Too much stress on food and drink
For some people, the entire month of Ramadaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Qur’aan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of ‘fasting’ into the month of ‘feasting’.
Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance. ‘and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)’ [al-A'raaf :31]

Spending all day cooking
Some of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraweeh, Tahajjud or read Quraan, etc.

Eating too much
Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to ‘make up for the food missed.’ However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation is the key to everything.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.’ (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).

Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless. It was said to Imam Ahmad: Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full? He said, I do not think so. Continue reading »

“O people! There comes over you now a great month, blessed month in which lies a night greater in virtue than a thousand month. It is a month in which Allah has made fasting compulsory by day. And has made sunnah Taraweeh by night. Whoever commits one good deed in it shall be rewarded like the one who had performed an obligation (fardh) in any other time and whoever performs a (fardh) in it shall be given the reward of seventy in any other time.

This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is Jannah (paradise). It is the month of sympathy with one’s fellowmen. It is the month wherein a true believer’s sustenance (rizq) is increased. Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast at sunset, for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of Jahannam (hell), and for such feeder shall be the same reward as the one who fasted (who he fed) without that persons reward being decreased in the least.”

Thereupon those listening to this fascinating and appealing message asked, “Not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast.” The summoner replied, “Allah grants the same reward to the one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or a drink of water, or a sip of milk. This is a month, the first of which brings Allah’s mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings freedom from the fire of Jahannam. Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants (bonds-men) in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of Jahannam. And in this month four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no deity to worship except Allah (i.e. recite the Kalimah Tayyibah Laa llaaha illallaah) and make much Istighfaar (beg Allah’s forgiveness saying Astagirfirul-laah). And as for those two things without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah for entrance into paradise and ask refuge in Him from Jahannam. And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My fountain, such a drink where after that person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters Jannah.”

This was the heart inspiring address of our beloved Prophet, the Messenger to mankind, Muhammad, may Allah send peace and blessings upon him, to his companions (sahabah) on the last day of sha’ban, the day before the month of Ramadhan. We can see the highest level of preparation which the Prophet gave for this month. I am urged to ask my self: such a month which comes only once in a year, how do WE prepare for it? Ever thought? We have just seen a glimpse of the sahaba’s preparation for this month. How do we compare to it? Continue reading »