. Do fun and beneficial activities related to
Ramaḍān. (There are many ideas on the internet for various
crafts and activities.) Remember to renew your intention for
spending quality time with them, and you will be rewarded
for this great act of ʿibādah (worship) inshāAllah.

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By Allah, if it was said to the
people of the grave, ‘make
a wish!’ they would wish for
one day of Ramaḍān.”
(Ibn al-Jawzī )
Use Every Moment

There may be times when you are tired or too exhausted to

recite Qur’ān. Fill this time up with ‘easier’ acts of worship
e.g. listening to the Qur’ān or a beneficial lecture. Similarly,
if you’re doing household chores or commuting, recite the
Qur’ān or do dhikr at the same time.

Have a stockpile of books, or even one book, ready to help you

become close to Allah , His Words and His Messenger .

May Allah  grant us the joy of worshipping Him in this life,

and the joy of seeing Him in the next.

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Plan Ramadan
Part 2:
Time to Detox
Ramaḍān is a month in which we seek to train the nafs
(inner self) to resist obeying its desires, and instead obey
Allah . Therefore, it is essential, that along with planning
what we are going to do in Ramaḍān, we should also plan
what we are not going to do. Ramaḍān is a time to detox our
bodies, and more importantly our hearts from the toxins of
‘sins’ and the ‘diseases’ of the heart.

If we fast – by not eating, drinking and abstaining from

intimacy – but do not protect our eyes, ears and tongues from
sinning, we will miss out on the essence and spirit of fasting.
 The following are some of the key aspects we should focus on:

1 Eating

Food is the fuel of desires. The more we fill our stomachs, the
lazier we feel to perform ʿibādah. If we eat a lot, we drink a
lot. And this makes us sleep a lot, which leads to us losing
out on precious time. The Prophet  ordered the unmarried
companions to fast, because fasting is meant to curtail and
restrain sexual desire.

Likewise, we have to internalise that Ramaḍān is about

fasting, not feasting. We shouldn’t spend too much time
preparing our meals. Naturally the long hours leave us hungry,
making us want to cook more than usual. Similarly, we should
not pressurise our family members to cook elaborate meals
for us.

Imām al-Ghazalī  explained that one will only reap the full
benefit of a fast if one does not over eat at ifṭār. We should
only eat what one would usually eat on a normal night.
Otherwise, the purpose of fasting will not be fulfilled and it
will be easier for Shayṭān to make inroads into our hearts.

2 Talking

Ramaḍān is the best time to rectify our speech. The Prophet

 said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him
speak good or remain silent” (Bukhārī). This includes how we
talk to others through our phones and on social media.

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3 Sleeping

Ramaḍān is the best time to reduce sleep, and spend a

greater portion of the night in worshipping Allah.

4 Gazing at ḥarām

Gazing at ḥarām destroys the firmness and determination

of the heart. It is a poison which leads to the darkness of the
heart, just as its opposite (lowering the gaze) leads to the
heart being illuminated. It is a poison which stops us from
tasting the sweetness of imān and worshipping Allah. Along
with lowering our gazes from anything which incites lust,
we should also avoid looking at the glitz and glamour of the
world, as this makes us heedless and forgetful of Allah .

5 Severing ties of kinship

Ramaḍān is the time to cleanse our hearts, battle the pride

and jealousy of our hearts, and reach out to those we have
cut off ties with. It is the perfect opportunity to forgive those
who have wronged us, to ask for forgiveness from those we
have wronged, and to ask Allah to unite our hearts. If we seek
to connect with Allah, we have to connect with our relatives.
But if we cut them off, Allah will cut us off.

The most deserving of our good relations are our parents.

We should serve and be kind to our parents to the best of our
abilities.

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6 Socialising and social media

Too much socialising hardens the heart, and often leads to

sinning. Ramaḍān, especially iʿtikāf of the last 10 days is the
perfect retreat: away from people, and fully focused on Allah.

Social media is the biggest thief of our time. In Ramaḍān,

every moment is precious, therefore try to detox from social
media completely. Otherwise, reduce it to a minimum. At the
most, have a set ‘window’ in which you allow yourself to catch
up on it, rather than just saying ‘I’m going to reduce it.’ For
example, ‘I will use social media for twenty minutes after ifṭār.’

Think of Ramaḍān as a battlefield. The enemy you are trying

to defeat is your nafs. It is an enemy which has conquered
you many times over in the past. This Ramaḍān, however,
you are determined that by the help of Allah, you are going to
conquer it. You are going to be the winner, and not the loser.
This will require planning, effort, tonnes of duʿā’ and perhaps
even a change in strategy.

