Important Tips for New Muslims During Ramadan
QI am a new Muslim. May you please give me few tips about my first Ramadan?
ANSWER
Dina Mohamed Basiony
Short Answer: Fasting is not intended as hardship. Make lots of du’aa as supplication is the essence of worship. Remember Allah often as this is a great way to strengthen your connection with Allah. Don’t be overwhelmed. Allah appreciates every effort that you do for His sake and He will reward you for it. No difficulty or hardship will go unnoticed or unrewarded by Allah. So have immense faith in Him.
Salam (Peace),
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
In the verse where Allah mentioned the month of Ramadan, He says:
{The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.} (Quran 2:185) [emphasis added]
1- Fasting is not intended as hardship
Comfort of the Heart vs. Comfort of the Body
Remember in the verse above, Allah Almighty says, {Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.}
So, please remember this always: Allah intends for you ease!
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The close connection with Allah Almighty throughout this month and through His words is meant to ease the burdens of our hearts and our souls.
Allah doesn’t burden a soul with more than it can handle.
Whatever we’re meant to do in Ramadan is meant to be a means of relief for us, to remind us of the vastness of Allah’s Mercy, the vastness of His Rewards and His Generosity, and to take the burden of this temporary material world off of our shoulders a little bit.
2- Make dua (supplication)
Make lots of dua.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Supplication is the essence of worship (Tirmidhi).
Also He said:
Verily supplication is worship.
So, make dua (supplication) all day, this is available for you 24/7 and it is an act that is rewarded greatly and it increases you in connection with Allah.
Allah Almighty Himself says in the Quran
{And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.} (Quran 40:60)
Barakah - How Can We Obtain More Blessings in Ramadan
Also, the dua of the person who is fasting is answered.
So make use of this opportunity.
3- Make dhikr (remembrance of Allah)
You can make lots of dhikr. That’s key to spirituality and connection with Allah.
Remembering Allah, uttering His Names, glorifying Him, thanking Him, remembering Him are all great ways of worship and means for enormous reward and connection with Allah (SWT).
The Prophet said:
‘Should I not inform you of the best of your deed, and the purest of them with your Master, and the highest of them in your ranks, and what is better for you than spending gold and silver, and better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks, and they strike your necks?’ They said: ‘Of course.’ He said, ‘The remembrance of Allah [Most High].’ [Then] Mu’adh bin Jabal [may Allah be pleased with him] said: ‘There is nothing that brings more salvation from the punishment of Allah than the remembrance of Allah.’ (Jami` at-Tirmidhi)
And The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, the angels surround them (with their wings), (Allah’s) mercy envelops them, tranquility descends upon them and Allah makes a mention of them before those who are near Him.” (Muslim)
Also The Messenger of Allah said:
Allah the Exalted says: ‘I am as my slave expects me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me inwardly, I will remember him inwardly, and if he remembers Me in an assembly, I will remember him in a better assembly (i.e., in the assembly of angels). (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
4- Do not be overwhelmed
How I Came to Know and Love the Real GodAmong Allah’s Beautiful Names is As-Shakoor (The Most Appreciative).
So Allah appreciates every effort that you do for His sake and He will reward you for it.
No difficulty or hardship will go unnoticed or unrewarded by Allah. So have immense faith in Him.
You struggling (putting your best effort) is appreciated by Allah and is heavy on your scale.
Don’t look at those who have finished reciting the whole Quran three times or are staying up praying for three hours and then feel you’re not accomplishing enough or that you’re slacking behind.
Your struggle is appreciated, and perhaps you doing your absolute best to recite one page of the Quran properly while it’s difficult for you is heavier on the scale than someone reciting the whole Quran casually and/or mindlessly.
Allah knows you and Allah sees you and He knows what’s going on in your heart and He is listening to the whispers in your head.
Important Tips for New Muslims During Ramadan
He is so close, even closer than you would think.
He is not a faraway deity that is hard to please. Rather Allah is Near, Appreciative, and Responsive.
He will respond to you in the most beautiful ways and open doors for you.
So, fall in love with Allah, with His Words in the Quran and with this blessed month of immense rewards and opportunities.
That’s all that is required from you and you can do it.
May Allah bless you all, our brothers and sisters in every corner of this planet, and may He accept from you and elevate your status and grant you to the highest place in Paradise!
15 Hadiths on Optional Night Prayer (Qiyam)
Muhammad Fathi
Qiyam-ul-Layl or optional night prayer, also known as taraweeh and tahjjud, is one of the best ways to maximize your gains in Ramadan.
The merits of this special worship are numerous. It is praised in various Quranic verses and Hadiths. The nights of Ramadan are a perfect opportunity to develop the habit of observing Qiyam-ul-Layl.
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Following are 15 hadiths that show the significance of this worship and the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) guidance regarding it*:
The Grateful Prophet
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1. `A’ishah, the Prophet’s wife (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:
When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed (the optional night prayers: Qiyam-ul-layl), he would stand until (the skin of) his feet swelled. So, I said:
“O Prophet of Allah, do you do as such while Allah has forgiven you all mistakes?”
