The Ramadan Early Bird Series!

by Yacoob Manjoo, Collected from Productive Muslim website. May Allah grant their effort

Ramadan is quickly approaching. Instead of waiting for the last minute to prepare, begin today for a fruitful month of blessings and barakah from Allah [SWT].

To fully benefit from a great opportunity, you need to prepare for it – and the more thorough the preparation, the better. As Muslims, we have an annual event that serves as a tremendous opportunity to gather rewards and effect permanent, positive changes in our lives that will help us draw closer and closer to the Almighty. That opportunity is Ramadan.
Usually, it’s only in the two months before Ramadan that we start hearing about how important it is to prepare so that by the time the month arrives, we’re already in the spirit of striving, and we have the momentum to make the most of Ramadan.

But we also hear how the Prophet’s ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) companions raḍyAllāhu 'anhum (may Allāh be pleased with them) (may Allāh be pleased with them) used to look forward to Ramadan a full six months before it came. And because they are the best generation in our history, we should take them as our role models and try to emulate their attitude towards this great opportunity.
We have, insha Allah, about five months left until Ramadan begins – so if we want to take full benefit from Ramadan, and take advantage of those ‘early bird’ benefits, now is the time to start preparing (if we haven’t already started, that is).
You may be thinking it’s too soon, but time flies and we get wrapped up in so many things – so it would be foolish to let this reminder – and this early opportunity – pass you by.

The Early Bird Plan

It’s a well-established principle that the way to success is gradualism: doing things little by little, stage by stage, but being consistent in it. So with this series, what I hope to do is take one aspect of development at a time, and make that the focus for the month – for the next five months. And when Ramadan hits, insha Allah, we would have covered five important elements of our spiritual lives, and be better prepared to step up in those areas to new and amazing heights.
The system being proposed here is open to your suggestions, so please do give feedback if you can contribute anything positive. With regard to topics on a monthly basis, you can choose to go along with what’s suggested, or you can choose your own area to focus on. Each person knows him/herself best, and knows what’s most important for their lives – so focus on what you need to, adopting a structured framework within which to focus your efforts.
The general framework for the project:
  1. Pick an area you’d like to work on for this month (e.g. character, speech, fasting, charity); or use the one prescribed in this article
  2. Analyse what your current condition is in the area (quality, frequency, etc)
  3. Look at what your weaknesses / problems are, and their root causes
  4. Think of practical methods to overcome those root causes
  5. Set up a realistic plan of action to implement those solutions gradually in the coming months, then at a higher pace in Ramadan

Stage 1: Salaah

We know the importance of salaah in Islam: it’s the first thing we’ll be asked about on the Day of Judgement, and according to another hadeeth, it’s a founding pillar of Islam – whoever has established it has uplifted the pillar, and whoever has disregarded it has dropped the founding pillar.
So with that in mind, this first month’s preparation consists of the following:
Diagnosis
Ask yourself:
• Do I understand how important salaah really is, for both my current life and my time in the grave and Hereafter?
• Am I making my compulsory salaahs every day?
• Am I generally making them on time, or do I let other things delay me too often?
• Am I striving to make them in congregation?
• Do I have good concentration in salaah, or do other things often distract me?
There are many other points we could ponder on regarding salaah, but for now, we’ll limit the discussion to these alone. Think through each question, and record your answers. Be honest with yourself – and do this either completely in private, without sharing it with anyone (if you prefer it that way), or with someone else (if you think that’s more beneficial).

