30 Din Ramzan Ke - Mohammad Sallahu Alaihiva Alaihiva Sallam ki baatein

Ramzan (Ramadhan):

of a witness. In caseAccording to his guidance he (peace be upun him) would only begin the fast of Ramadhan after a verified sighting of the new moon or the evidence it was not sighted and without a witness he would complete 30 days of Sha`baan.

If the new moon could not be sighted on the 29th of Sha`baan due to clouds, he (peace be upun him) completed thirty days of the month. He (peace be upun him) did not fast on the day of doubt, or tell anyone to do it.

He (peace be upun him) terminated the fast at the end of the month based on the testimony of two witnesses.

If two witnesses gave a testimony about sighting the moon after Eid prayer time had passed, he (peace be upun him) would break his fast, order people to do so and would perform the Eid prayer at its time the following morning.

He (peace be upun him) used to hasten to break of the fast [at sunset] and ordered the people to do so. He also used to delay his suhoor and encourage others to do the same.

He (peace be upun him) used to break his fast before performing the maghrib prayer. He (peace be upun him) would break his fast with fresh or dry dates, and if unavailable, with water.

Upon breaking his fast he (peace be upun him) would say:
"Dhahab ath-thama'u wabtallatil-`urooqu wa thabatal-ajr 'in shaa Allaah." (Thirst has gone, the veins have been moistened and the reward is assured, if Allah wills.)

He (peace be upun him) used to intensify his acts of worship in Ramadhan. The angel Gabriel would meet with him in this month to review the Qur'an.

During Ramadhan he (peace be upun him) also increased charity, good deeds, recitation of the Qur'an, prayer, remembrance of Allah and i`tikaaf.

He (peace be upun him) used to perform certain acts of worship particular to Ramadhan. Sometimes he continued fasting without breaking it at night, although he (peace be upun him) prohibited his companions from doing so. He allowed them to continue only to the time of suhoor.

b. His Guidance in What Is Allowed and Prohibited While Fasting

His guidance was that when one fasts he should abstain from improper speech, noisy arguments, insults and replying to them. He instructed that if one is cursed or insulted he should only say, “I am fasting”.

While travelling, he (peace be upun him) sometimes observed fasting and sometimes broke his fast, and he gave his companions the option to do either .

He (peace be upun him) would order his companions to break their fast when they approached an enemy.

He (peace be upun him) did not specify any certain distance after which a traveller would be excused from fasting.

When his companions would start a journey, they would break the fast even before leaving the residential area and affirmed that this was the sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upun him).

It might be that on a day of fasting he (peace be upun him) would be in a state of sexual impurity at the break of dawn, but he would then perform ghusl and observe the fast as usual.

He (peace be upun him) would kiss one of his wives while fasting in Ramadhan.

He (peace be upun him) would clean his teeth with a toothstick, rinse his mouth and nose and pour water on

He (peace be upun him) ruled that a fasting person need not make up the day if he ate or drank out of forgetfulness.

He (peace be upun him) permitted sick and travelling persons to break the fast and make up the missed days later. He (peace be upun him) also permitted a pregnant or nursing women to do the same if they feared harm to themselves.

c. His Guidance in Voluntary Fasting:

His guidance was most complete and perfect for achieving the desired objective with ease. He (peace be upun him) used to fast until it was said that he would never stop fasting. And he would refrain from fasting until it was said that he was not going to fast. He (peace be upun him) never fasted a full month except for Ramadhan, but he never fasted in any other month

According to his guidance, it is disliked to single out Friday as a day to fast, but he took care to fast on Mondays and Thursdays.

He (peace be upun him) never missed fasting on the days of the full moon ( the 13th, 14th and 15th of every lunar month), whether at home or on a journey, and he encouraged others to fast them.

He (peace be upun him) also used to fast the first three days

He (peace be upun him) encouraged fasting six days from the month of Shawaal, saying that fasting them after the fast of Ramadhan is equivalent to fasting the entire year. He always fasted the day of 'Ashuraa', mentioning that it expiates the sins of the past year.