One such strategy is to manoeuvre around your nafs, and

subtly trick it. When you are struggling to keep momentum,
say to yourself: just a little while longer. After Ramaḍān, you
can go back to enjoying the ḥalāl pleasures. For now, just
keep going for a little while longer. Once, Bishr al-Ḥāfī 
was walking with one of his companions towards a city. His
companion wanted to drink water from a well. Bishr said to
him, “We will drink from the next well that appears on the
way.” Every time they would approach a well, Bishr would
say, “From the next well.” When they finally reached their
destination, Bishr said, “This is how we journey through the
world.”
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How to Connect
to the Qur’an
this Ramadan
It has been said that whilst the primary purpose of fasting is
to gain taqwā, the purpose of Ramaḍān is to connect with
the Qur’ān. Indeed, Ramaḍān is the month of the Qur’ān. We
know from the authentic Sunnah that every Ramaḍān, in the
best month of the year, the best of mankind, the Messenger of
Allah  would revise the Qur’ān, the best of words, with the
best of angels, Jibrīl .
 Here are 10 practical ways you can connect to the Qur’ān in
this blessed month:

1 Recite as much Qur’ān as you can

Try to complete at least one khatmah/khatam of the Qur’ān.

However, if you managed to complete one last year, aim to
increase your khatmah by one and complete two this year.
This may seem ambitious, but make du‘ā’ to Allah  to help
you accomplish this as du‘ā’ makes the impossible possible.
The charts here are an excellent guide to help you to plan your
daily recitation in order to achieve your goals.

2 Read the tafsīr of a chosen sūrah

Pick a sūrah or a collection of sūrahs, and then read or listen

to the tafsīr (explanation) of these sūrahs. Focus on them
in this month. English translations of tafsīr works, some of
which are available online include: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, Tafsīr Ibn
Kathīr, Ma‘āriful-Qur’ān, In the Shade of the Qur‘ān, and Tafsīr
al-Sa‘dī.

3 Ponder and reflect on the Qur’ān (tadabbur)

Recitation of the Qur’ān is not enough. Allah  tells us: “This

is a blessed Book which We revealed to you, that they may
reflect upon its verses, and those with understanding may
take heed.” (38:29)

Reflecting upon the Qur’ān entails thinking over the meaning

and the purpose behind an āyah: what is Allah  asking me

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 to do here? Deep thinking and reflection allow us to develop a
deeper connection with the Qur’ān and will catalyse us to act
upon the Qur’ān inshā’Allah.

Suggestion: Qur’ān Journaling (i.e. jotting down thoughts and

reflections) may be a useful means for staying consistent with
tadabbur.

4 Listen to the Qur’ān

Although there is more reward in reciting the Qur’ān, listen to

it when you are not able to recite it. The benefits of listening to
the Qur’ān are (though not limited to): improving your tajwīd,
aiding your memorisation and providing you with the chance
to absorb the beauty of the Qur’ān. Here are a collection of
long and short recitation clips which you may listen to.

Suggestion: download your favourite clips to avoid the

inescapable YouTube adverts or alternatively, use an ad-free
Qur’ān app.

5 Choose a story from the Qur’ān and share it with

your families and friends
The Qur’ān is full of stories which are filled with deep wisdom.
Choose a story from the Qur’ān which inspires you and share
this story with your families, friends and children. From the
talking ant to the golden cow; from the baby which spoke to
the snake which turned into a stick; make the Qur’ān a part of
your families’ lives.

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 6 Select 30 du‘ās from the Qur’ān and focus on one
each day
Select one Qur‘ānic du‘ā’ for each day of the month and
repeat this du‘ā’ throughout the entire day. Choose as many
moments as possible from the special times in which du‘ā’ is
accepted to make this du‘ā’.

Suggestion: reflect on the background of each du‘ā’ and learn

the translation of the du‘ā’.

7 Memorise as much as you can

Fix an amount to memorise every day. Even if you do two

lines a day, with consistency you will have memorised 60 lines
by the end of the month inshā’Allāh.

Just imagine that you are in the hereafter and you are being
told: “Read, ascend, and recite slowly and distinctly as you
used to recite in the world…” (Abū Dāwūd) and depending on
how much you’ve memorised, that is where you will have to
stop. The more you’ve memorised, the higher you will be able
to go. Aim high this Ramaḍān!

8 Interact with what you recite

In your night prayers, interact with the āyāt you are reciting
like the Messenger of Allah  did. When you come across
an ayah of mercy, stop and supplicate to Allah. When you
come across an āyah of punishment, stop and ask for Allah’s
protection.

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 9 Vary what you read in Ṣalāh

Rather than sticking to what you always read, try to vary

between the different sūrahs you have memorized. This will
help you to perform Ṣalāh with more khushū’ (humility and
concentration) and you will start to feel the sweetness of
Ṣalāh.

10 Implement the Qur’ān in your life

Allah  has described specific qualities that we should

embody as believers: these are the People of the Qur’ān. To
help you become such people of the Qur’ān, who are the
chosen people of Allah, here is a selected list of Qur’ānic
qualities.

a) Select one of the qualities from the list and make it your
focus for this month.

b) Reflect on the related āyāt (which are in the pdf document).

c) Work on developing the quality consistently throughout

Ramaḍān, so that it becomes a part of you and lives on in
you beyond Ramaḍān.

Suggestion: write down this quality on a piece of paper and

stick it on your fridge or somewhere where you are likely to
see it every day to remind yourself.

May Allāh make us from the People of the Qur’ān.

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