A day in Ramadan

20/06/2015| IslamWeb

This is a suggested program for your days during the month of Ramadan in order to help you better utilize your time in this blessed great month in a way that would get you closer to Allah Almighty.

Respected sister! Your program starts before Fajr (dawn) during the last hours of the night. You should wake up, perform ablution and pray as much as Allah enables you to pray. You can set yourself an ambitious yet realistic target and begin by reciting one part (i.e., one thirtieth) of the Quran during your prayers. This is a time when the devout exert extra efforts in seeking the mercy of Allah - they earnestly and persistently supplicate to Allah for forgiveness.

After you pray, and when it is almost time for the Fajr prayer, you should have the predawn meal (Suhoor), and if you have not prepared anything to eat, then a few dates would suffice you. The Prophet, said: “The best Suhoor for a believer is dates.” If dates are not available, then water should be enough as Suhoor in order to attain the blessings of eating the Suhoor which we were informed about by the Prophet, .

After having your Suhoor, sit down and busy yourself with the mention of Allah and seeking His forgiveness until it is time to pray Fajr, because Allah praised those who sit seeking forgiveness during this time of the night. Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, would pray all night long, then he would ask his servant whether the time had come for them to start seeking forgiveness, and would continue to pray until he was told that the time of Fajr was near, he would then sit down and busy himself seeking forgiveness from Allah until it was time for Fajr.

If you hear the Athaan (the call for prayer), then while it is being made, repeat the words as they are being called, and then conclude with the legislated supplication afterwards.

After this, pray the 2 optional Rak’ahs, that are more valuable this world and what it contains according to the statement of the Prophet, , who would never miss these 2 Rak’ahs, regardless of whether he was traveling or otherwise.

Then pray the obligatory Fajr prayer and then recite the legislated supplications after the prayer, following that with the legislated morning supplications, and then continue to mention Allah and recite the Quran (you can start the month by reciting 1 or 2 thirtieths) until around 15 minutes after sunrise, then get up and pray 2 Rak’ahs.

If you do not have to go to school or to work, get some rest to retrieve some of your energy. When it is time for Thuhr, pray the 4 optional preceding Rak’ahs (in 2’s) then pray the obligatory prayer, following that with the 4 optional Rak’ahs (again, in 2’s) after the obligatory prayer, and finish anything that may have been left unfinished from your daily quota from the Quran. You can then start your housework and begin preparing the Iftaar meal for your family.

Each sister should have a set daily quota from the Quran for her to recite during the day and the night, as well as in her other free-time. It is not acceptable that she does not finish reciting the entire Quran at least once during the month of Ramadan - after all, it is called the Month of Quran! If the sister recites 1 part during her night prayer, 2 parts after Fajr, 1 part after Thuhr and1 part after ‘Asr, then she would finish the entire Quran 5 times during the month of Ramadan. All she needs to do is organize her time and manage it properly. If the sister cannot touch the Quran (during her monthly period) then she can replace her recitation with listening to it from a CD, or any other means, in order to attain the reward.

It is recommended to have a family gathering during the day for the family members to study parts of the Quran or some Prophetic traditions. You can encourage your children by having competitions with prizes for the winners.

When it is time for ‘Asr, pray the obligatory prayer, and then resume with your preparation of the Iftaar meal, taking care not to be extravagant in what you prepare. You can utilize this time by praising and glorifying Allah or listening to the Quran or a beneficial lecture while cooking.

Do not forget in the midst of preparation to set time aside before sunset (as little as 20 minutes) to take advantage of this precious period by reciting the legislated evening supplications and then supplicate to Allah with whatever you desire, as this is a time during which supplications are answered and honored by Allah.

As soon as the sun sets (or if you can hear the Athaan) break your fast - but do not forget to recite the legislated supplications at the time of breaking the fast – then perform the Maghrib prayer and then 2 optional Rak’ahs afterwards. After the prayer, the family members should gather to eat the Iftaar meal together without overeating so that they can pray the Taraweeh prayer with submissiveness and tranquility.

Shortly before the ‘Ishaa` prayer, you should get ready for the obligatory prayer and the Taraweeh prayer by performing ablution and getting ready to leave to the mosque.

After the prayer is concluded, the sister (along with her family) can attend a lecture (if any) or sit for a short while with her children teaching them or instructing them regarding certain religious matters.

Beware of wasting your time in front of the TV or staying up late uselessly in worldly matters.

You can conclude your day with this and then go to sleep to get enough rest in preparation for the next night, and repeat the same program from thereon.