With regard to the day of `Arafah, he (peace be upun him) said that it expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year. But his guidance for Hajj pilgrims was not to fast on the Day of `Arafah.

It was not of his guidance to fast every day of the year. On the contrary, he (peace be upun him) said, “Whoever fasts every day has neither fasted nor broken the fast.”

Sometimes he (peace be upun him) would intend to fast voluntarily and then break his fast. And he (peace be upun him) would sometimes ask his family, "Do you have any food?" If they said no, he (peace be upun him) would say: “Then, I am fasting”.

And he (peace be upun him) said: “If one of you is invited to a meal while fasting, he should say, 'I am fasting'.”

d. His Guidance in I`tikaaf

He (peace be upun him) was regular in i`tikaaf during the last ten days of Ramadhan until he died. Once he missed it in Ramadhan but made the days up during the month of Shawwal.

He (peace be upun him) once did i`tikaaf in the first ten days of Ramadhan, then the middle ten days, then the last ten days, seeking Laylatul-Qadr. Then it became clear to him that it is in the last ten days, so he continued to do it then, until he died.

He (peace be upun him) always combined i`tikaaf with fasting.

He (peace be upun him) used to order a tent to be set up for him in the mosque in which to seclude himself.

When intending i`tikaaf, he began it after performing the fajr prayer.

His mattress would be placed for him inside his tent, which he entered alone.

He (peace be upun him) would only enter his house for answering the call of nature.

He (peace be upun him) used to put his head into Aisha’s room to comb his hair, even when she had her menses.

Some of his wives used to visit him during his i`tikaaf, and when she got up to leave he (peace be upun him) would get up and escort her. These visits were at night.

He (peace be upun him) did not have sexual relations with any of his wives during i`tikaaf, not even kissing.

He (peace be upun him) used to perform i`tikaaf ten days every year, in the year before he died he did it for twenty days.

15 tareekhay bachhon ke liye iss ramzan ke mahine may

There's little time for us to prepare kids for Ramadan. Here are a couple of ideas to help make it special this year.

1.Hold a family meeting about Ramadan

A week before Ramadan, hold a family meeting to explain what Ramadan is, that the sighting of the moon indicates its beginning, what Muslims do and how the family's schedule will change. Also ask for suggestions of what everyone would like to do during the month. For instance, would they like to take a trip somewhere, eat a specific type of food, etc.

2. Welcome the month with balloons, banners and more

Say "Ramadan Mubarak" with the standard party fare: balloons, a great banner and decorations galore. Get the kids to help decorate the place and ask for their ideas and suggestions so they feel included.

3.Tell a Ramadan story during bedtime every night

Don't just rely on children's books about Ramadan to share stories. Describe what Ramadan was like when you were a kid. You can also make some tales up with your child as the main character in a Ramadan adventure!

4.Let them fast even a quarter of the day and celebrate

Kids often want to fast as they see their parents and older siblings do. This year, let them fast for a couple of hours. Prepare a special "Iftar" for them when they break fast with a couple of their favorite foods.

5.Make Ramadan loot bags for their class

Get their teacher's permission to make loot bags with Ramadan Mubarak written on them for the class. Fill it with candy, small toys and a little card explaining in two or three short sentences what Ramadan is. Have your child distribute the bags to their classmates.

6.Make a presentation about Ramadan in their class

7.Make Ramadan arts and crafts at home

Art is a great way to learn more about Ramadan. Have the kids make the different shapes of the moon and show which one indicates the beginning of the month, which one the middle and which one the end; make a collage of some of their favorite foods for Iftar; have them make special Ramadan placemats for the dinner table.

8.Make a family trip out of sighting the moon

Once the kids are dressed in their pajamas, herd them into the car and take them to where other Muslims in the city are gathering to sight the Ramadan moon. Do the same at the end of the month. Bring a telescope or binoculars.

9.Invite their friends over for a kids-only Iftar

Let your kids come up with the guest list and menu. Also, have them make some of the food. You can pick some kid-friendly recipes or they can help with preparing the parts of Iftar that don't require using a stove or cutting with knives.