Root Cause Analysis
Now go through each of these points and look at what the problems / weaknesses are. List each of the problems, along with its outward symptoms that you notice (e.g. losing focus during salaah – what is my mind drifting to?). Then try to find what the root causes of those problems are by interrogating each symptom. Ask yourself “why?” that symptom persists, and keep asking “why?” of each answer until you get to the root cause.
Solutions
With the problems diagnosed, the symptoms identified, and root causes found, now think of practical ways to solve those problems from the root. For example, if your mind drifts to your daily activities during salaah, is it because you spend so much time wrapped up in those activities, and then ‘quickly’ go to make salaah for a short time before you can get back to it?
If so, one solution is to give yourself a buffer of a few minutes before each salaah – a short period where you disconnect from all those activities, sit quietly and alone and try to let all those thoughts dissipate while you mentally prepare for your meeting with Allah. And after the salaah, take another few minutes to just stay in that moment – before you return to your life’s activities.
Planning
With solutions identified, now analyse what your schedule and life is like at this moment, and come up with a realistic plan of how you can implement the solution. Remember that a solution is far more effective if you implement it gradually – in small, manageable pieces, and consistently – rather than trying to make a big change in one go, and burning yourself out. Set up your plan to take baby steps in this month, knowing that you’ll only be starting small for now – and increasing the pace when Ramadan comes.
If, after a while, you find that you’ve incorrectly estimated your ability to follow the plan, simply make adjustments as needed. The goal for this month, and the four that follow, is to implement steps that are realistic for you – what you can manage, and not what will overburden you.
Worksheet
To help with this month’s exercise, you can download and use the following document: Ramadan Early Bird worksheet (1st edition).
Resources
To help you with this month’s focus, check out this very unique talk about salaah (External Resource 1) by Abdul Nasir Jangda. If you’re not able to watch or download, a transcript is available here (External Resource 2). You may also want to read the short e-book “TASTE IT! How to Taste the True Beauty of Salah”, (External Resource 3) which approaches the topic of salaah quality in a short, piece by piece approach.
And the most important resources of all are the right intentions, sincere dua asking for success in this venture, and then consistent effort to do your best.

Part 2 - Unhealthy Habits

While last month’s Early Bird Series post focused on salaah – which is spiritual – this month’s post focuses on something worldly, yet still extremely important. This month, we’ll be tackling our unhealthy, time-consuming habits – you know: Facebook, Twitter, BB addiction, and the like.

It may be painful to face up to, and the exercise may take a while to do, but if you succeed, insha-Allah you’ll make giant strides in bettering your own self and your relationship with Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) (glorified and exalted be He).

Progress = Happiness?

Compared to the previous eras, modern technology makes our lives easier and saves us great amounts of time. For example, whereas laundry was a whole day job 200 years ago, today you can get it done and dried in a couple of hours – with minimal effort on your part.
But with so much time freed up, shouldn’t we be happier – since we have more time to do what we want?
Compare the level of happiness and contentment in previous generations to ours, and you’ll most likely find the answer to be a resounding “no”.
The paradox of today’s world is that even with all our time-saving gadgets and convenience, more than ever, we feel like we don’t have free time. We’re under more pressure and we always seem to need more hours in the day (or night) to finish our tasks. Add to that the entertainment we consume to ‘relax’ and ‘unwind’ from the stresses of life, and then the relatively new phenomenon of always being ‘connected’ to the world and your friends via technology, and you can see how we’re busier than ever before.
For many people, today’s life is filled with e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, mobile phone messages, and a never-ending stream of information: breaking news, alerts, updates, and other bits of information we think we need. The information flood is so rampant that some people seem to spend more time in the virtual world than they do in the real, physical world (shades of ‘The Matrix’, perhaps?).
Whether we pursue these things or they pursue us, it seems that many of us have become slaves to the technology and leisure-time activities we love so much.

The Vessel

But we know that any extreme is unhealthy. So by consuming and being involved in this much information, communication, and entertainment, we’re bound to suffer negative consequences at some point – whether it’s mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual.

