It has been said that everything has a beloved & that the month of Ramadan has a beloved, too: The Glorious Qur’an. And so for the duration of this month, Muslims worldwide honour Ramadan’s Beloved & aspire to complete the recitation of the Qur’aan.

In this article you’ll learn how you too, can work towards achieving this noble goal, inshaAllah

Step 1: Establishing an intention.

Our beloved Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) taught us – through his words & actions – the important of ones intent or purpose. Establishing one’s intention is an effective catalyst to implementation. Once your intention has been established, remember to renew it often. Whilst reciting & even upon completion of Qur’an, recall your intention & renew it, thus ensuring that it is constantly purified & you are seeking His Divine Acceptance, inshaAllah.

Step 2: Don’t be Overwhelmed.

For some, as much as they aspire to complete the recitation of the Qur’an during Ramadan, they are overwhelmed by the number of pages or the length of some surahs. Remove ‘I can’t’ from your vocabulary & eliminate negative thinking for the believer puts their trust in Allah matched by striving with their actions. Remind yourself that you are (Allah Willing) fully capable of achieving your Qur’aanic aspirations, whether it be completing 1 or 5 times the completion of Al-Qur’an. This second point is key. Put your heart into this accomplishment & reap the rewards throughout, inshaAllah.

Step: 3 Plan Ahead.

Prior to commencing with your recitation it’s important to plan around your routine and block out time for your Qur’an goal Eg. your work hours, rest hours & any other commitments which you may have. Structure a realistic plan of how to complete the recitation of Qur’aan within the month by dividing each Juzz up per day. Draw up this personal plan, review it constantly, and put it into action!

As you put your plan to paper, consider past Ramadans and ask yourself if there have been instances where you were unable to complete Qur’anic recitation. Reflect over why & how this occurred? Is there a different mechanism that you could put into place? How could you enhance your daily Qur’an routine if these distractions were dealt with?

Take the first opportunity that comes, to begin your Qur’anic quest. So when the moon is sighted & the announcement has been made for the 1st Salaatul-Taraweeh, begin in earnest, with Surah Al-Fatiha, Surah Al-Baqarah.. etc

Step 4: Understanding Qur’an.

Read the translation of the Juzz you will be reciting daily. Having a basic knowledge of the theme, topic, message & meaning of what you are reciting makes the recitation of the Qur’an an incredibly uplifting experience that you do not want to miss out on!

Step 5: Find Qur’an Buddies & Compete in Good

Develop close bonds with brothers/sisters who are known for their attachment to the Qur’an, they’ll be your spiritual friends. Engage a Qur’an Buddy in your noble Qur’an productivity goals. Request that they remind you to fulfil your goals & spiritual aspirations so they can help you at times of slacking.

In life we compete with many materialistic goals and race one another but what about following the footsteps of the best generations that had come before us in a competition this Ramadan? In striving & competing with our friends & colleagues, in a good-natured way, towards our noble goals we can motivate ourselves to finish our Qur’an goal.

One of the common aspects which deter a Muslim from completing this task is excessive communication. Often, many of us spend too much unnecessary time surfing the net, chatting, texting, etc. Reduce this even by a third & you will see, feel and witness the blessings in your time, inshaAllah.

Step 6: Seize the Moment.

A deeply inspiring story with ‘lessons from the waiting room’ – where a mother who has taken her unwell child to the hospital waits for the doctor to see to her child. She notices a young Muslim who uses his time in the waiting room, in a most effective & spiritually rewarding way, reciting from a pocket-sized Quran. Lesson to be taken here: Invest in a pocket-sized Qur’an and make it your Best Friend this Ramadan. Seize every opportunity & moment to be with Allah swt through your recitation.

One of the best times at which to recite Qur’an, is after Suhoor. Having partaken from the sunnah meal, and with a hour or two still to go before work or school this is the ideal jumpstart to your day. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) asked Allah Subhanhu wa Ta’ala to bless our Ummah in the early hours, and you will also be more likely to memorise ayahs at this time. Research shows that morning study creates better performance in students so don’t miss the morning recitation!

Time Tip: Salah Followed by Qur’an.

Consider the following option that has worked well for numerous people in past Ramadans. Try reciting 6 – 8 pages of Qur’an (depending on the Mus-haf that you are using) after each of your 5 daily salah. Add Qiyaamul-Layl as a 6th addition, and you will reach the end of Ramadan, having completed your Qur’aan recitation with ease & perhaps, even before the last 5 days of Ramadan so long as you remain committed.

Time Tip: Recite before going to sleep.

Allah Subhanhu wa Ta’ala says: “Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul) and most suitable for (framing) the Word (of Prayer and Praise).” [73:6] Reciting during the day is also beneficial, however the night time recitation is easier as well during ramadan as there are less distractions and noise.

Step 7: Remain steadfast & consistent.

The key to any success is consistency. Once you’ve mapped your plan, stick to it. Remind yourself of the greatness of this month, of the opportunities that it provides for your spiritual growth & your relationship with the Qur’an. Don’t be willing to compromise it in this month.

