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As-salaamu
Alaikum Wa'rahmatullahi Wa'barakatuh
Ramadhan
Mubarak, the Month of Quran, the month of Mercy has returned to us once
again! 
Praise be to
Allaah.
Many people misunderstand the true nature of fasting, and they make it an
occasion for eating and drinking, making special sweets and staying up late
at night and watching shows on satellite TV. They make such preparations
long before Ramadaan, lest they miss out on some food bargains before food
prices go up. They prepare by buying food, preparing drinks and looking at
the satellite TV guide so they can choose which shows to follow and which
to ignore. They are truly unaware of the real nature of fasting in
Ramadaan; they take worship and piety out of the month and make it a month
to fill up their bellies and keeping themselves busy with worldly
entertainments. May Allah protect us from this, ameen.
As for the others (inshaa Allah you and I) - they are aware of the real
nature of fasting in the month of Ramadaan, so they start to prepare from
Sha'baan, and some of them even start before that. If one has not done so
already - do not worry, it is never to late, we are still in the early days
of Ramadaan.
Among the best ways of preparing for the
month of Ramadaan are (most
are still applicable for us):
1 –Sincere
repentance
This is obligatory at all times, but in relation to this great and blessed
month of Ramadaan, it is even more important to hasten to repent from sins
between you and your Lord, and between you and other people by giving them
their rights, so as we step in this blessed month we may busy ourselves
with the many acts of worship with a clean heart and peace of mind.
Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And all of you beg
Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful”
[al-Noor 24:31]
It was narrated from al-Agharr ibn Yasaar (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O people, repent to Allaah for
I repent to Him one hundred times each day.” Narrated by Muslim
(2702).
2 –Du'aa' (supplication)
It was narrated from some of the salaf that they used to pray to Allaah for
six months that they would live until Ramadaan, then they would pray for
five months afterwards that He would accept it from them!
The Muslim should ask his Lord to let him live until Ramadaan with a strong
religious commitment and good physical health, and he should ask Him to
help him obey Him during the month, and ask Him to accept his good deeds
from Him.
3 – Rejoicing at
the approach of the blessed month
The arrival of Ramadaan is one of the great blessings that Allaah bestows
upon His Muslim slave, because Ramadaan is one of the occasions of good in
which the gates of
Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed. It is the
month of the Qur'aan and it is in this month of Ramadaan decisive battles
in the history of our religion took place.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: ‘In the Bounty
of Allaah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the Qur'aan); —therein let them
rejoice.' That is better than what (the wealth) they amass” [Yoonus
10:58]
4 – Discharging
the duty of any outstanding obligatory fasts
It was narrated that Abu Salamah said: I heard ‘Aa'ishah (may Allaah be
pleased with her) say:
I would owe fasts from the previous Ramadaan and I would not be able to
make them up except in Sha'baan. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1849)
and Muslim (1146).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
From her keenness to
do that in Sha'baan it may be understood that it is not permissible to
delay making them up until another Ramadaan begins. Fath
al-Baari (4/191).
5 – Seeking
knowledge in order to be able to follow the rulings on fasting and to
understand the virtues of Ramadaan.
6 – Hastening to
complete any tasks that may distract the Muslim from doing acts of worship.
7 – Sitting with
one's family members – wife and children – to tell them of the rulings on
fasting and encourage the young ones to fast.
8 – Preparing
authentic books based on Qur'aan and hadith which can be read at home or
given to the imam of the masjid to read to the people during Ramadaan.
9 – Fasting some
of the month of Sha'baan in preparation for fasting Ramadaan. 
It was narrated that ‘Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
fast until we said: He will not break his fast, and he used not to fast until
we said: He will not fast. And I never saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) complete a month of fasting except
Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than in Sha'baan. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1868) and Muslim (1156).
It was narrated that Usaamah ibn Zayd said: I said:
O
Messenger of Allaah, I do not see you fasting in any month as you fast in
Sha'baan? He said: “That is a month that people neglect between Rajab and
Ramadaan, but it is a month in which people's deeds are taken up to the
Lord of the Worlds and I would like my deeds to be taken up when I am
fasting.” Narrated by al-Nasaa'i
(2357); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i.
These aHadeeth explain the wisdom behind fasting in Sha'baan, which is that
it is a month in which deeds are taken up (to Allaah). Some of the scholars
mentioned another reason, which is that this fasting is like Sunnah prayers
offered beforehand in relation to the obligatory prayer; they prepare the
soul for performing the obligatory action, and the same may be said of
fasting Sha'baan before Ramadaan.
10 – Reading
Qur'aan
The month of Rajab is the month for planting, the month of Sha'baan is the
month of irrigating the crops, and the month of Ramadaan is the month of
harvesting the crops.
The likeness of the month of Rajab is that of the wind, the likeness of
Sha'baan is that of the clouds and the likeness of Ramadaan is that of the
rain; whoever does not plant and sow in Rajab, and does not irrigate in
Sha'baan, how can he reap in Ramadaan?
Now Rajab has passed, and with it so has
Sha'baan - and we have entered into the blessed month of Ramadaan. Let us
follow in the footsteps of our Prophet and the early generations of the
ummah as they strove hard this blessed month seeking Allah's pleasure.
So, this leads me to ask you and myself -
what good will we do this Ramadaan?
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Adapted from:
www.islamqa.com
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