‫ﺧﻄﻮات ﻟﻼﺳﺘﻌﺪاد ﻟﺸﻬﺮ رﻣﻀﺎن‬

Tips/Steps on preparing for

Ramadan
By Qysr Macasayon
Outline
● Brief overview of Ramadan
● Importance of preparation for a fulfilling Ramadan experience
● Sincere repentance
● Du’a (supplication)
● Rejoicing at the approach of the blessed month
● Discharging the duty of any outstanding obligatory fasts
● Seeking knowledge
● Fasting some of the month of Sha’ban in preparation for fasting
Ramadan.
● Reading Quran
● Planning for Zakat and charitable donations
● Recap of Key Points
Brief Overview of Ramadan
 ‫ﺻﯾَﺎ ُم َﻛﻣَﺎ ُﻛﺗِبَ ﻋَ ﻠَﻰ ٱﻟﱠذِﯾنَ ﻣِن َﻗ ْﺑﻠِ ُﻛ ْم ﻟَﻌَ ﻠﱠ ُﻛ ْم‬ ‫َﯾ ٰـٓﺄ َ ﱡﯾﮭَﺎ ٱﻟﱠذِﯾنَ ءَا َﻣﻧُوا۟ ُﻛﺗِبَ ﻋَ َﻠ ْﯾ ُﻛ ُم ٱﻟ ﱢ‬ ‫●‬
‫َﺗ ﱠﺗﻘُونَ ‪١٨٣‬‬
‫َﺷ ْﮭ ُر رَ ﻣَﺿَ ﺎنَ ٱﻟﱠذِىٓ أ ُﻧزِ َل ﻓِﯾ ِﮫ ٱ ْﻟﻘُرْ ءَانُ ُھ ۭ ًدى ﻟﱢﻠﻧﱠﺎسِ َو َﺑ ﱢﯾ َﻧ ٰـ ٍۢت ﻣﱢنَ ٱ ْﻟﮭُدَ ٰى‬ ‫●‬
‫ﺻ ْﻣ ُﮫ ‪١٨٥‬‬ ‫َوٱ ْﻟﻔُرْ ﻗَﺎ ِن ۚ َﻓﻣَن َﺷﮭِدَ ﻣِﻧ ُﻛ ُم ٱﻟ ﱠﺷﮭْرَ َﻓ ْﻠ َﯾ ُ‬
‫أن رﺳول ﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم ﻗﺎل‪" :‬إذا ﺟﺎء رﻣﺿﺎن ﻓﺗﺣت أﺑواب‬ ‫●‬

‫اﻟﺟﻧﺔ‪ ،‬وﻏﻠﻘت أﺑواب اﻟﻧﺎر‪ ،‬وﺻﻔدت اﻟﺷﯾﺎطﯾن" ))ﻣﺗﻔق ﻋﻠﯾﮫ((‬

‫ﻋَ ِن اﻟ ﱠﻧﺑِﻲﱢ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم ﻗَﺎ َل " ﻣَنْ ﺻَ ﺎ َم رَ ﻣَﺿَ ﺎنَ إِﯾﻣَﺎﻧًﺎ َواﺣْ ﺗِﺳَ ﺎﺑًﺎ‬ ‫●‬
‫ُﻏﻔِرَ َﻟ ُﮫ ﻣَﺎ َﺗ َﻘ ﱠد َم ﻣِنْ ذَ ْﻧ ِﺑﮫِ‪َ ،‬وﻣَنْ ﻗَﺎ َم َﻟ ْﯾ َﻠ َﺔ ا ْﻟﻘَدْ رِ إِﯾﻣَﺎﻧًﺎ َواﺣْ ﺗِﺳَ ﺎﺑًﺎ ُﻏﻔِرَ َﻟ ُﮫ ﻣَﺎ َﺗ َﻘ ﱠد َم‬
‫ﻣِنْ ذَ ْﻧ ِﺑ ِﮫ‬
‫ﻗَﺎ َل ﻗَﺎ َل رَ ﺳُو ُل‬ ‫●‬
‫ا ﱠ ِ ـ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم ـ " ُﻛ ﱡل ﻋَ ﻣَلِ ا ْﺑ ِن آدَ َم ﯾُﺿَ ﺎﻋَ فُ َﻟ ُﮫ اﻟْﺣَ ﺳَ َﻧ ُﺔ ﺑِﻌَ ﺷْرِ أَﻣْ ﺛَﺎﻟِﮭ‬
Spiritual, Physical,
Financial Preparation
and Personal
Development
 - Spiritual Preparation & Personal Development

Sincere repentance

‫َوﺗُوﺑ ُٓوا۟ إِﻟَﻰ‬

‫ٱ‬
“And all٣١ َ‫ﺣُون‬beg
of you ِ‫ ْم ُﺗ ْﻔﻠ‬Allah
‫ُونَ ﻟَﻌَ ﱠﻠ ُﻛ‬
to‫ﮫ ﺟَ ﻣِﯾﻌًﺎ أَ ﱡﯾ َﮫ ٱ ْﻟﻣ ُْؤ ِﻣﻧ‬ ِ ‫ﻟ ﱠﻠ‬
forgive you all, O believers, that
you may be successful.”