He responded: “Should not I be a grateful servant of Allah?” (Muslim)
The Prophet’s Example
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2. `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I prayed one night with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he kept standing until I thought of doing something bad.”
`Abdullah was asked, “What was that?”
He said: “I thought of sitting down and leaving him.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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3. Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
I prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) one night and he started reciting [surat] Al-Baqarah.
I thought that he would bow at the end of one hundred verses, but he proceeded on; so I thought that he would perhaps recite the whole surah in a rak`ah.
He continued reciting and I had the belief that he would bow on completing the Surah. However, he went on and started [surat] An-Nisaa’ and recited it all.
Then he started [surat] Aal `Imran and recited it.
He recited leisurely: when he reached a verse which referred to the Glory of Allah, he glorified Allah; when he recited a verse that includes a supplication, he would supplicate Allah; and when he came across a verse related toisti`adha (seeking Allah’s protection), he asked Allah for protection.
Then he bowed and repeated (while bowing): ‘Subhana rabbia al-`adheem‘ (Glory be to my Mighty Lord.) His bowing lasted about the same length of his standing time.
(Then, on returning to the standing posture afterruku`) he said:
Sami` Allahu liman Hamidah
rabbana walka al-Hamd
Allah responds to whoever praises Him
O Lord, Yours is the praise
He stood about the same length of time as he had spent in bowing. He then prostrated himself and said:
Subhana Rabbia Al-A`la
Glory be to my Lord, the most High
His prostration lasted nearly the same length of time as his standing. (Muslim)
Advice to Beloved Companions
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4. `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited him and [his wife] Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her) one night and said, “Why do not you observe prayer (at night)?” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
10 Things You Should Know About Taraweeh
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5. Salim ibn `Abdullah ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported, on the authority of his father, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“What an excellent man `Abdullah is! If only he could perform [optional] prayers at night.”
Salim said that after this, (his father) `Abdullah used to sleep very little at night. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
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6. `Abdullah ibn `Amr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:
“O `Abdullah, do not be like so and so! He used to pray at night and then he stopped doing that” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The Best Good Deed
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7. Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“The best month for observing fasting after Ramadan is Allah’s month of Muharram, and the best Salah after the prescribed Salah is Salah at night.” (Muslim)
Ramadan Specials
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8. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“Whosoever performs Qiyam (optional night prayer) during Ramadan out of faith and being hopeful of Allah’s reward, will have his past sins forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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9. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whosoever performs Qiyam (optional night prayer) during Lailat Al-Qadr (Night of Decree), out of faith and being hopeful of Allah’s reward, will have his past sins forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Easy Access to Paradise
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10. `Abdullah ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated,
When the Prophet arrived for the first time in Madinah, I went with everyone to see him. When I saw him, I knew his face was not that of a liar. The first words he said were,
“O people, spread Salam (greeting of peace), give food, maintain kin relationships, and pray at night while people are asleep. With this, you shall enter Heaven in peace.” (Ibn Majah)
How to Do It
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11. `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Night prayers are to be offered two by two, then if you fear that dawn will come, make [the total of the rak`ahs you performed] an odd number by praying one [additional] rak`ah.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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12. Abu Huryrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“When one of you gets up at night to perform [optional night] prayer, let him start Salah with two short Rak`ahs.” (Muslim).
A Family Activity
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13. `A’ishah reported:
When the last ten nights of Ramadan entered, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would revive the night in worship and awake his family… (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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14. Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“May Allah show mercy to a man who gets up during the night and performs Salah, awakens his wife to pray and if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face (to make her get up).
May Allah show mercy to a woman who gets up during the night and performs Salah, awakens her husband for the same purpose; and if he refuses, she sprinkles water on his face.” (Abu Dawud).
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15. Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“When a man awakens his wife during the night and they both perform two-Rak`ah prayer together, they are recorded among the men and women who celebrate remembrance of Allah.” (Abu Dawud)
5 Tips to Take Your Dua to the Next Level
A Real-life Parable: Amazing Mercy
The Greatest Name of God by Which He Answers Dua
Imagine you knock on a friend’s door, as soon as they open, without greeting them, you ask them to borrow money. They reluctantly give you it and the next day you go again, to ask for more. Would they get annoyed, and after a few times tell you to stop coming, or even refuse the first time?
Now imagine you have a need and go to your friend’s house. They open the door, you greet them, inquire how they are, and then ask them. Wouldn’t that be more appropriate? But even then, wouldn’t they get tired of giving after a few times?
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Then how come, when it comes to asking the Lord of the Worlds Himself; we are hasty? We rush into what we are asking for without praising Him, and we are uncertain or even uninspired as to what to ask for?
Isn’t this amazing: Allah, Al Mujeeb, the One who Responds, never gets tired of us asking and of giving us what we need. Would that friend ever say: ‘I’m so happy you chose to ask me for money day in day out, I will give you $1000 on top of that’?
