I Love Ramadan. No kidding!

The thrill of getting up for Suhoor; fresh hot parthas, and that other thing. The joy of Iftar; what a variety of dishes to taste every day new things for Iftar; samosas, falafel, biryani, dahi bhalle, and umpteen number of other goodies which we care not even what they are called.
Exciting first night of Taraweeh, what a crowd and you wont know who else you shall bump into; most of them we are going to see after almost one year if we are among those who visit the masjid only at such times. The fun of hanging around with our buddies, and chill with our friends; thanks to our parents we get to go with them. Final touches on the Night of Qatam. Awsome! Huge crowds, pack of sweet snacks. Why do they have such a long Dua? We say Aameen sometimes, not knowing what we are asking. But, one Qatam is not enough, we got to make sure we attend the one that happens in the neighboring locality a day before, and the one that happens in another neighboring locality a day after. If you miss them you miss them for at least one long year, till the next Ramadan. Though occasionally we are in a fix and have to stand in the Taraweeh too. But, you know what? We dont have to join at the beginning of each pair of Rakath; why to miss these moments when we can talk about something important, we can always join just when the Imam goes into Rukuh. Remember, not to join on the first takbeer; lets talk for some time, and then we shall join as soon as the Imam goes into Rukuh. But someone might talk to us and tell us to change. They may ask us to grow up! To grow up, and

Do not take Ramadan lightly as fun time. No one knows if you will be alive till next Ramadan. Make the most of it. Now!
Get up a little early for Suhoor and perform two rakath nafl. Do not go the bed immediately after Suhoor; wait for Fajr! Recite some portion from the Quran and study the translation of those Ayah (Verses). Do not miss even one Salath (Prayer). Ever! Learn the meaning of what you recite in Salath (Prayer). Please! Supplicate! Ask Allah to forgive our sins, and to guide us on the Sirat Al Mustaqeem (the Straight Path). Recognise the real meaning of La Ilaaha Illallaah Muhamadur Rasoolullah (There is no one worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger), and the other kalmias. Memorize one Surah a day along with its meaning start from An-Naas and then Falaq, then go to Al-Iqlas and so on. Memorize one Dua a day along with its meaning know what favors to ask Allah. Recite from the Quran a few Ayah (Verses) at a time and study the translation of these Ayath (Verses)

resolve to complete the entire Quran before end of Ramadan. Its EASY! When done, start all over again. Let the Quran be with you all throughout the year. Every Year! Perform as many good deeds as possible big or small. Give plenty of charity if not in cash then at least in kind. Do something good for someone. Help someone out. Treat your parents with kindness. Be obedient, or at least patient, and do not answer them back, rudely. Visit the sick and needy if possible. Shut down the TV, and the Video Games, and avoid all time wasters; just for one month. Listen to audio / video lectures on Islamic Topics; log on to websites such as: www.deenshow.com,

www.aswatalislam.net, www.shareislam.com Take advantage of the long hours of fasting. Rest a little but also spend a little time to study the Hadeeth (Prophetic Traditions) and the Seerah (Biography of Muhammad, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). Do help in preparing for Iftar, and ensure you have something that you like. Share it with your neighbors. Join each pair of two rakath in Taraweeh from the time the Imam begins, listen to the Qiraah (Recitation) attentively, ponder over the meaning of the ayah that are being recited. Learn the Takbeer Al Eid and sing it loudly on the day of Eid. Dont be shy! You are acknowledging Allahs Greatness, and Praising Him. Nothing can be better than this. Remember, Allah helped you to get closer to Him.