The next question is raised: How do we prepare for this month, in order to get these virtues?
Whenever you want to gain something, you need to make preparation for that. Below are some of the points for us to make preparation before we start our fasting in Ramadhan:-
1. To repent to Allah SWT -
No one has a contract that says when he/she will die. Of course, everyone is expecting to live until they meet the month of Ramadhan again. Hence, it is OBLIGATORY to repent to Allah at all time, whether during Ramadhan or outside of Ramadhan.
Allah says in Quran, "O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance!..." (66:8) or " Ask your Lord for forgiveness and then turn in repentance to Him..." (11:3).
This indicates that it is an obligation for us to repent to Allah when we commit sins.
Prophet (ﷺ) repents to Allah more than 70 times a day. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "By Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and I turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times each day." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 6307).
Hence, if the Prophet (ﷺ), the best human of all mankind repents to Allah more than 70 times a day, what about us?
It is an important point to remember that if a person commits a sin, and he didn’t repent to Allah, he is liable to punishment for the sin itself and for not repenting to that sin. This means that he is liable to extra punishment.
Every son of Adam sins but the best of sinners are those who repent. Allah forgives all sins as He is Forgiving and Merciful. Allah forgives all sins at any time. Hence, we shouldn’t wait until Ramadhan to repent to Allah. Start Ramadhan with a clean heart and mind.
2. Make Doa to Allah SWT
Six months before Ramadhan, the early Scholars will make Doa, “Oh Allah, allow us to see the Ramadhan.“ The month comes and goes quickly. The early Scholars actually beg to Allah for them to see the Ramadhan again. During Ramadhan they would make Doa, “Oh Allah, accept our worship in Ramadhan. “ and they will make this doa for five months after Ramadhan. The whole year revolves around Ramadhan.
Narrated Abu Huraira, Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever fast in Ramadhan in Iman and to seek reward from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven”. (Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 37).
Other doa that we can make is that Allah will make fasting easy and beloved to us, Allah will allow us to do good deeds and a lot of it and make it as habits part and parcel of our lives such that we continue to do it after Ramadhan.
3. Try to complete any obligatory fast that we need to make up from previous years.
Aishah RA said, “I will owe fast from the previous Ramadhan and I will not be able to make up except in Shaaban." Shaaban (the 8th month) is the month before Ramadhan (the 9th month) in Islamic calender. Some scholars say it is obligatory to make up fast before the next Ramadhan.
4. To get things that will distract you out of the way before Ramadhan
For example, if there is any project milestone or course datelines that might occur in Ramadhan, try to complete them before Ramadhan so that you can concentrate on your worship in Ramadhan.
5. To learn the rulings about fasting
So you can worship Allah with knowledge. Allah says, ”Know (have knowledge), know that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and seek forgiveness for your sins (47:19). Allah began with knowledge before action. Worshipping Allah with knowledge is completely different to worshipping Allah without knowledge as you do something based on the Ayat or Hadith or scholarly opinion, etc.
There are two types of knowledge:
i. Fardhu Ain which is obligatory for every individual to learn.
ii. Obligatory on people as a group. If some people seek that knowledge then it is sufficient for everyone else, but if no none learn, then it’s sinful for everyone.
Knowledge for fasting is Fardhu Ain. Why?
i. It is a pillar of Islam.
ii. It is an individual Fard itself, something that is obligatory upon you in Islam, hence it is obligatory for you to learn about the ruling of that obligation. Eg: a person who wants to start a business, he needs to learn the rulings of trading and doing business in Islam.
Hence, as fasting is obligatory on each person, then we need to learn the ruling regarding fasting.
We should fast some in the month of Shaaban if we can.
Aisyah RA said, "Prophet (ﷺ) used to fast until we thought that he would always fast, then he would not fast until we thought that he would always not fast, but I never saw him fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha’baan. He used to fast all of Sha’baan, and he used to fast all of Sha’baan apart from a few days” (Muslim, 1156).
A few points to note for fasting in Sha'baan:
i. If a person begins to fast in Shaaban then he can do all the way up until the end of Shaaban, but not necessarily everyday.
ii. If he didn’t start fasting in the first two weeks of Sha’ban, then he shouldn’t start to fast in the last two weeks of Shaaban.
iii. He shouldn’t fast on the day before Ramadhan or the day before that, unless it falls on his regular routines (such that he always fast on Monday and Thursday).