Step 8: Make dua’a to Allah Subhanhu wa Ta’ala

Nothing can be achieved without the Aid & Guidance of Allah ‘Azza wa jal. When making your intention to complete your memorisation of Qur’an, supplicate to Allah ‘Azza wa jal to ease this noble pathway & to crown your efforts with success, inshaAllah.

That’s 10 ways I wanted to share with you on starting and completing your journey through recitation of the Qur’an this Ramadan. Indeed Allah swt says in Surah Al-Baqarah: ”This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah” [2.2] Let the Qur’an be your means for attaining tawqa this Ramadan.

In the hours of the days & nights of this sacred month, May the Qur’an be your companion of light & guidance, resonating through your words, actions & life mission. May your relationship with the Qur’an be strengthened, enriched & enlivened with the Profound Wisdom & Divine Message from Allah Most High.

 

 

The Prophet, , was the most generous of people in giving charity, but he was even more generous during the month of Ramadhaan. He was more generous and faster in giving charity than a blowing wind. Anas  narrated that the Prophet, , said: "The best charity is the one given during Ramadhaan." [At-Tirmithi]

Zayd ibn Aslam narrated that his father said, "I heard ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab saying, 'One day the Messenger of Allaah  commanded us to give in charity. At that time, I had some money. I said, 'Today I shall surpass Abu Bakr, if I am to ever surpass him on any day.' I therefore brought half of my wealth. The Messenger of Allaah  asked: 'What have you left for your family?' I replied, 'The same amount.' Abu Bakr then brought all that he had with him. The Messenger of Allaah  asked him: 'What have you left for your family?' He replied, 'I have left Allaah and His Messenger for them.' Thereupon I said, 'I shall never surpass him in anything.'"

Talhah ibn Yahya ibn Talhah  narrated,

"My grandmother Su‘da bint ‘Awf Al-Muriyyah who was the wife of Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullaah related to me, 'Talhah came to me one day disconcerted. So I asked him, 'Why is it that I see you with a gloomy face? What is the matter with you? Did I do something that upset you?' He said, 'No, you are the best wife a Muslim man can have.' I said, 'Then what is the matter?' He said, 'The wealth I have has increased and that disturbs me.' I said, 'Do not worry. Distribute it.' She said, 'He distributed it until not even a single dirham was left."

Talhah ibn Yahya  further said, "I asked the custodian of Talhah's property: how much was the amount?" He said, 'Four hundred thousand."'

Charity during Ramadhaan has special significance, so hasten to give as much as you can. Charity has many channels, including:

a- Feeding the needy: Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, [saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allaah. We wish not from you reward or gratitude. Indeed, we fear from our Lord a Day austere and distressful." So Allaah will protect them from the evil of that Day and give them radiance and happiness, and will reward them for what they patiently endured [with] a garden [in Paradise] and silk [garments].}[Quran 76: 8-12]

The Salaf (righteous predecessors) were keen to provide food for others and they placed it before many acts of worship. Whether you feed a hungry person or a wealthy Muslim – the reward is the same. Hence, poverty is not a condition for feeding a person. It was narrated that the Prophet, , said: "O people, spread the greeting of peace, provide food, maintain kinship ties and pray during the night when people are asleep, and you will enter Paradise peacefully." [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi. Al-Albaani: Saheeh]

Some of our righteous predecessors said, "For me to invite ten of my friends and feed them with a meal that they like is dearer to me than freeing ten of the descendants of Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael)."

Many of the Salaf used to leave their Iftaar (food for breaking the fast) to others. They included ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar  Daawood At-Taa’i, Maalik ibn Dinaar and Ahmad ibn Hanbal . Ibn ‘Umar  did not break his fast except with the orphans and the needy. Sometimes, if he learned that his family had turned away orphans and the needy, he would not break his fast that night.

Some of the Salaf, including Al-Hasan and Ibn Al-Mubaarak  used to feed their fellow Muslim while they still continued to fast. They also served them and attended to their well-being.

Abu As-Sawwaar Al-‘Adwi  said, "Some men from Banu ‘Adyy tribe used to pray in this mosque. None of them ever broke the fast alone with his food. If he found someone to share with, he ate with him, if not, he would take it to the mosque, so that others ate with him and he ate with others."

Feeding other people is an act of worship that leads to many other acts of worship, including endearing yourself to your brothers whom you fed, which will lead you to Paradise. The Prophet, , said: "You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another." This deed will keep you close to righteous people and Allaah The Almighty will reward you as the food you provide gives them energy to perform acts of obedience.

b- Providing food to break the fast: It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah, , said: "Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward equal to that of the fasting person, without any reduction in his reward." [Ahmad and An-Nasaa’i. Al-Albaani: Saheeh]

In another Hadeeth, Salmaan  narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Whoever feeds a fasting person in it (meaning Ramadhaan) will be recompensed with forgiveness of sins and salvation from Hell. He will also receive the same reward as the fasting person without causing him any reduction (in his reward)." The Companions asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, not all of us can find something to feed a fasting person." The Prophet, , responded: "Allaah will give this reward to him who feeds a fasting person with a sip of milk or a date or a sip of water. Also, Allaah will make him who quenches the thirst of a fasting person to drink from my basin a drink after which he will never feel thirsty until he enters Paradise (where there is no thirst).