~* The Darkest Hour and the Coming of the Dawn *~

According to a well-stated proverb, the darkest hour is just before the dawn. And although astronomically the darkest point is much earlier, the truth of this proverb is metaphoric—but in no way less real.

So often we find that the darkest times in our lives are followed by the most precious. Often, it is at the moment when everything looks broken that something least expected lifts us and carries us through. Did not Prophet Ayoub lose everything one by one, before it was all given back and more?

Yes. For Prophet Ayoub, the night was real. And for many of us, it seems to last forever. But Allah does not allow an endless night. In His mercy, he gives us the sun. Yet there are times when we feel our hardships won’t cease. And maybe some of us have fallen to such a spiritual low in our deen (religion) that we feel disconnected from our Creator. And maybe for some of us, it’s so dark, we don’t even notice.

But like the sun that rises at the end of the night, our dawn has come. In His infinite mercy, Allah has sent the light of Ramadan to erase the night. He has sent the month of the Qur’an so that He might elevate us and bring us from our isolation to His nearness. He has given us this blessed month to fill our emptiness, cure our loneliness, and end our soul’s poverty. He has sent us the dawn that we might find from darkness – light. Allah says,

“He it is Who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers” (Qur’an, 33:43).

And this mercy extends to all who seek it. Even the most hardened sinner is told to never lose hope in God’s infinite mercy. God says in the Qur’an:

“Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. For Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Qur’an, 39:53).

Allah is the Owner of mercy, and there is no time when that mercy is showered more upon us than in the blessed month of Ramadan. The Prophet ﷺ has said regarding Ramadan:

“Its beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its ending is liberation from the Hellfire.” (Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Sahih)

Every moment of Ramadan is a chance to come back to Allah. Whatever we are now going through in our lives is often a direct result of our own actions. If we are humiliated, or feel low, it is our own sins which have lowered us. It is only by Allah that we can ever hope to be elevated. If we are consistently unable to wake up for Fajr, or if we find it increasingly difficult to stay away from haram (the forbidden), we must examine our relationship with Allah. Most of all, we must never be deceived. We must never allow ourselves to think that anything in this world succeeds, fails, is given, taken, done, or undone without Allah. It is only by our connection to our Creator that we rise or fall in life, in our relationship with our world—and with all of humanity.

But unlike humanity, our Creator doesn’t hold grudges. Imagine receiving a clean slate. Imagine having everything you ever regret doing erased completely. Ramadan is that chance. The Prophet told us:

“Whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven” (Bukhari).

So given this unparalleled opportunity, how can we best take advantage of it? Two often overlooked issues to keep in mind are:

Know why you’re fasting

Many people fast as a ritual, without truly understanding its meaning. Others reduce it to a simple exercise in empathy with the poor. While this is a beautiful consequence of fasting, it is not the main purpose defined by Allah. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa (God-consciousness).” (Qur’an, 2:183)

By controlling and restraining our physical needs, we gain strength for the greater battle: controlling and restraining our nafs (our soul’s desire). When fasting, every hunger pang reminds us of God—the one for whom we have made this sacrifice. By constantly remembering Allah and sacrificing for Him, we are made more aware of His presence, and in that way we increase our taqwa (fear and consciousness of Him). The same thing that prevents us from the sin of sneaking in food while no one else is watching trains us to avoid other sins while no one else is watching. That is taqwa.

Don’t make fasting just hunger and thirst

The Prophet has said,

“Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.” (Al-Bukhari)

The Prophet also warns us:

“Many people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst, and many people who pray at night get nothing from it except wakefulness.” (Darimi)

While fasting, understand the whole picture. Remember that fasting is not just about staying away from food. It is about striving to become a better person.

And in so striving, we are given a chance to escape the darkness of our own isolation from God. But like the sun that sets at the end of the day, so too will Ramadan come and go, leaving only its mark on our heart’s sky…

- By Yasmin Mogahed

~* Mari Memaksimumkan Bonus Ramadhan *~

Bagi memastikan sempurnanya puasa serta mampu memaksimakan pahala dan keuntungan dari Ramadhan, amalan yang berdasarkan nas yang kuat berikut perlu dilakukan:-

1) Berniat dalam hati untuk berpuasa di malam hari.

2) Bersahur di akhir malam (yang terbaik adalah jaraknya dengan azan subuh selama bacaan 50 ayat al-Quran secara sederhana).

