By Haruna Razaq

One of the many annual ibadah through which a Muslim can erase his sins, increase his good deeds, gain position in paradise and free him/herself from hell fire is Ramadan. But, these blessings of Ramadan can only be achieved by serious Muslim that does the following: (1) prepare him/herself and the environment properly for worship for the blessed month of Ramadan. (2) Rejoice and congratulates one another at the beginning of the month.

The Prophet (SAW) used to tell his Companions the good news of the onset of Ramadan, and urge them to make the most of it. Abu Hurairah (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month. Allah has made it obligatory on you to fast this month.

During it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are locked, and the devils are chained up. In it, there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is deprived indeed”. (Reported by al-Nisaa’i, 4/129; Sahiih al-Targhiib, 1/490).

(3) Hasten to repent and turn back to Allah. (4) Have the right frame of mind and fearing Allah when performing the deeds of Ramadan and above all, (5) Fast according to the instruction of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), since, one of the conditions for acceptance of deeds in Islam is that it must conform with the instructions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Some of these instructions are obligatory and others are recommended and they are as follows: (i) having intention of fasting before Fajr (break of down).

The Prophet (SAW) said: Whosoever did not intend his fast during the night (before fajr), no fasting for him. Intention is the resolution in the heart to do something speaking it aloud is bid’ah (a reprehensible innovation), and anyone who knows that tomorrow is one of the days of Ramadaan and wants to fast has made the intention.

(Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam, 25/215) The intention may be made at any point during the night, even if it is just a moment before Fajr. (ii) Desire to take sahuur (the early morning meal) and delaying it until just before the adhaan of Fajr. (iii) Avoid things that spoil fasting such as eating, drinking, sexual intercourse etc. from fajr till sunset. Allah said:…then complete your fast till the nightfall…

(Q2:187) (iv) Keeping away from sin, because the Prophet (SAW) said: “When any of you is fasting, let him not commit sin…” (Bukhaari,)..(v) Keeping away from things that can destroy one’s good deeds and bring bad deeds and this include: allowing oneself to be distracted by movies, idle gatherings, hanging about in the streets with evil people and time-wasters, etc. (vi) Not allowing one to be provoked, because the Prophet (SAW) said:

“If someone fights him or insults him, he should say, ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.’” (Bukhaari) (vii) Being generous by sharing knowledge, giving money, using one’s position of authority or physical strength to help others, and having a good attitude. (viii) Hastening the iftaar? (breaking of the fast) because the Prophet (SAW) said: “The people will be fine so long as they do not delay iftaar.” (Bukhaari).

Breaking one’s fast in the manner described in the hadiith(ix) Not eating too much Sahuur and Iftar,? because the Prophet (SAW) said: The bestsahuur for the believer is dates.” (Sahiih al-Targhiib, 1/448), he said in another Hadith that: “The son of Adam fills no worse vessel than his stomach.” (Tirmidhi, no. 2380; he said, this is a hasan sahiih hadiith).