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(Ramadan) Time Management Tips
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“Ramadan has arrived to you, a month of barakah (blessings), Allah envelops you (with His mercy & blessings), so He descends His mercy, erases the sins, answers your duas, and He watches your competition in virtuous deeds and He boasts in front of the angels about you . So let Allah see the best from you , for truly, the miserable one is he who is deprived from the mercy of Allah (in this month)."

Some practical tips to maximize the time during Ramadan & to prepare ourselves for Ibaadah & worship during this blessed month of Ramadan.

—•► Clean up the time:

a) Telephone: 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.

b) Cooking: Try to cook something simple during Ramadan as this is a month of Ibaadah & Qur’an, not the month of food. There are some husbands who push their wives to cook different varieties of food & sisters have to spend their time in the kitchen. If it’s very necessary, keep a tape of Qur’an in the kitchen & listen to it while you are busy in kitchen, or keep your tongue moist with the Dhikr.

c) Shopping: 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. 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. These ten days, we have to exaggerate ourselves in doing more Ibaadah & to catch Laylat-ul-Qadr.

d) Dinner Parties/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 socialize. Indeed it’s a great reward to break someone’s fast but give food to people who are needy & poor.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) 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.” ((Tirmidhi))

e) Sleeping: Cut less the time of sleep during this month. It’s a month of Ibaadah, doing good deeds. Who knows, this could be our last ramadan. Reduce your sleeping hours. Its only one month & then you can get back to your normal routine.

—•► Now we have cleaned up a big amount of time, let’s schedule it for Ibaadah.

1) Fard: Pray the Obligatory salaah (prayer) on time with Khushoo. Get yourself ready as soon as the time of salaah comes in. Make dua to Allah to give you khushoo & try to get rid of all the thoughts & waswaas that comes in the mind.
Allah says: ► When ye pass (congregational) prayers, celebrate Allah's praises, standing, sitting down, or lying down on your sides; but when ye are free from danger, set up regular prayers: for such prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times. | sura AN NISA chapter 4 verse 103

2) Sunnah & Nawafil: If you are already praying the 12 sunnah, continue them & add the 2 rakah of sunnah after Dhuhr. [making them 14 altogether].
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Whoever maintains 4 rakah before Dhuhr & 4 rakah after Dhuhr, Allah will make the fire haraam on that person” ((Tirmidhi & Ibn Majah))

3) Qur’an: Ramadan is the month of Qur’an. Try to schedule it all the moments you have. If you are working, keep a pocket size Qur’an with you & read it whenever you get the time, like coffee break, lunchbreak, etc. Read with reflection. Read slowly in a beautiful voice & reflect on its meanings.
Allah says: ► Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong). So everyone of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spent it in fasting, but if anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful. | sura AL BAQARA chapter 2 verse 185

4) Taraweeh & Qiyaam-ul-layl: Pray the taraweeh in the masjid where the imaam does a long Qiyaam.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Whoever prayed at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven." ((Sahih Al-Bukhari))

5) Tahajjud: Try to get up a little earlier to pray 2 rakah before suhoor & make dua. Its the best time for making dua & a time of acceptance of dua.
Allah says: ► And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a station of Praise and Glory! | sura AL ISRA chapter 17 verse 79

6) Dua: Write down all the dua you want to make for yourself, your children, family or any dua that you want to make for your deen or dunya. Each day, focus on one dua & keep on repeating it throughout the day & at times when the dua is accepted (between aadhan & Iqaamah, iftaar time, in sujood, last 3rd of night). Make dua to Allah to give you Ikhlaas, khushoo, make dua that you catch laylat-ul-Qadr. make dua for the whole Ummah.
Allah says: ► And there are men who say: "Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the fire!" | sura AL BAQARA chapter 2 verse 201

7) Dhikr: Select one Dhikr for a day & focus on it daily, reflecting on its meaning & thinking about its reward, while repeating it through out the day. Keep your tongue moist with dhikr.
Allah says: ► "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. | sura AR RAD chapter 13 verse 28

8) Charity: 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.
Allah says: ► It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness―to believe in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Book and the Messengers; to spend of your substance out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans for the needy, for the wayfarer for those who ask and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer and practise regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth the Allah-fearing. | sura AL BAQARA chapter 2 verse 177

—•►Last 10 days►•—
Double & triple the amount of Ibaadah you are already doing (reading Qur'an, nawafil, Dhikr, dua, qiyaam) in the last ten days of Ramadan. Sleep less & worship more.. pray as much as you can & make a lot of dua.

Inna anzalnahu fee laylati alqadri Wama adraka ma laylatu alqadri Laylatu alqadri khayrun min alfi shahrin Tanazzalu almalaikatu waalrroohu feeha biithni rabbihim min kulli amrin Salamun hiya hatta matlaAAi alfajri
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Allah says: ► We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the night of Power: And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand Months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand: Peace!... This until the rise of Morn! | sura AL QADR chapter 97 verse 1-5

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