[al-Nur 24:31]
 - Spiritual Preparation & Personal Development

Sincere repentance
:‫َوﻗَﺎل َ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬
‫)ﯾَﺎ أَ ﱡﯾﮭَﺎ اﻟﻧﱠﺎسُ ﺗُوﺑُوا إِﻟَﻰ‬
(ٍ‫ﷲ َﻓﺈِﻧﱢﻲ أَﺗُوبُ ﻓِﻲ ا ْﻟﯾ َْومِ إِ َﻟ ْﯾ ِﮫ ﻣِﺎ َﺋ َﺔ ﻣَرﱠ ة‬
ِ‫ﱠ‬
Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬said:

"O people, repent to Allah, for I

verily repent to Him one hundred
times a day.”

Hisn al-Muslim
 - Spiritual Preparation

Du’a (supplication)
:‫ﻗﺎل اﻟﺣﺎﻓظ اﺑن رﺟب رﺣﻣﮫ ﷲ‬
،‫ ﻛﺎﻧوا ﯾدﻋون ﷲ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ ﺳﺗﺔ أﺷﮭر أن ﯾﺑﻠﻐﮭم رﻣﺿﺎن‬:‫"ﻗﺎل ﻣﻌﻠﻰ ﺑن اﻟﻔﺿل‬
:‫ ﻛﺎن ﻣن دﻋﺎﺋﮭم‬:‫ وﻗﺎل ﯾﺣﯾﻰ ﺑن أﺑﻲ ﻛﺛﯾر‬.‫وﯾدﻋوﻧﮫ ﺳﺗﺔ أﺷﮭر أن ﯾﺗﻘﺑل ﻣﻧﮭم‬
‫" اﻧﺗﮭﻰ ﻣن‬.‫ ﻣﺗﻘﺑﻼ‬،‫ وﺳﻠم ﻟﻲ رﻣﺿﺎن وﺗﺳﻠﻣﮫ ﻣﻧﻲ‬، ‫اﻟﻠﮭم ﺳﻠﻣﻧﻲ إﻟﻰ رﻣﺿﺎن‬
(148 ‫"ﻟطﺎﺋف اﻟﻣﻌﺎرف" )ص‬
Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Ma‘alla ibn al-Fadl said: They used to pray to Allah for six
months, may He be exalted, asking Him to cause them to
reach Ramadan, and they used to call upon Him for six
months asking Him to accept it from them. Yahya ibn Abi
Kathir said: One of their du‘as was: “O Allah, keep me safe
until Ramadan, keep Ramadan safe for me, and accept it
from me.””

(Lataif al-Ma‘arif, p. 148)

 l
al ī w a
ā nī
w ān Aw T h dah h
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r a m
a l -A al-T ā a ā
a n ā n ā l
- Q - Ḥ
ar far ā ḍ l l
ḥ b īʿ b īʿ mād mād jab a ʿb ma a ww ū a ū
a
u
M Ṣa Ra Ra Ju Ju Ra Sh Ra Sh Dh Dh

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

‫اﻟﻠﮭم ﺑﻠﻐﻧﺎ رﻣﺿﺎن‬

‫اﻟﻠﮭم ﺗﻘﺑل ﻣﻧﺎ اﻟﺻﻼة واﻟﺻﯾﺎم‬

‫واﻟﻘﯾﺎم‬
 - Spiritual Preparation

Rejoicing at the approach

of the blessed month
‫ ﻣ َْوﻟَﻰ‬، ٍ‫ ﻗَﺎل َ ﺣَ دﱠ َﺛﻧِﻲ اﺑْنُ أَﺑِﻲ أَﻧَس‬،ٍ‫ ﻋَ ِن ا ْﺑ ِن ﺷِ ﮭَﺎب‬،ٌ ‫ ﻗَﺎل َ ﺣَ دﱠ َﺛﻧِﻲ ُﻋ َﻘ ْﯾل‬، ُ‫ ﺣَ دﱠ َﺛﻧَﺎ اﻟ ﱠﻠﯾْث‬، ٍ‫ﺣَ دﱠ َﺛﻧَﺎ ﯾَﺣْ ﯾَﻰ ﺑْنُ ُﺑ َﻛﯾْر‬
‫ﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬ ِ ‫ ﺳَ ﻣِﻊَ أَﺑَﺎ ھُرَ ﯾْرَ َة ـ رﺿﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻧﮫ ـ َﯾﻘُول ُ ﻗَﺎل َ رَ ﺳُول ُ ﱠ‬،ُ‫ ﺣَ ﱠد َﺛ ُﮫ أَ ﱠﻧﮫ‬،ُ‫اﻟ ﱠﺗ ْﯾ ِﻣﯾﱢﯾنَ أَنﱠ أَﺑَﺎه‬