10. Invite grandparents or elder community members over for Iftar

After everyone's eaten, hold a storytelling session where the guests describe what Ramadan was like when they were growing up. Ask them to be descriptive. How was Iftar time announced? In some countries, they use a drum. In other places a verbal announcement on a loudspeaker is made. What kind of food did they eat? What games did they play during Ramadan?

11.Make a Ramadan 2005 scrapbook

Take plenty of photos of everyone during Suhur (now that's entertaining!) and Iftar time, as well as while they are fasting and pieces of decorations used, interesting stickers, etc. to make a scrapbook about this Ramadan. Each child should bring three mementos he or she would like to include.

12.Remember the poor

Arrange with the kids to volunteer at a soup kitchen for a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday. If possible, try to find one that has children as its clients so they see that not only adults, but kids like themselves also suffer from hunger.

13.Make and send homemade Ramadan cards

Before the month starts, have an arts and crafts session to make Ramadan Mubarak cards for siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Send the cards soon though, time's running out!

14.Play Ramadan songs

When the kids are playing or involved in some leisure activity, turn off the usual fare and put on some beautiful Ramadan songs in English and your own language if available. Maybe you can ask the kids to memorize one song by the end of Ramadan or compose one of their own.

15.Take them to Tarawih prayer so they feel they're part of a community

Nothing teaches community spirit like congregational prayer. Take the kids with you to the mosque for Tarawih prayer on Friday and Saturday nights when homework isn't an issue. Also, ask them to bring some of their allowance to give in charity while they're there.

10 aamaal Ramazan ke, aur Faida uthaayye

1.Eat, drink and be moderate
Almost all of us do it - once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it's hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we're supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let's try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.

2.Give a pound a day in charity...or five or ten

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let's open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it's the intention that counts.

3.Memorize 4 new Surahs

Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've started, you'll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.

4.Go to Tarawih prayers

Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least one week.

5.Attend the Tarawih prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished

Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran's recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow it.

6.Stop swearing and/or backbiting – with a special box

It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.

Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount that makes it feel like punishment.

At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person whom you've backbitten the most against.

7.Call/email your relatives

You'd think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we'd keep in touch with family and friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life's "busyness."

Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and ask them how their fasting is going.

8.Go on a technology diet

Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.

9.Read some Quran everyday...no matter how much

Even if you feel you've got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.

10.Forgive everyone who has hurt you

Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness, shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too?

If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.

7 Raaz tandurusti ke Ramadan ke manihe may

1.Sahat ke Waqt ka Khana

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, highly recommend eating this pre-dawn meal before a day of fasting. While you may want to pass to catch some more sleep, remember that you can always take a catnap while you're fasting, but you won't be able to eat or drink. To make it easier, set out utensils and dry food on the table before going to bed so you can quickly eat and go back to sleep after Suhur.

2.Limit fat intake

That's right, limit it, don't cut it out. Otherwise, you'll have to get rid of what's considered "traditional" Iftar food in most Muslim cultures. If you're not sure what kind of food is being referred to, think fried, greasy and/or super sweet.

3.Follow the Prophet's Mohammad Sallallahu alihiva alaihiva salam's golden rule of one-third

This especially needs to be said in Ramadan. We should strive to have no more than one-third food, one-third liquid and one-third air in our stomachs when eating.

4.Encourage dip-dunking

Fruits and vegetables get left to the wayside during regular days, let alone at Iftar time. But you can whip out those carrot sticks if you've got some tasty dips to eat them with.

5.Iftar ke baad tahalna

Before you fall over from exhaustion after Iftar and dinner, take a short walk around the block or just around your building. The change of environment and exposure to fresh air may just wake you up in time to go for the next activity listed below.

6.Tarawih Namaaz

More great exercise, not to mention a wonderful way to build concentration, stamina and brotherhood/sisterhood.

7.Take a short afternoon nap

Experts say you don't need more than a 15-minute siesta to really refresh you. During lunch hour, find a quiet spot, set the alarm on your watch/cell phone and nap. This can help your body adjust to the daily Ramadan schedule that requires early waking for Sahar