Nabi SAW bersabda :

"Perbezaan di antara puasa kami (umat Islam) dan puasa ahli kitab adalah makan sahur." (Riwayat Muslim)

"Bersahurlah kamu, kerana pada sahur itu ada barakahnya." (Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim)

Baginda SAW juga menyebutkan bahawa malaikat sentiasa meminta ampun bagi orang yang bersahur. (Riwayat Ahmad)

Selain makan tatkala itu adalah amat digalakkan kita untuk mendirikan Solat Sunat Tahajjud, Solat Sunat Witir dan beristifghar dan lain-lain amalan sebelum menunaikan Solat Subuh berjemaah (bagi lelaki). Adalah amat tidak digalakkan bagi seseorang yang bersahur dengan hanya makan di sekitar jam 12 malam sebelum tidur. Kebanyakan individu yang melakukan amalan ini sebenarnya amat merasa berat dan malas untuk bangun di tengah malam. Ia pada hakikatnya adalah tidak menepati sunnah yang diajarkan oleh baginda SAW.

3) Memperbanyakkan bacaan Al-Quran dengan tenang dan tidak tergesa-gesa.

Terdapat ramai ulama silam menyebut tentang kepentingan mendahulukan membaca Al-Quran di atas amalan sunat seperti menelaah kitab, membaca hadis dan lain-lain. Ia adalah salah satu amalan yang paling diambil berat oleh Nabi SAW ketika baginda membacanya bersama Malaikat Jibrail a.s. Hal ini disebut di dalam hadis al-Bukhari.

4) Memperbanyakkan doa semasa berpuasa.

Sepanjang waktu kita sedang menjalani ibadah puasa, ia adalah sentiasa merupakan waktu yang sesuai dan maqbul untuk kita berdoa, sebagaimana di tegaskan oleh Nabi SAW :-

Ertinya : "Tiga yang menjadi hak Allah untuk tidak menolak doa mereka, orang berpuasa sehingga berbuka, orang yang dizalimi sehingga dibantu, dan orang bermusafir sehinggalah ia pulang" (Riwayat Al-Bazaar)

Sebuah hadis lain yang hampir sama maksudnya menyebutkan :-

Ertinya : “Tiga yang tidak ditolak doa mereka, orang berpuasa sehingga berbuka, pemerintah yang adil dan doa orang yang dizalimi" (Riwayat At-Tirmizi)

5) Memperbanyakan doa ketika hampir berbuka.

Ini kerana tahap maqbul tatkala itu semakin hebat berdasarkan hadis Nabi SAW :-

Ertinya : "Sesungguhnya bagi orang yang berpuasa itu tatkala waktu berbukanya,adalah waktu doa yang tidak ditolak." (Riwayat Ibn Majah)

6) Menyegerakan berbuka puasa selepas pasti masuk waktu maghrib.

Berdasarkan hadis Nabi SAW :-

Ertinya : "Sentiasalah umatku berada dalam kebaikan sepanjang kamu menyegerakan berbuka" (Riwayat Al-Bukhari)

Berbuka juga perlu didahulukan sebelum menunaikan Solat Maghrib, malah jika pada hari tersebut tahap kelaparan kita agak luar biasa, lebih baik kita berbuka dan makan sekadar perlu agar kelaparan tidak mengganggu Solat Magrhib kita. Disebutkan bahawa tidaklah Nabi SAW menunaikan Solat Maghrib kecuali setelah berbuka walaupun hanya dengan segelas air. (Abu Ya'la dan al-Bazzar)

7) Adalah digalakkan pula untuk berbuka dengan beberapa biji rutab (kurma basah) atau tamar (kurma kering) sebagai mengikuti sunnah, dan jika tiada keduanya mulakan dengan meneguk air.

Ertinya : “Rasulullah SAW berbuka dengan kurma basah (rutab) sebelum solat dan sekiranya tiada rutab, maka tamar dan jika tiada, baginda meminum beberapa teguk air".

8) Amat disunatkan untuk sedekah harta bagi mempersiapkan juadah berbuka untuk orang ramai terutamanya orang miskin.

Nabi SAW bersabda :-

Ertinya : “Barangsiapa yang memberikan juadah berbuka buat orang yang berpuasa maka baginya pahala seperti orang yang berpuasa itu tanpa kurang sedikit pun" (Riwayat At-Tirmidzi) Disebut dalam sebuah hadis lain, Ertinya : “Barangsiapa yang mengenyangkan seorang yang berpuasa (berbuka), Allah akan memberinya minum dari telagaku ini dengan satu minuman yang tidak akan haus sehinggalah ia memasuki syurga" (Riwayat Al-Baihaqi)

9) Menunaikan Solat Sunat Terawih pada malam hari secara berjemaah buat lelaki dan wanita atau boleh juga dilakukan secara bersendirian.