American scholar Shaykh Abdullah Adhami sums up the danger in this beautifully simple yet profound quote:
“Every vessel – every container – will only pour out what is contained in it, and that’s very obvious…Your tongue is your ability to express what lies in your spirit: television, the movies, the friends you hang out with, the music you listen to. Everything around you is environmental forces that shape how your being is and how your heart is. And when you open your mouth to speak it’s like your heart is a sponge that absorbs all of this material from around you. Essentially what you’re doing is squeezing what is in you and what comes out is going to be what has been compiled in your mind and in your memory. Obviously you can only express in your heart what has been placed in it. And so in order for the outcome and the output from the tongue to be positive, the input in that needs to be positive: in spirit, in silence, in talking…and throughout our lives.”
Basically, what we consume (other than just food and drink) is what will fill our hearts, and ultimately that’s what we’ll express. So if we fill our time with habits that are poisonous – or not beneficial – those poisons will corrupt our inner beings.
As others have pointed out, the human brain only has a limited capacity – it can only hold so much information. And if we keep filling it with things that aren’t actually important, there won’t be much space left for the things that really are important.

Kicking the Habit – the Early Bird Way

You may already know that you have a Facebook problem, or a Twitter addiction, or that you obsessively check your email every few minutes. Whatever your habits, if you’ve gone to an extreme, you already know you should take some kind of action to bring back the balance. But living in the environment you live in, it’s not easy to disconnect completely and be free of your poisons.
So, as explained in Part 1, our approach in this series is to follow a five-step process to gradually solve the problem:
1. Selection of an area
 For this month, the topic is ‘Unhealthy habits’.
2. Diagnosis
 Analyse your current condition and list your weaknesses.
Using the accompanying worksheet, ask yourself:
  • What technologies and websites do I use most in my personal life?
  • How do I entertain myself?
  • What communication habits fill my time?
  • How many times do I use it per day?
  • On average, how long do I spend on it per day?
Now for each item on your list, ask yourself the following questions:
  1. Whose resources do I use for this? If it’s someone else’s, am I allowed to be using their resources for this?
  2.  Why do I do it as often as I do?
  3. When I use it, why do I spend this amount of time on it?
  4. How does using it make me feel? And how long does that feeling last?
  5. Do I neglect loved ones / people that are right in front of me while I do this? Do these things cause me to spend less quality time with them?
  6. What time do I switch these things off for the day?
  7.  For the entertainment-related items, what is the main message of the music / movies / games? And is this something admirable or meaningful?
  8.  What are the benefits of this thing? (Break this up into worldly and Hereafter categories)
  9.  What are the risks / dangers of this thing? (Break this up into worldly and Hereafter categories)
  10.  Does this harm my acts of worship and relationship with Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) (glorified and exalted be He)?
Use the worksheet to think through each question and record your answers. Be honest with yourself – and do this either completely in private, without sharing it with anyone (if you prefer it that way), or with someone else (if you think that’s more beneficial).
3. Root cause analysis
 Get to the root of your weaknesses / problems.
First, consider your answers and then identify and list your weaknesses or problems you feel you need to address.
Next, write down each issue’s outward symptoms that you notice, and try to find the root causes of the issue by interrogating it. Look at the issue or the symptoms and ask yourself “why?” Keep asking “why?” of each answer until you get to the root cause.
4. Solutions
 Come up with practical methods to overcome those root causes.
With the problems diagnosed, the symptoms identified, and root causes found, now think of practical ways to solve those problems from the root. Brainstorm and list practical ways to solve the issues from the root. While doing this, consider the following questions to help you come up with solutions:
  1.  If I give up / reduce my usage, what benefits could I gain?
  2. What would I like to achieve in life that I haven’t / haven’t tried – because I feel I don’t have the time?
  3. What small steps could I take towards fulfilling those ambitions, if I were to have more free time?
  4. What safety mechanisms and physical steps can I take to cut down on my habits?
  5. Can I arrange my time to be more self-disciplined in these habits?
  6. Can I use any technology applications to block my usage of websites I’d like to leave?
  7. Can I set aside a day or two per month to live completely without these things?
For example, in question 4 (safety mechanisms / physical steps), when you need to do something important, you could move your computer / other distractions to somewhere not so accessible. And in step 5 (time management), you could set specific times in the day when you’ll check email – and stick to it. Or set times each day where you ban yourself from using the Internet / the medium of distraction.
5. Planning and implementation
 Set up a realistic plan of action to implement those solutions gradually in the coming months, then at a higher pace in Ramadan.
With solutions identified, now analyse what your life is like at this moment, and come up with a realistic plan of how you can implement the solutions over a period of time. Remember to keep the plans realistic and achievable – what you can manage, even if it means baby steps over a long period. Doing things gradually – in small and consistent steps – is the best way to achieve sustainable, permanent solutions.
Also include, in your plan, the ways you’d like to intensify your efforts when Ramadan comes.
If, after a while, you find that you’ve incorrectly estimated your ability to follow the plan, simply make adjustments as needed. The goal for this month, and the four that follow, is to implement steps that are realistic for you – what you can manage, and not what will overburden you.
Worksheet
To help with this month’s exercise, you can download and use the following document: RamadanEarlyBirdworksheet.
Resources
To help you with this month’s focus, check out the following:
• Article: From Facebook to God’s book
• Technology blockers: To block sites you want to avoid, use LeechBlock for FireFox; StayFocusd for Google Chrome; or in Internet Explorer just add the in your blocking-settings.
And remember that the most important resources of all are the right intentions, sincere dua asking for success in this venture, and then consistent effort to do your best.
Your contribution
If you know of any good Islamic resources (e.g. lectures, applications) that are freely available online, please suggest them in the comments section.