ْ‫ َو ُﻏ ﱢﻠﻘَت‬،ِ‫" إِذَ ا دَ ﺧَ ل َ رَ ﻣَﺿَ ﺎنُ ﻓُﺗﱢﺣَ تْ أَﺑ َْوابُ اﻟْﺟَ ﱠﻧﺔ‬

." ُ‫ﺷﯾَﺎطِ ﯾن‬ ‫ت اﻟ ﱠ‬
ِ ‫ﺳﻠْﺳِ َﻠ‬ ُ ‫ َو‬،َ‫أَﺑ َْوابُ ﺟَ َﮭ ﱠﻧم‬
Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "When the month

of Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are
opened and the gates of the (Hell) Fire are closed,
and the devils are chained."

Sahih al-Bukhari
 - Spiritual Preparation

Rejoicing at the approach

of the blessed month

ِ‫ﻗُلْ ِﺑﻔَﺿْ ل‬
‫ٱ‬
٥٨ َ‫ُون‬
‫ﻌ‬ ‫ﻣ‬
َ ْ‫َﺟ‬
‫ﯾ‬ ‫ﱠﺎ‬
‫ﻣ‬ ‫ﻣ‬
‫ﱢ‬ ‫ر‬ٌۭ ‫ﯾ‬
ْ َ‫ﺧ‬ ‫ُو‬
َ ‫ھ‬ ۟‫ُوا‬
‫ﺣ‬ َ‫ْر‬
‫ﻔ‬ ‫ﯾ‬
َ
“Say: ‘In the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy
‫ﻠ‬
ْ ‫ﻓ‬
َ ‫ك‬
َ ِ ‫ﻟ‬ َٰ‫ِذ‬
‫ﺑ‬ ‫ﻓ‬
َ ‫ِۦ‬
‫ﮫ‬ ‫ﺗ‬
ِ ‫ﻣ‬
َ ْ‫ﺣ‬ َ‫ِر‬
‫ﺑ‬ ‫و‬
َ ‫ﮫ‬
ِ ‫ﻠ‬
‫ﱠ‬ ‫ﻟ‬
(i.e. Islam and the Quran); —therein let them
rejoice.’ That is better than what (the wealth)
they amass.”

[Yunus : 58]
 - Spiritual Preparation & Personal Development

Discharging the duty of any

outstanding obligatory fasts
:‫ﻗﺎل اﻟﺣﺎﻓظ اﺑن ﺣﺟر رﺣﻣﮫ ﷲ‬
‫وﯾؤﺧذ ﻣن ﺣرﺻﮭﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ذﻟك ﻓﻲ ﺷﻌﺑﺎن أﻧﮫ ﻻ ﯾﺟوز ﺗﺄﺧﯾر اﻟﻘﺿﺎء‬
‫ﺣﺗﻰ ﯾدﺧل رﻣﺿﺎن آﺧر‬
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“From her keenness to do that in Sha’ban it

may be understood that it is not permissible to
delay making them up until another Ramadan
begins.”

Fath al-Bari (4/191)

 - Spiritual Preparation & Personal Development

Seeking knowledge

‫وﻋن أﺑﻲ ھرﯾرة رﺿﻲ ﷲ ﻋﻧﮫ أن رﺳول ﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬

‫ "وﻣن ﺳﻠك طرﯾﻘًﺎ ﯾﻠﺗﻣس ﻓﯾﮫ ﻋﻠﻣﺎ ﺳﮭل ﷲ ﻟﮫ ﺑﮫ‬:‫ﻗﺎل‬
"‫طرﯾﻘًﺎ إﻟﻰ اﻟﺟﻧﺔ‬
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "Allah

makes the way to Jannah easy for him who
treads the path in search of knowledge."

