PREPARING FOR RAMADAN- BY PROFESSOR TIMEHIN SAHEED

Today is the last Jum'ah before the holy month of Ramadan and you the grace of about a week to make your final preparations for its arrival. While preparing for this profound spiritual enterprise, you should not forget that Ramadan is not just approaching, it is calling you. It is not merely a month on the calendar. It is an invitation - an opportunity, a divine appointment with Allah.

But the real question is not about whether Ramadan coming or not; it is about how ready you are. Are you really ready? Your readiness must be mental, physical, and spiritual. You should remember that Ramadan Is a Gift, not a guarantee. Many of our friends who fasted with us last year are no longer here. Many who prayed Tarawih beside us now lie beneath the earth. You should therefore see witnessing Ramadan this year as a gift, and always  remember how fragile life is.

Allah says:

“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa (God-consciousness) ” (Qur’an 2:183)

Ramadan is not about hunger. It is not about thirst. It is about being God-conscious. It is about becoming a new being, a better person.

You should also not forget that Ramadan does not come to decorate your routine; it comes to transform your heart. If you enter Ramadan the same way you entered Shaʿbān, or leave it

the same way you entered it, then you have misunderstood its purpose.

The Prophet (saw) said:

 “Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith,  seeking reward from Allah; his previous sins will be forgiven.” ( Sahih Bukhari & Muslim)

Imagine that! You will have a clean slate. Ramadan is Allah’s way of telling you:

“No matter how far you’ve gone, you can return to Me”

If you understand this, why not start preparations now? Our righteous predecessors used to prepare for Ramadan six months before it arrived. This is not just about stocking food. It is about preparing the soul.

Start now - repent sincerely from your sins, mend your ways, bend your heart, reconstruct broken relationships, reconnect to Allah through acts of worship, and bond with the Qur’an.

Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an. Allah says:

“The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was revealed…” (2:185)

What is your relationship with the Qur’an? How do you see it? 

- As a decoration? 

- A manual of rituals? 

- A magic scroll?

- Or a resource for guidance?

Ramadan is the month to reconnect deeply with the sacred text. Not just to recite,  but to reflect. Not just to finish, but to understand. Let this Ramadan be the one where the Qur’an changes you.

Ramadan is a battlefield for the Soul, Self, and the Ego. It disciplines the ego (nafs). When you are thirsty and no one sees you,  but you refuse to drink water; that is sincerity. When you are angry, but you swallow your pride; that is strength.

When you wake up for Tahajjud and stays awake till Fajr while others sleep; that is victory.

The Prophet (saw) said:

 *“Fasting is a shield.” (Bukhārī)

A shield against:

- Low Desires

- Anger

- Arrogance

- Hellfire

- Wickedness 

If you are a youth, male or female, Ramadan is your opportunity to prove that Islam is not inherited, it is  chosen. This is the month to consciously abstain from sins; delete whatever can poison your heart, choose discipline over desire, and prefer Allah over distractions. 

Allah is well aware of what you do and His angesl watch over you; so, do not waste the blessed month on frivolous enterprises on the social media or squander your free time on unproductive ventures.

Ramadan is not just for individual worship, it is also for family revival. It affords families the opportunity of praying together,  breaking fast together, studying the Qur’an together, and supplicating together. In this light, let your home feel different in Ramadan and let your children remember Ramadan as the most beautiful time of the year.

This however requires proper planning. If you do not plan Ramadan, its blessings may bypass you. The first step is to set goals. These include daily Qur’an target, charity target, dhikr target, and solemn commitment to the night time spiritual exercises.

Write these down because Ramadan does not stay,  it flies and you may find it difficult to catch up. Some of us don't get serious with Ramadan until the last ten days. Know that every moment in Ramadan matters.

Though the last ten days mark the culmination of the spiritual blessings through Laylat al-Qadr which, according to Allah Himself, is better than a thousand months, that is over 83 years of worship, it is still connected to the month as a whole. Without the month, there are no last ten days. The Divine Light descends right from the first night and stays till the end of the month.

Prepare your heart now so that when the nights of Ramadan arrive,  you are not caught spiritually napping; so, remember to ask yourself:  what If this is my last Ramadan? Imagine what would you do if Allah reveals to you that this is your final Ramadan: how would you fast? How would you pray? How deeply would you repent?

Therefore beloved, let this Ramadan be different - not louder; not more groovy; not more expensive, but more sincere. Ramadan is almost here.

- It is coming with mercy.

- It is coming with forgiveness.

- It is coming with elevation.

But it will not stay beyond twenty nine or thirty days.

So, when it leaves, let it leave you better than it found you. Let it leave you a person who closer to Allah;  stronger in discipline, softer in heart, more compassionate to others, and more conscious of Allah’s Will and injunctions... And when Eid comes, do not celebrate the fact that Ramadan has ended, but celebrate that you have changed for better.

May Allah grant us the grace to reach Ramadan in sound health and good state. May He activate in us the spiritual mechanism that will enable us to spend its days in sober reflection and its nights in worship. May His Clemency seal our eyes from seeing what is foul; our mouths from uttering what is vile; our ears from hearing what is evil; and our hearts from contemplating what is vicious.

Jum'ah Mubarakah 

© TIMEHIN SAHEED OLUROTIMI 

- Nigeria