the Holy Quran (Part 4) 
 
With Ramadan almost here, insha’Allah you’re well on-track with preparing to make the most of the coming month of mercy. Previous posts in this series covered salaahunhealthy habits, and dua – and to wrap up, we shall focus on the greatest source of guidance to come to us – the Holy Quran.
This post can’t come close to being comprehensive enough, or fitting of the subject matter – but it’s an attempt to help in this most immense of areas.

 A light in our dark days

Like Prophets before him, Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came with numerous physical miracles. But the cardinal miracle he was sent with was our Holy Text – Al-Quran. The purpose of this Book is clearly stated very early – in the opening verses of Surah Baqarah (translation of the meaning):
“This is the Book whereof there is no doubt; a guidance to those who are conscious of Allah.” [2: 2]
In a world that has become so confusing and morally corrupt – and is degenerating further and further – who can say that they aren’t in need of guidance? Humanity has tried to put forward various ideologies as the ways to curing our world, and to achieve success – but which of these has truly proven successful?
The answer is: none. And it’s easy to know why. Despite how intelligent we are as humans, and how much we’ve achieved in this world – we cannot know everything there is to know about this world. And despite the progress made via scientific discoveries and technological advances, still no (sane) human can claim to know it all.
Conversely, the One who created us does know everything. Absolutely everything. Both of this world and the realms we cannot perceive through our senses. So it’s only logical that we follow the One with more knowledge – the One that knows what’s best for us – not only because of that knowledge, but because He created us.

And this Quran, coupled with the Sunnah (since the Prophet’s ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  ‘character was the Quran’ – as per Aisha’s raḍyAllāhu 'anha (may Allāh be pleased with her) (may Allāh be pleased with her) statement) is our roadmap to success – both in this life and the next.
The religion of Islam (which is based on these two primary sources) teaches us exactly what’s best for us – and explains where we came from, who we are, and what our purpose in life is.
As Muslims, the Quran is our primary source of spiritual fulfilment and our greatest means towards spiritual progress. So no matter where we are in terms of our spirituality, the Quran is our means to advance. And with Ramadan being the month of the Quran, it’s only to strengthen our relationship with the Quran in preparation for it.

