Ramadan Goals

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Ramadan Goals

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Realms, and prayers and peace of Allah be upon the seal of Prophets and Messengers, upon our Prophet, Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

Many Muslims, Ramadan approaches them and leaves without setting goals on their part they take heed of accomplishing. That’s why they don't reckon their selves on such goals; did they accomplish any or did they not? What is the reason behind such failure?

That's why a Muslim must set for himself a number of goals that he wants to accomplish in Ramadan, right this plan and goals down that could be accomplished, hence it would be easier for him to check his effort with each goal later on.

First Goal
Attaining piety

This is the major goal of fasting, Allah Almighty said: {O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (pious)} [Surat Al-Baqarah: 183]
 

Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kutiba AAalaykumu alssiyamu kama kutiba AAala allatheena min qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoona

Piety stems from what he places as a caution between him and what he fears in order he does not fall in. Thus, piety of the slave to his lord is to be cautious of anything that he fears to fall upon him by Allah, like His anger and punishment. Piety covers the following observing obligations and abstaining from forbidden and doubtful matters, observing liked matters and abstaining from the disliked, those things are the highest level of piety. A person must reckon his self after Ramadan; did it affect him by any chance? Did it draw him nearer to obedient acts and repel him from sinning? Or did he return to his old practice being lazy in performing acts of worship and ease in forbidden matters? All the previous indicates that it was merely a flair of compassion soon fades after Ramadan that didn't arise from piety prescribed by Allah Almighty. The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said: "Piety lies here" three times, he pointed to his chest when he said that. [Reported by Muslim]
 

Second Goal
Getting rid of bad morals and practices

A Muslim must aim in this holy month at eliminating negative conduct, practices and morals, such as:

1) Easily furious and intimidated
2) Back-biting, tale bearing and lying
3) Listening to songs and music
4) Watching pornography over the internet or TV channels
5) Smoking, drugs and alcohol
6) Dealing with usury (riba)
7) Oppressing employees and workers while not giving them their real compensation
8) Unjust with wife and children
9) Undutiful to parents and cutting ties of kinship
10) Negligence of prayers

A Muslim must hurry with his repentance from these matters and never postpone it until the arrival of Ramadan. However, if Ramadan approaches while being in this dreadful state, he must take heed to eliminate these weakening factors in this holy month. If his will is weak to observe all that in the month of Ramadan, then it will be poorer in other months, thus whoever doesn't repent in Ramadan when will he repent? And whoever doesn't flee to Allah in Ramadan, when will he do?

The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said: "Whoever does not neglect false speech, working upon it and ignorance; Allah is in no need of him leaving his food and drink (fasting)." [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
 

He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, also said: "Fasting is not leaving food and drink, rather fasting is leaving ill speech and obscenity." [Authenticated by Al-Albani]
 

Third Goal
Adorn oneself with virtuous moral and conduct

Adorning is an extinguisher at the same time, because nothing extinguishes evil like purity. Dispraised attributes is not replaced unless virtuous attributes and kind morals settle in its place. Thus, false speech is expelled by charity, ignorance is only expelled by knowledge and stinginess is only expelled through generosity, kindness and spending in the cause of Allah. Among the virtuous morals that’s been prescribed by the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, is patience and perseverance. He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him said: "Fasting is a shield, so don't be obscene nor be ignorant, and if someone quarreled or insulted him let him say "I'm Fasting", Two times." [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
 

Another virtuous moral is generosity and spending in the cause of Allah. The Messenger of Allah prayers and peace of Allah be upon him was more generous than a blowing wind coming with welfare.

He, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said: "Whoever gives food to a fasting person (to break his fast) gains the same reward as the fasting person…" [Reported by At-Tirmizi and Authenticated by Al-Albani]
 

Fourth Goal
The ability to grasp opportunities and be exposed to Allah's blessings

Ramadan is the month of rewards and grants. The rewards of acts of worship multiply in it. For instance, A 'Umrah in Ramadan equals a complete Hajj, a charity is multiplied, whoever prays Tarawih with the Imam till he finishes it is recorded for him as praying the whole night, when a fasting person breaks his fast he is granted an accepted invocation, in Ramadan Allah liberates a number of his slaves from hellfire and Laylatul Qadr (Night of Decree) worship is better than a thousand months worth of worship. Zeal and turning to Allah increases in the heart of the believers where you would notice there crave to not lose one of these great bounties from Allah, especially if its within their ability. Allah Glory be to Him, loves for His servants to expose their selves to these virtues, keen to perform it and compete to win the prize.

The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said: "Do good (deeds) for your entire life time, and expose yourselves to the gifts of mercy by Allah, verily Allah has gifts of His mercy, He sends upon who He wishes from upon His slaves." [Declared Good by Al-Albani]
 

The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, said: Allah's Apostle said, "When it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends every night to the heaven of the world and says, 'Is there anyone who invokes Me (demand anything from Me),that I may respond to his invocation; Is there anyone who asks Me for something that I may give (it to) him; Is there anyone who asks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?'” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
 

These are of the nightly blessings that Allah like to His slaves to expose their selves to.

Fifth goal
Time Management

Among the benefits of Ramadan is time management. Fasting and breaking the fast are restricted to a specific time, where he is forbidden to break his fast before sunset, even by a second. His Fast becomes invalid if he done so, which indicates the importance of time in Islam and warned severely against such an act. It is narrated by Aby Umamah Al-Bahly that he heard the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, say: “While I was sleeping two men approached me (in a dream) and took me from my underarm to a bumpy mountain then they said “climb” I replied “it’s hard to climb” they said “we will make it easy for you”. Then I climbed until I approached the peak, I heard screaming voices. I asked them “what are these voices” they replied “It’s the howling of the residents of hellfire. Then they took me to a place where people where hanging from their leg tendons, their mouth corners cut spilling blood. He Said, I said: “Who are they”, he replied (the Messenger of Allah, Prayers and peace of Allah be upon him), those who break their fast before sunset.” [Authenticated by Al-Albani]
 

Also fasting begins with the time of true Fajr (dawn), it’s not permissible to specify a time before fajr to hold from food and drink. An act considered to be innovation in the deen.

One of the forms of time management in Islam is specifying a certain quantity of the Qur’an to recite and some invocations as specified and unspecified counts of remembrance of Allah.

Another form is lessening sleeping hours, food, drink, gatherings, shopping and leisure time. Moreover, watch less TV and don’t watch anything unbeneficial, only beneficial programs like religious programs, fatwa and the like.

A Muslim must put down a schedule for his acts in Ramadan. This way he would monitor his performance during the holy month. This way he will know what to do from fajr to Duhr and fro Duhr to Asr…etc…accordingly it will be the best way to gain the greatest benefit of the day. Lastly he could know his results and detect the origin of drawbacks if there is any.

One of the most honorable forms of time significance is the keenness of the Messenger of Allah towards time in Ramadan through his I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan by eliminating trivial matters that would distract him. He would seek Laylatul-Qadr and empower his self to worship Allah. ‘Aisha, May Allah be pleased with her, said: “When the last ten days approach the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, would fasten his Eyzar (A towel like garment worn under his clothes and wrapped around the waist), revived his nights (by praying) and woke up his wives.” [Reported by Al-Bukhari]