[Muslim].
 - Spiritual Preparation & Personal Development
Fasting some of the month of Sha’ban
in preparation for fasting Ramadan.
َ ‫ ﻗَﺎل َ ﻗُﻠْتُ ﯾَﺎ رَ ﺳُول‬،ٍ‫ﻗَﺎل َ ﺣَ دﱠ َﺛﻧِﻲ أ ُﺳَ ﺎ َﻣ ُﺔ ﺑْنُ زَ ْﯾد‬
‫ ﻗَﺎلَ " ذَ ﻟِ َك‬. َ‫ﷲ َﻟ ْم أَرَ َك َﺗﺻُو ُم َﺷﮭْرً ا ﻣِنَ اﻟ ﱡﺷﮭُورِ ﻣَﺎ َﺗﺻُو ُم ﻣِنْ ﺷَﻌْ ﺑَﺎن‬
ِ‫ﱠ‬
‫ﺷ ْﮭ ٌر ﺗُرْ َﻓ ُﻊ‬
َ ‫ب َورَ ﻣَﺿَ ﺎنَ َوھ َُو‬
ٍ َ‫ﺷ ْﮭ ٌر ﯾَﻐْ ﻔُل ُ اﻟﻧﱠﺎسُ ﻋَ ْﻧ ُﮫ َﺑﯾْنَ رَ ﺟ‬
َ
. " ‫ﻓِﯾ ِﮫ اﻷَﻋْ ﻣَﺎل ُ إِﻟَﻰ رَ بﱢ اﻟْﻌَ ﺎ َﻟﻣِﯾنَ َﻓﺄُﺣِبﱡ أَنْ ﯾُرْ ﻓَﻊَ ﻋَ َﻣﻠِﻲ َوأَﻧَﺎ ﺻَ ﺎ ِﺋ ٌم‬
Usamah bin Zaid said:

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting

any month as much as Shaban.' He said: 'That is a month
to which people do not pay much attention, between
Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are
taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my
deeds be taken up when I am fasting."'

Sunan an-Nasa'i
 - Spiritual Preparation & Personal Development

Reading Quran

.‫ ﻛﺎن ﯾﻘﺎل ﺷﮭر ﺷﻌﺑﺎن ﺷﮭر اﻟﻘراء‬:‫ﻗﺎل ﺳﻠﻣﺔ ﺑن ﻛﮭﯾل‬

‫وﻛﺎن ﻋﻣرو ﺑن ﻗﯾس إذا دﺧل ﺷﮭر ﺷﻌﺑﺎن أﻏﻠق ﺣﺎﻧوﺗﮫ وﺗﻔرغ‬
.‫ﻟﻘراءة اﻟﻘرآن‬

Salamah ibn Kuhayl said:

“It was said that Sha’ban was the month of the
Quran readers.”

When Sha’ban began,

‘Amr ibn Qays would close his shop and free his
time for reading Quran.
 - Financial Preparation
Planning for Zakat and charitable
donations
َ‫ﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم أَﺟْ َود‬ ِ ‫ ﻗَﺎلَ ﻛَﺎنَ رَ ﺳُول ُ ﱠ‬، ٍ‫ﻋَ ِن ا ْﺑ ِن ﻋَ ﺑﱠﺎس‬
‫ﺷﮭْرِ رَ ﻣَﺿَ ﺎنَ إِنﱠ‬
َ ‫اﻟﻧﱠﺎسِ ﺑِﺎﻟْﺧَ ﯾْرِ َوﻛَﺎنَ أَﺟْ َودَ ﻣَﺎ َﯾﻛُونُ ﻓِﻲ‬
‫ِﺟﺑْرِ ﯾل َ ﻋَ َﻠ ْﯾ ِﮫ‬
‫ﺳ‬‫اﻟ ﱠ‬
‫ﷲ ﺻﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﯾﮫ وﺳﻠم‬
ِ ‫ﻠ ﺎ َ ُم ﻛَﺎنَ َﯾ ْﻠﻘَﺎهُ ﻓِﻲ ُﻛل ﱢ ﺳَ َﻧ ٍﺔ ﻓِﻲ رَ ﻣَﺿَ ﺎنَ ﺣَ ﺗﱠﻰ َﯾﻧْﺳَ ﻠِﺦَ َﻓﯾَﻌْ رِ ضُ ﻋَ َﻠ ْﯾ ِﮫ رَ ﺳُول ُ ﱠ‬
Ibn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (‫)ﷺ‬
was the most generous of people in charity, but ● Budgeting for
he was generous to the utmost in the month of Ramadan
Ramadan. Gabriel (peace be upon him) would meet him expenses
every year during the month of Ramadan until it ended, and
Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬recited to him the Qur'an; and when ● Avoiding
Gabriel met him Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬was most unnecessary
generous in giving charity like the blowing wind. expenditures
during the month
Sahih Muslim
Recap of Key Points