Strengthening the link the Early Bird way

How many times have you heard speakers criticize those who make the Quran an ‘ornament’? Something that sits on the highest shelf of our homes – collecting dust; and only being picked up and read on certain occasions.
Maybe that description doesn’t fit you. Maybe you read the important surahs – such as Surah Yaseen and Surah Mulk regularly, or Surah Kahf on a Friday – because you know about the virtues and rewards of reading them. But is that all you read? Aren’t there 111 other surahs worthy of your attention?
Maybe you do read a lot more of the Quran regularly. But do you understand what you’re reading? Allah is speaking to you directly – do you know what He’s saying?
And are you giving the Quran its proper rights in terms of etiquettes? Do you recite with proper tajweed? Or are you assuming that the way you learnt to recite as a child is correct?
Maybe you’re a hafidh, and you know what the reward of that is – for both you and your parents on the Day of Judgement. But do you actually live the teachings of the Quran? Memorising is one thing, and understanding is another. But actually following is a much, much higher level.
Maybe you can’t even read Arabic at all – due to whatever circumstance in your history. Don’t you feel it’s worth trying to learn? Are you “too old” to start learning now?
No matter what stage we’re at, each of us has a relationship with the Quran. And if we want to improve that relationship, we need to start with sincere intentions, then follow that up with regular and consistent effort.
As explained in previous posts, our approach in this series is to follow a five-step process to gradually solve the problem:
  1. Selection of an area: For this month, the topic is Quran
  2. Diagnosis: Analyse what your current condition is in the area and list your weaknesses
  3. Root cause analysis: Get to the root of your weaknesses / problems
  4. Solutions: Come up with practical methods to overcome those root causes
  5. Planning and implementation: Set up a realistic plan of action to implement those solutions step by step in the coming weeks, then at a higher pace in Ramadan

Diagnosis:

Ask yourself:
  • Do I understand the importance of the Quran in this life?
  • Do I understand its importance when I die, and in my Hereafter?
  • Can I read the Quran in Arabic? Or do I just rely on translations of the meaning in my own home language?
  • If I read in Arabic, is my tajweed correct?
  • How often do I read Quran? (in Arabic and in your own language, if you don’t speak Arabic)
  • When I read, how much time do I spend per reading?
  • Am I reading only certain surahs or sections? Or do I read widely?
  • What are the correct reasons to be reading Quran?
  • Why do I read it?
  • If I don’t understand what I read (either in Arabic or translation), do I make an effort to find out and get a deeper understanding? (e.g. via asking scholars, reading tafseer)
  • When I understand, do I try to implement this understanding in my life?
  • Do I teach others what I learn of the Quran?
Using this month’s worksheet, think through each question and record your answers. Be honest with yourself – and do this either completely in private, without sharing it with anyone (if you prefer it that way), or with someone else (if you think that’s more beneficial).

Analysis:

First, consider your answers, then identify and list your weaknesses or problems you feel you need to address.
Next, write down each issue’s outward symptoms that you notice, and try to find the root causes of the issue by interrogating it. Look at the issue or the symptoms and ask yourself “why?” Keep asking “why?” of each answer until you get to the root cause.
For example, if you don’t recite Quran regularly, ask yourself why. Maybe your answer is simple: “I don’t have time” or “I’m too busy”. Go beyond that – ask why. What do you spend time on? Do you really not have even 10 minutes per day to give to Quran? Can you not cut down on another, less important activity to give Quran some time at least? For example, do you really need to read the news every day? Or do you really have to watch every TV show you like when it airs? (You can use the post on unhealthy habits to help with such time management issues.)

Solutions:

With the problems diagnosed, the symptoms identified, and root causes found, now think of practical ways to solve those problems. Brainstorm and list practical ways to solve the issues from the root – meaning that your solution doesn’t only address the outward symptoms, but the root causes too.
While doing this, remember to apply realistic expectations for yourself. Don’t aim for a solution you know will be impossible. Aim for what’s within your grasp, and know that as you successfully implement one solution, insha-Allah you’ll be better equipped to aim higher and go even further after that.