Yet, Allah, the All-mighty, even rewards you for asking! And you will find this only in the relationship of Allah with His slave. Isn’t that Mercy?
The Greatest Act of Worship – Enhanced!
Supplicating to Him, the One who loves us to ask from Him, is the backbone of worship. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Dua’ is the essence (or the backbone) of worship. (Sunan At-Tirmidhi)
And:
In the court of Allah, there is no greater thing than dua’. (Ibn Majah)
The invocation of Allah is the greatest act of worship and calling upon Him, by His Beautiful Names, Al Asmaa ul Husnaa, brings about immense rewards and response, by His will!
‘I feel like I don’t know what to ask… I’ve sinned too much anyway… Nothing changed so I stopped asking.’ Where do you stand in your supplicating to Allah? It’s time to reshape your image of making dua (plural: ad’iyah) forever and discover the sweetness of supplicating to Him with Al Asmaa ul Husnaa!
Use the Supplications from the Quran & Sunnah With His Names
In the Quran and Sunnah, there are multiple supplications in which the Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah are used; and you’ll find they match the content of the dua’. For example:
Our Lord! make not our hearts to deviate after You have guided us aright, and grant us from You mercy; surely You are the most liberal Giver. (Quran, 3:8)
Allah uses His Name Al-Wahhaab, The Giver; and surely guidance and mercy are of His best gifts!
Action Point:
Seek out the Quranic Supplications with Allah’s Names, read their tafsir (explanation of the Qur’an, such as Tafsir Ibn Kathir), use them and teach others.
Make Multiple Intentions while Supplicating
When using these Quranic and Sunnah supplications containing His Beautiful Names, make multiple intentions! Ask Allah, the Most High to be rewarded for: Reading a verse from the Quran (or hadith in case of a supplication from the Sunnah), supplicating to Allah and specifically supplicating using His Names. An extra is to make a niyyah (intention) to learn the meaning of these Names, memorize them and learn how to live by them.*
Make Your Own Supplications with His Names: Five Tips!
Here are some practical to do’s to super-benefit from your dua’-making whilst using Allah’s Beautiful Names and Attributes.
1. Be Motivated and Don’t Be Hasty
The Prophet Muhammad said:
Verily your Lord is Generous and Shy. If His servant raises his hands to Him (in supplication) He becomes shy to return them empty. (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi)
Think of this beautiful combination: His Generosity and His Shyness and raise those hands!
Never give up.
It was asked:
“O Messenger of Allah, what does it mean to be hasty?”
The Prophet responded:
A worshiper says, ‘I have prayed and prayed , and I don’t yet see that it will be accepted; so he gives up hope of being answered, and leaves dua. (Muslim)
2. Be Convinced and Firm
Be totally positive Allah will accept your dua’.
The Prophet Muhammad said:
When anyone of you supplicates then don’t say “Oh Allah! Forgive me if you want, have mercy on me if you want, give me subsistence if you wish”. Rather believe completely that He will do whatever He wishes. Nobody can force Him. (Al- Bukhari)
And don’t forget He knows what’s best for you!
3. Pick 5 Dream Duas and Use Them All Day, Every Day!
Me-Time is Time For Allah
Take a moment one of these days to look into your heart and think what you really, really want this year and beyond.
– Pick a selection of 5 (or more) main duas and make them every day in Ramadan when you break your fast. Set short-term dua’ goals; even for six months ahead and you will see how quick Allah the Most High will answer them, so you can set new goals.
– Then also pick minimum one other time(s) you will stick every day to making these duas, such as in sujood, at the end of your prayer, throughout the day of fasting, immediately after ablution.
– Per dua’, select a Name(s) of Allah which relates to your dua’ and use it while you ask!
4. Your Ultimate Dua’ List
Write down as many supplications you can think of, big or small, long-term or short, for this world or the next. Share thoughts with your family which is a beautiful, intimate experience. This ‘ongoing’ dua list will travel with you throughout your life; keep adding supplications to it!
Start reading your list each day so you get familiar with the duas and you never get a moment in taraweeh prayers you don’t know what to ask! In front of every dua write a Name(s) of Allah that matches the content. Check out this pre-printed ‘Ultimate Dua’ List’ in which spaces are left to fill in Names of Allah.
5. Visualize Your Duas
Go to Google, type in some key words related to your dua, find and image and print it off so you can keep looking at it. This will greatly help you visualize your goals and make your duas (and your longing) much stronger! Also look after the physical part of supplicating; study the physical actions that make your dua accepted more. Like making ablution before you supplicate, face the direction of the Ka’bah and raising your hands.
Use This Practical, Unique Names of Allah Calendar!
You’ll get find each Name of Allah in Arabic with English transliteration and meaning along with a beautiful, concise dua’ based on how to live by this Name. While making dua’ you’ll learn the practical meaning of all these beautiful Names like you never did before, by Allah’s will! Download and use it from your phone or print.
* Find How to Live By Allah’s Names Series here.