6. Reading a lot of Quran
Start earlier before Ramadhan. Also, regarding Ramadhan it is about increasing your sanction with Allah SWT. Make taubat, make doa, increase your worship from there. E.g. read more Quran, give more charity. Be regular, never go less than the day before whatever happens. If you are not praying the Sunnah prayers, start to pray your Sunnah prayers, then increase it by doing more other Sunnah prayers.
7. Try to set a timetable and resolutions
This means to finish something, not to start something. To start something is to start straight away. Whenever you want to do good deed, start from today. Say, I will finish the Quran by Eid. Or try to finish the Quran 3 times. Always have a higher aspiration and goal. Eg, every Friday in Mekah, there is a group of people will finish the whole 30 juzuk of the Quran by the next Friday. Hence, everyone can do it, it's all about putting your mind into it.
8. Prepare your house with beneficial books and lectures so that u can read and listen to
If something is a fitnah for you, get rid of it. Things that are gonna distract you from worshipping of Allah SWT, chuck them out of the house. So, that you can start with an environment that can help you, aid you and work with you towards your goal to Jannah. There's no such thing as boredom as when we have a purpose, we don’t have a reason to create boredom. In the ancient times, they dont have any technology or gadgets that can occupy their time, and still they didn't complaint of being bored. It doesn't make sense when you say that you are bored because you don't have a TV when there is so many things you can do which is Halal. Hence, one should make an environment that will make them close to Allah.
Legal ruling about Ramadhan (Fiqh)
When we have condition for something, we have conditions which need to be fulfilled for the act of worship to be accepted and we have conditions which need to be fulfilled before it becomes obligatory.
1. Islam
i. A Muslim is the only person in this life that is obliged to fast. It is not a secular religion, it is a complete way of life. Hence, in an Islamic state, not only criminal activities are part of Islam which constitutes in the Islamic law, but also the acts of worship are part of the Islamic law. Hence, in an Islamic state, if a Muslim does not fast, he should be punished in this world. It’s a condition for the obligation of fasting in this world.
ii. Islam is also a condition for the acceptance of fasting. If a Non-Muslim fasts, it will not be accepted by Allah SWT. Muslims who do not fast in this world will be punished but the Non-Muslim who do not fast, he will not be punished in this world. However, in the Hereafter, a Non-Muslim will not only be punished for not accepting Islam but he will also be punished for not praying, fasting, and doing things which are Haram for us.
Proof?
Allah SWT says, “The Muslims are asking some of the people from the Hellfire, What cause you to go to Hellfire? The first thing they say that we never used to pray (a proof that the person who doesn’t pray is a Non-Muslim), nor did we used to feed the poor person, and we used to engage in useless talk, and we used to deny the last day, the Day of Judgement." (74:40-46)
People who deny the Day of Judgement, they are in the Hellfire for all these things which include “We used to deny hellfire, never pray,etc” and this ayat proves that the Non-Muslim is not only punished for not accepting Islam, but also for not praying, fasting, etc.
But, if he does pray, fast as a Non-Muslim, it is still not accepted. This is like the one who prays without wudu’. If a Muslim prays without wudu', it is invalid. Why? He did not fulfill the condition of prayer which is wudu’. We only enforce the conditions on Muslim. Hence, being a Muslim is a condition for the Ibadah to be accepted.
2. Puberty
For anyone who is under the age of puberty, it is not obligatory for them to fast. Also, it is not for mercy, like saying they are only kids, so they don’t have to fast.
Prophet SAW said, “Order your children to pray at the age of 7, and smack them if they don’t pray at the age of 10." (Narrated by Abu Dawood (495) and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood)
This shows us a few things:
i. . Don’t order them to pray before age 7. At the age of 7, order them to pray.
ii. At the age of 10, smack the child if they don’t pray. This means that you don't smack them up until the age 10. And it should be a light smack which doesn't hurt them.
3. Sanity
If a person is not sane, then it’s not obligatory upon him to fast.
However, there is something that is obligatory upon a child and an insane person.
The insane person and a child are obligatory to pay Zakat even that a child has just been born. Zakat is obligatory upon them. It is upon the guardian of the child to give that Zakat. And if you haven’t done that for 10 years for example, you must calculate it.
4. Residency
If you are a resident and you fulfill other conditions, then you are obliged to fast. For non-residents, the obligation is there when you return and then you have to make up for it.
5. Ability
Those who are unable to fast whether it’s temporary or permanent, then they have an excuse for that.
Also, for those who don’t have any impendent such as menstruation, natal bleeding, etc then they are obliged to fast.
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