Ia berdasarkan hadis riwayat An-Nasaie yang sohih. Boleh juga untuk menunaikannya separuh di masjid dan separuh lagi di rumah, terutamanya bagi sesiapa yang ingin melengkapkan kepada 20 rakaat.

10) Memperbanyakkan bersiwak (iaitu menggunakan kayu sugi tanpa air dan ubat gigi). Ia juga sohih dari Nabi SAW dari Riwayat al-Bukhari.

11) Amaran bagi berbuka di siang Ramadhan tanpa uzur.

Selain itu, Nabi juga menyebut bahawa : "Barangsiapa yang berbuka tanpa uzur pada Bulan Ramadhan, maka ia tidak mampu menggantikan kerugian dari puasa yang ditinggalkan itu, walaupun ia berpuasa selama-lamanya" (Riwayat Abu Daud, Ibn Majah)

- Sumber http://www.zaharuddin.net/

~* A Quick Preparation Guide For Ramadhan *~

What to do?

1. Start reading Quran daily.
2. Spend some time listening to recitations from the Quran.
3. Train yourself to wake up early for Salat al-Fajr.
4. Keep yourself in a state of Wudu' (Ablution) most of the time.
5. Evaluate yourself daily before going to bed.
6. Thank Allah for good deeds, and repent to Him for your mistakes and sins.
7. Start giving Sadaqah daily and make it as a habit.
8. Find time to pray extras, such as Nafals andTahajjud prayers.
9. Spend more time reading Islamic books especially the Quran, Hadith and Fiqh.
10. Find time to help others with your wisdom, knowledge and other talents.
11. Try to write articles on Islam for Muslims as well as for non-Muslims.
12. Associate with Muslim scholars or ulama and other pious people so, you may learn from them.
13. Train yourself to do good, render free service to others to seek the pleasure of Allah.

What to avoid ?

1. Avoid or reduce watching TV.
2. Avoid looking at unlawful pictures.
3. Spend free time in mosque or Islamic organizations and make that as a daily habit.
4. If you smoke, try to reduce daily usage and cut it down for good.
5. If you have friends who do not practice the teachings of Islam, try to avoid socializing with them.
6. If you travel a lot on business, try to do more local business so you can be closer to your family and community.

" Time is not money or gold; it is life itself and is limited . You must begin to appreciate every moment of your life and always strive to make the best use of it. "

A Quick Checklist :

1. Make a resolve to win the maximum favor of Allah by performing extra Voluntary prayers (Nawafils), making frequent Dua and increased remembrance (Dhikr).
2. Try to recite some Holy Quran after every Prayer.
3. Study the Tafseer (commentary).
4. Invite a person you are not very close with or your relatives to your home for Iftaar.
5. Bring life to your family! Everyday, try to conclude the fast with your family and spend some quality time together to understand each other better.
6. Give gifts on Eid to at least 5 people: 2 to your family members, 2 to your good friends, and 1 to a person whom you love purely for the sake of Allah. This is in addition to normal 'Iddiya' to children.
7. Where applicable, make commitment to join Islamic study circles to learn more about Islam and improve your own life.
8. Donate generously to the mosque, Islamic organizations and any where people are in need or oppressed.
9. Share month of Ramadan and its teachings of peace and patience with your colleagues at work, neighbors and relatives.
10. Sleep little, eat little! Make sure you do not defeat the purpose of fasting by over-indulging in food and being lazy.
11. Seek the rare and oft-neglected rewards of the night better than 1000 months ( Laylatul-Qadr ).
12. Weep in private for the forgiveness of your sins.
13. Learn to control your tongue and lower your gaze.
14. Encourage others to enjoin and love goodness, and to abandon everything that Allah dislikes. Play the role of a Da'ee (one who invites to Allah) with zeal, passion, and sympathy.
15. Experience the joy of Tahajjud prayers late at night and devote yourself purely and fully to Allah in the Itikaf retreat during Ramadan.
16. For extra concerted effort, try to be off work for few last days of Ramadhan for maximum Ibada.
17. Make an effort to reconcile with the people you are not on good terms with. Forgive everyone and keep your heart clean.
18. In all your dhikr, do not forget your parents, your neighbors', relatives, dead people and other muslims.