Goals for Ramadan

1. Eat, drink and be moderate 
Almost all of us do it – once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it’s hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we’re supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let’s try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.
2. Give a dollar a day in charity…or five or ten
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let’s open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it’s the intention that counts.
3. Memorize 4 new Surahs 
Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you’ve started, you’ll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.
4. Go to Tarawih prayers 
Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan’s blessings. Don’t miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least one week.
5. Attend the Tarawih prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished
Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran’s recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow it.
6. Stop swearing and/or backbiting � with a special box
It’s hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone’s upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn’t the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we’ve got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.
Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount that makes it feel like punishment.

At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person whom you’ve backbitten the most against.
7. Call/email your relatives 
You’d think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we’d keep in touch with family and friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life’s “busyness.”

Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and ask them how their fasting is going.
8.Go on a technology diet 
Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.

9. Read 5 minutes of Quran a day…just five, not more, not less Even if you feel you’ve got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.
10. Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it’s also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah’s forgiveness, shouldn’t we lesser beings forgive too?

If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.

Ramadan Preperation

Ramadan is just around the corner. Here are some tips of how to make the best out of this blessed month.


TIPS:

1. Clean up the time:

a) Telephone: Try to minimize your chat on the telephone. If you are used to chat with your friends on a regular basis, try to make it short. Share with her the importance of this month & tell her that you want to devote yourself for Ibaadah in order to get the maximum reward in this month. Try to share with her these tips.

b) Cooking: Try to cook something simple during Ramadan as this is a month of Ibaadah & Quraan, not a month of food. There are some husbands who push their wifes to cook different varieties of food & sisters have to spend their time in the kitchen. If its very necessary, keep a tape of Quraan in the kitchen & listen to it while you are busy in Kitchen, or keep your toungue moist with the Zikr. [Try to find out some short cut & tips to prepare the food quickly]
C) Shopping: Try to get all your shopping done before Ramadan. Make a list of the things/grocery/ items, that is enough for one month & buy it all together.

Important: Try to do the Eid shopping NOW. The last ten days of Ramadan when we have to be doing more Ibaadah & spend our time in doing good deeds, most of the muslims are busy in doing shopping for Eid & their kids.
Sisters! These ten days, we has to exaggerate ourself in doing more ibaadah & to catch Laila-ul_qadr. Try to make this Ramadan a very different from all the previous ramadaans.
D) Dinner Party/Iftaar: Iftaar parties during ramadan are getting very common now. This is the Month for you sisters. we have the rest of the full year to do parties & to get socialize. Indeed its a great reward to break someone’s fast but try to give food to people who are needy & poor. The prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said,
�Whoever gives food to a fasting person with which to break his fast, will have a reward equal to his, without it detracting in the slightest from the reward of the fasting person.� (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3/171; Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1/451).
E) Sleeping: Cut less the time of sleep during this month. Its a month of Ibaadha, doing good deeds. Who knows this could be our last ramadan. try to reduce your sleeping hours. Its only one month & then you can get back to your normal routine.
F) Computer & Internet: this is my personal request.I am spending lot of time on the internet, though visiting Islamic sites & checking & sending emails. Try to spend less time on the internet.
Now when we have cleaned up a big amount of time, lets schedule it for Ibaadhah.

1) Fard: Pray the Obligatory salah on time with Khushoo. Get yourself ready as soon as the salah comes in. Make duaa to Allah to give you Khushoo. & try to get rid of all the thoughts & waswaas that comes in the mind. Think of that you are standing infront of your LORD the Almighty.
2) Sunnah: If you are already praying the 12 sunnah, continue them & add the 2 rak’ah of sunnah after Zuhr. [making them 14 altogether].
The prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said,
�Whoever maintain 4 rak’ah before Zuhr & 4 rak’ah after zuhr, Allah will make the fire Haram on that person” [Ibn-Majah]
4 rak’ah before Asr: The prophet Sallalahu alaihi wasallam said,
�may Allah have mercy on him who prays 4 rak’ah before Asr”. [Tirmidi]

Salah Al-Duha: Increase the no. of Rak’ah if you are already in a habit of praying salah al-Duha.

3) Qur’aan: Ramadaan is the month of Quraan. Try to schedule it all the moments you have. If you are working, try to keep a pocket size Quraan with you & read it whenever you get the time,like, coffee break, lunch break, etc
Try to read with reflection. Read slowly in a beautiful voice & reflect on its meaning. Try to read this time, with translation & tafseer.
3) Traweeh & Qiyaam-ul-lail: Try to read the traweeh in the mosque where the Imaam is doing long Qiyaam.
4) Tahajjud: Try to get up little earlier to pray 2 rak’ah & make duaa. Its the best time for making duaa & accepntance of duaa.
5) Du’aa: Write all the duaa you want to make for yourself, your children, family or any duaa that you want to make. Each day try to focus on duaa, & keep on repeating it throughout the day & at times when the duaa is accepted. Make duaa to Allah to give you Ikhlaas, khushoo, make duaa that you catch lailat-ul-Qadr. make duaa for the whole Ummah.
[repeat the duaa that are important to you,during the last ten days of Ramadan]
6) Zikr: Select one zikr for a day & focus on it daily, reflecting on its meaning & thinking about its reward. [ get the Duaa book "Hisn-ul-muslim or hisn-ul haseen from any store]
7) Charity: Try to give as much charity as you can, as the reward gets more during the month of ramadan. Give food to the poor & needy people & help those in need.

 Last 10 days: Double & triple the amount of Ibaadah you are doing during the last ten days of Ramadan. Sleep less & worship more.. pray as much as you can & make a lot of duaa.