Planning and implementation:

With solutions identified, now analyse what your life is like at this moment, and come up with a realistic plan of how you can implement the solutions over a period of time. Remember to plan this in ways that are realistic – achievable – for you, even if it means you’ll be taking tiny steps over a long period of time. Doing things gradually – in small and consistent steps – is the best way to achieve sustainable, permanent solutions.
For example, if you struggle to read Arabic, don’t set yourself an initial target of reciting 10 pages of Quran per day (unless you have the time). It’s not about quantity. And the person who struggles to recite, according to hadith, gets more reward than the one who recites fluently. So start with one page. Or even just a few verses per day. You may think that’s too little, but the deeds most beloved to Allah are those that are consistent, even if they be small – so it’s better to read a small amount, which you can keep up with, rather than start big and then quit when you can’t sustain the pace.
Also apply wisdom. Don’t just dogmatically follow a path set down by others. Do what’s right for you – what you think will be most beneficial for you personally. For example, some people are rigid about quantity – they say you “have to” read a whole khattam in a certain number of days / weeks (e.g. ‘You must finish the whole Quran at least once in Ramadan’).
To meet that target, are you going to read like a bullet train (or speedy rapper)? Does Allah want quantity, or quality? Is it better to read the Quran three whole times in a month – without understanding, or read it once – with understanding?
Make your plans realistic and wise. Your relationship with the Quran is your own – it’s personal. And in your grave, and on the Day of Judgement, it’s that relationship which will either benefit or harm you. So keep that in mind and aim for solutions that will stick and will benefit you most in this life and in the next.
Also include, in your plan, the ways you’d like to intensify your efforts when Ramadan comes.
If, after a while, you find that you’ve incorrectly estimated your ability to follow the plan, simply make adjustments as needed. The goal for this month is to implement steps that are realistic for you – what you can manage, and not what will overburden you.

Worksheet

To help with this month’s exercise, you can download and use the following document: RamadanEarlyBird worksheet (4th edition).

Resources

To help you with this month’s focus, check out the following:

  • Audio lecture: “Our Belief in the Quran”  by Shaykh Hussain Abdul Sattar  – a very short lecture on the key ingredient in benefiting from the Quran
  • Audio lecture series: “Reasons for revelation” by Mufti Ismail Menk – Ramadan tafseer series in which the speaker explains the context around the revelation of specific verses of Quran
  • Institutes specialising in Quran: Darun Na’im (Cape Town), Bayyinah Institute  (USA, and online after this Ramadan insha-Allah) – includes free audios of tafseer
  • Website: Islam 101’s Quran resources page – includes Pickthall translation of meanings, recitations, and more.
  • Video: “The purpose of life” by Dr Jeffrey Lang – the story of how an atheist Maths professor came to realise the truth and purpose of life via his reading of the Quran and the use of logic.
 And remember that the most important resources of all are the right intentionssincere dua asking for success in this venture, and then consistent effort to do your best.
Lastly, jazakAllah for being a part of this series on ProductiveMuslim. I hope it’s been beneficial, and I ask that you make dua for me, my family, everyone at ProductiveMuslim, all those who helped promote the series, and everyone who participated in it. I wish you the very best for the coming Ramadan. May Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) (glorified and exalted be He) accept all your preparations and enable you to enter the month in a high state of spirituality, then help you build to greater and greater levels throughout it, and enable you to maintain your commitment on Eid day and beyond.
  

About the Author
Yacoob is a writer, blogger, husband, and father of a very busy toddler. Writing is his passion, and sharing beneficial knowledge and insights has been a pillar of his life for the last decade. He blogs regularly at dreamlife.wordpress.com and Ramadan.co.za during Ramadan.

2 comments:

  1. It is very important to tie a reward on every exercise which they do, we often hear students complain why should we do this? And we simple answer them because you have to do this.
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  2. My curiosity to know more about Ramadan brought me here. Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete