[B]REVIVE THE SUNNAH THIS RAMADAN![/B]

Every voluntary act is rewarded like a fard act. A fard act is the biggest reward a Muslim can gain so can you imagine the IMMENSE rewards of every Sunnah we act upon?

By following the Sunnah in every aspect of our daily lives, everything we do will become worship, even going to the toilet, having a bath, dressing & undressing etc. By cherishing the Sunnah we can be with the Prophet in Jannah!

[B]Annas (RA) reports Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) advised,[/B] [COLOR=red]“Whoever cherishes my Sunnah, indeed he cherishes me & whoever loves me will be with me in Jannah.” [/COLOR][B](Tirmidhi: 2678: Ibid)[/B]

So let us cherish & revive the Sunnah this Ramadan:

[B]Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:[/B] [COLOR=red]“Whoever revives an aspect of my Sunnah that is forgotten after my death, he will have a reward equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.” [/COLOR][B](Tirmidhi)[/B]

Please download a FULL Sunnah collection which includes Sunnahs of ALL aspects of our lives:

[U][B]Beautiful Daily Sunnah's

[/B][/U][url]http://www.4shared.com/document/XI7Ox9Im/26863499-Beautiful-Sunnah-s-of....

Make This Ramadan Your Best Ramadan Ever

A short list to help us make this our best Ramadan EVER!

Strengthen your faith during this month by confirming your belief in the unity of God.

Have the intention of pleasing God with all your acts of worship.

Keep away from the things that nullify your faith.

Follow the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).

Feed the poor and the needy. Feel the gift of giving in Ramadan.

Before going out for `Eid prayer, make sure to pay Zakat al-Fitr.

Perform the daily prayers at their fixed times and in congregation as much as you can. Attend the Tarawih prayers constantly and perform extra prayers. Rediscover the power of prayer in Ramadan and concentrate much while praying. Leave this worldly life behind your back once you raise your hands and say Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest).

Visit your family members and relatives.

Observe i`tikaf (retreat in the mosque) during the last ten days of Ramadan, if you can.

Make the Quran your companion in Ramadan and have the intention to finish reading it at least once.

Have the intention to offer sincere repentance to Allah.

Have the intention to refine your manners and the way you treat others.

Make any dawah effort during Ramadan if you can, like distributing Ramadan-related dawah materials (CDs, booklets, videos, PDF files, etc.).

If you have the financial means, make iftar for new Muslims in your community to help them integrate with their fellow Muslims. You can also invite non-Muslims to such events to get to know them and introduce Islam to them through fasting.

Make iftar meals and gifts for orphans and marginalized children to make Ramadan a happy occasion for them.

Prepare your du`a (supplication) list. Write down the du`a (supplication) that you want to recite throughout the month. You can ask Allah for anything and everything. Choose the proper times and occasions of offering the du`a. The best supplication is during prostration, while offering the late night prayer, in the last days of Ramadan, and during Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power). Prioritize your list of supplications. Observe the etiquette of making supplication. Start your supplication with praising Allah and sending peace and blessings to the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Face the qiblah (direction) and raise your hands. Be sure that Allah will never let your hands empty when you pray to Him. Do not forget the oppressed people, the people of Syria, and Muslims in Burma (Myanmar).

We pray to Allah to allow us to live till next Ramadan, and make it the best Ramadan ever. Ameen

Excerpt taken from OnIslam

[B]The 3 ways to turbo charge your Ramadan[/B]

 
At the end of every Ramadan there is always mixed feelings of loss that the  blessed month has ended alongside the joys of the celebration of Eid. Then it  gets to Hajj season and six months to the next Ramadan and we start fearing the  return of the month of fasting. Rather than looking forward to Ramadan (and its  blessings) we start to fear the long days, and the usual things like ‘how will  we fast for so long?’, ‘I can’t go to work and fast, it’s just too hard,’ etc.  In this article I will look at ways that you can start looking forward to  Ramadan with such a passion that you will wish it was tomorrow In sha Allah!

We know that the Sahaba (may Allāh be pleased  with them) used to start preparing for Ramadan six months in advance. If  you can do that then that’s awesome. However, for many of us with busy  lifestyles and the hustle and bustle of life, our priorities are not always  right. That doesn’t mean it is too late. There is no  doubt that we should be aiming to make the best of every act we do in Ramadan,  and preparing for the blessed month will help us in multiple ways.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh  be upon him) said: [COLOR=#ff0000] “Whoever draws near to Allah during it (Ramadan) with  a single characteristic from the characteristics of (voluntary) goodness, he is  like whoever performs an obligatory act in other times. And whoever performs an  obligatory act during it, he is like whoever performed seventy obligatory acts  in other times.”[/COLOR] [B] [Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 1887].[/B]

[B]The 3 things I recommend every year to prepare for Ramadan are:[/B]
[B]Voluntary Fasting[/B]

Abu Hurairah (may Allāh be pleased with  him) reported that the most the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) would  fast would be Monday and Thursday. He was asked about that and he said: [COLOR=#ff0000]“On  Mondays and Thursday Allah forgives every Muslim except two who have forsaken  one another.[/COLOR] He says:[COLOR=#ff0000] ‘Leave these two until they reconcile.’”[/COLOR] [[URL="http://sunnah.com/urn/1271430"]Ibn Majah[/URL]].

Not that you need any more reason to do voluntary fasting but what is  absolutely amazing is that modern scientific research is showing the benefits of  intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is basically the scientific name for  fasting two days a week, or 3 days a month, or fasting every other day. Each of  these are clearly set out within the Islamic tradition and it is wonderful that  these practices are now being advocated by non-Muslims.

If you feel that doing a 16-hour fast is too difficult outside Ramadan at  this stage, then I suggest you cut down on your food consumption for a few days  a month so that you can prepare your body for the food reduction that will take place.

[B]Giving Charity[/B]

This isn’t charity-giving in a conventional sense but working out how much  you will give and planning it with your family- your spouse, your children,  maybe others.

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon  him) when asked which charity is best, [COLOR=#ff0000]“He (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:  Charity in Ramadan.”[/COLOR] [[URL="http://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/7/47"]Tirmidhi[/URL]] and Aishah  (may Allāh be pleased with her) narrated  that “He (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon  him) said:[COLOR=#ff0000] ‘Do as much of good deeds as you can, for Allah does not get  tired (of giving reward) until you get tired. And the most beloved of deeds to  Allah are those that are continuous, even if they are a few.’[/COLOR] [[URL="http://sunnah.com/nasai/9/21"]Nasai[/URL]]

These hadiths remind me that even though we should give charity in Ramadan,  rather than being overzealous and giving everything in the first few days or  saving it all for the last 10 days of Ramadan, why not work out how much you  will give and then split it over the 30 days? For example: My children have £30  to give in charity. Through the ‘charity planning’ meeting we discuss how they  will give this out and they usually decide to give £1 a day. They can then give  this to any cause they choose and it’s the small consistent act that has  powerful impact outside Ramadan. Often they will make charitable donations  outside Ramadan because the habit of giving was formed in Ramadan.  Alhamdulillah.

[B]The Power of Dua[/B]

Many of us know how to make dua but at the same time we have no idea how to  ask Allah (glorified and exalted be He) for  the things that we desperately want. We go on year on year, day by day making  the same old dua for the same old things. If you want to turbocharge your life  this Ramadan, this needs to change. You need to adopt a new dua habit In sha  Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh  be upon him) said “The most excellent worship is Du’a.” [Sahih Al-Jami',  no. 1133]. And Allah (glorified and exalted be  He) tells us in the Qur’an [COLOR=#ff0000]“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will  respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered]  contemptible.” [/COLOR][[URL="http://quran.com/40/60"]Qur'an: Chapter 40, Verse  60[/URL]].

So why have we stopped asking Allah (glorified  and exalted be He) for what we really want? In preparation for Ramadan I  urge you to take some time out and dedicate it to working out what you really  want from your life so you can strategically plan your duas this Ramadan. Don’t  be shy of Allah (glorified and exalted be  He), and don’t ask for a little. His bounty is huge and He can answer all  your duas without diminishing his bounty.

Make this year’s dua planning session different to those you have done in the  past by writing things down. Work out what it will look like when you have  achieved it and also plan a few milestones.

[B]Conclusion[/B]

If you are able to do these three things then In sha Allah this Ramadan will  change your life. Many times I have read articles like this and then only put  one of the recommendations into action or carried on without any change.

My suggestion to you, dear reader, is to take a few moments to reflect upon what  you just read and think about how you can put this into your life. Remember it  is small changes that are needed. There is nothing radical in these suggestions  its just the impact is huge especially if you do all three… and I know this from personal experience!

 
Taken from: [URL]http://productivemuslim.com/3-things-to-turbocharge-ramadan/#ixzz2YDrF1z...

[B]The Ramadan Maximizing Guide[/B]

In this guide, there are 10 best tips and tricks to help you maximize your Ramadan.

[B]Please click the link to download this very beneficial E book:[/B]

http://www.muslimlifehacks.com/eBooks/RamadanMaximizingGuide.pdf

[B][URL="http://www.zaynabacademy.org/maximizing-ramadan/"]Maximizing Ramadan[/URL][/B]
[COLOR=#000000][Following is an article based on the transcript of Shaykh kamaluddin Ahmed talk][/COLOR]
[B][COLOR=#000000]                                        [/COLOR][/B]
[CENTER][COLOR=#3366ff](O you who have believed decreed upon you is fasting, as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous, a limited number of days) (Al-Baqara 2:183-184 )
[/COLOR][/CENTER]
[COLOR=#000000]In the noble Quran the month of Ramadan is described as having limited, counted days.
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]In a hadith it is stated regarding Ramadan : “A month, the beginning of it is mercy, the middle of it is forgiveness and the end of it is protection against fire  “
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]The first ten days, about which has been said that it is a Mercy from Allah All Mighty, has already passed. Now we are in the middle 10days which is  for  forgiveness from Allah All Mighty. But, the most special are the last ten days[I],[/I] because
[/COLOR]

[LIST=1]
[*][COLOR=#000000] They are deliverance from Hellfire[/COLOR]
[*][COLOR=#000000] They have the 5 odd nights[/COLOR]
[*][COLOR=#000000] They have the Night of Power
[/COLOR]
[*][COLOR=#000000]They have aitekaaf ( to retreat for a  particular time period in the worship of Allah)
[/COLOR]
[/LIST]
[COLOR=#000000]Maximum Grace, favor and Blessings of Allah All mighty is put in these last 10 days. So much so that this is a discussion among Scholars of Hadith on one hand and discussion among scholars of islamic spirituality on the other hand that the first 10 days of zulhijjah and the last 10 days of Ramadan – which of them have the most Grace and favor of Allah All Mighty. About the nights, there is no doubt that the nights of Ramadan have the most Grace, Mercy, blessings. As far as the days are concerned – which one has more that is difference of opinion – maybe the 10 days ofzulhijjah may have more Grace. Although, we are not trained to feel like that. Because, we feel Ramadan so much; most people hardly feel zulhijjah as such unless we are actually on hajj. [Thats to show one for future, since they are coming in 3-4 months that how much power those first 10 days of zulhijjah have - equal to or perhaps more than the last 10 days of Ramadan.][/COLOR]

[B][COLOR=#3366ff][B][I]1[/I]. ‘Itekaf[/B][/COLOR][/B]

[COLOR=#000000]These last 10 nights, one should maximize by sitting in Itekaaf (secluding oneself in the worship of Allah All mighty). Ideally one should be sitting for 10-days Sunnah Itekaaf. If one cannot sit 10 whole days for Sunnah itekaaf because one is working or due to any other reason, one should try to spend the weekends in the Mosque. If one can’t spend 10, spend 9 days; If one can’t spend 9, spend 8 days; If one can’t spend 8, spend 7 ! If one can only spend the nights, spend the nights; If one can’t spend the nights, spend the days! However much itekaaf one can do in the Mosque, one should try to do it. One should try to spend the maximum amount of these 10 days  in itekaaf, if one can’t spend all 10.[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR=#3366ff][I][B]2. Night Worship[/B][/I][/COLOR][/B]

[COLOR=#000000]Those nights one should spend in worship as much as one can. Sleep after Fajr(morning prayer) or one can sleep one hour in the night if one wants to, but one should try to give life to those nights. One should be up in those nights – do some sunnah of qiyam ul layl[I],[/I]  tahajjud salah [even if it means repeating the same 10surahs that one knows 2-3 times during one     Rakaah , some long  qiyam; some long rukuh; some long sajdah(prostrating) ; some long [B]دعا[/B](prayer) to Allah Allah mighty- one should spend in worship, those last 10 nights. As much worship as one can do – salat ul tasbeeh,[I] any[/I] [I]qaza salah [/I][/COLOR][COLOR=#000000][I] , Reciting Qur’an, seeking forgiveness for one’s sins, sending peace and blessings on the prophet (May peace and blessings be upon Him),[/I] [I]muraqba[/I][I] (Remembering Allah Almighty in one’s spiritual Heart), any other[/I] masnoon aamaal [I] (Recommended deeds), tasbeehaat[/I]- one should try to maximize.[/COLOR]

[B][COLOR=#3366ff][I][B]3. Deliverance from Hellfire[/B][/I][/COLOR][/B]

The most important thing that one should do in these last 10 days of Ramadan: – is to get oneself saved from the Hell fire . This is through dua  and through tauba (repentance). The whole month of Ramadan, but specially the last 10 days are for dua and tauba. Make as many dua as one can. Make as much taubah as one can.

[COLOR=#000000]One has to begin that by viewing self as worthy of hellfire i.e. we have actually become as such that we have earned the fire of jahannum due to our sins, due to our hypocrisy, due to our ungratefulness, due to our evil glances. So one has to feel that even the first 20 days of Ramadan weren’t enough to pull me out and I’m entering the 21st of Ramadan as somebody who is worthy of Hell fire. And if one feels like that, one has 10 days chance to put his/her plea in front of Allah Almighty to take them out from the Hell Fire , at least for the next year; Take their name off from the list of people destined for the Hell Fire  at least for the next year.
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000] Original recipients of this hadith were the companions ( May Allah Almighty be pleased with them all), That First ten days are a Mercy; second 10 days are a Forgiveness and last 10 Days are deliverance from the Hell Fire. The companions wouldn’t have thought that this must be for the later Muslims! That’s not how the companions were. Anything the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon Him) said, they thought it was for them.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]
These last 10 days are a test of one’s sincerity and perseverance. One should try to make as much dua  for one another as one can,  spend these last 10 days as strongly as one can.[/COLOR]

[B][I][B]The month of[/B][/I][I][B] Shawwal is another test[/B][/I][/B]

[COLOR=#000000]When Allah Almighty takes Ramadan away. All the Satans are let loose; all the doors of Hell are opened again;  normal routine goes back – one goes back to university; one goes back to work – everything goes back the way it was. No more fasting; no more taraveeh; no more dars. Everything is gone! that is a very big test. Infact that is the real test. The real name of the game, is out of the 12 months how one spends  Shawwal (10th month of lunar islamic calender)- that may be based on how one spends Ramadan. But, one month that one wants to spend well, its Shawaal. Because that will be the month in which one either preserve or lose the light  that one got in the month of Ramadan – specially those of us who will go back to universities and classes. One has to keep up his/her ‘amal, zikr(remembrance), Qur’an, salah (prayer). Ones who will go back to fulltime job as opposed to half time that is another big test for them.
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]That is why Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) made a Sunnah of fasting the 6 days of Shawaal. There are  many reasons for it. One reason is that, when one fasts in Shawaal, it  brings back all the memories of Ramadan. It  brings the whole spirit of Ramadan in the month of Shawaal.
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]The last 10 days of Ramadan and the first 10 days of Shawaal -  one should try to spend to the best of one’s ability. Then if Allah All mighty wills it and if one does that, it is enough to get  isteqaamat (perseverance).  isteqaamat  (perseverance) means that one has a full tank and one keeps it full.
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]So, in the last 10 days of Ramadan, one fills up the tank. And if one spends the first 10 days of Shawaal keeping it full, Allah willing Allah All mighty will let one keep it full for the rest of the year.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]One just has to show  10 days of   isteqaamat (perseverance), 10 days of husool e fayz (attaining Grace and Mercy), 10  days of hifaazat e fayz (protection of Grace and Mercy) and Allah All mighty will give one isteqaamat (perseverance). For only 20 days for 365 days in a year.
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]Then one should make a lot of dua and alot of  istaghfaar (repentance) for deficiencies in the month of Ramadan and dua for acceptance that Allah All Mighty accept our fasts  taraweeh,  aitekaaf, dua and then one has to keep at it in the month of Shawaal; keep at it in the first 10 days of Shawaal. Allah willing, Allah All Mighty will have Mercy.[/COLOR]

[B]Source:[/B] [URL]http://www.zaynabacademy.org/maximizing-ramadan/[/URL]

[SIZE=3][B]Make This Ramadan Count![/B][/SIZE]
by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali | Translated and Edited by Shafiur Rahman

[COLOR="#FF0000"]O the one who has wasted his life in disobedience, O the one who has neglected his month, nay his entire time, and has wasted it. O the one whose provisions are procrastination and neglect, what wretched provisions! O the one who has made the Qur’an and the month of Ramadan complainants against you, how do you expect them to intercede on your behalf? ………………………………………………………………………………

O servants of Allah, this is the month of Ramadan, in which the Qur’an was revealed and in its remaining days are bliss for the worshipers. This is the book of Allah recited and listened to amongst you; it is the Qur’an which, if it was sent upon a mountain, you would have seen the mountain split asunder out of fear and humility – but despite this, no heart fears, no eyes weep, the fasts do not prevent from haram [sin] so that they may be of benefit, the prayers at night are not such that the one praying can hope for intercession, hearts are bereft of the fear of Allah so they are deserted and empty of any goodness, the darkness of sins have shrouded them and therefore they cannot see nor hear.

How many ayat [verses] are recited upon us and still our hearts are like rocks or even harder? How many months of Ramadan pass by us and our states are like that of those condemned to wretchedness? No youth amongst us ceases to follow his youthful passions, and no elder amongst us takes heed of the warnings to give up evil deeds so that he may be amongst the pure ones.

Where are we in relation to the people when they hear the caller of Allah and respond to the call? And when the ayat are recited upon them, their hearts soften. And when they fast, their speech, hearing and sight also fast. Are they not examples for us to follow? How great a distance between us and the pure ones! We are further from them than the distance between Safa and Marwa., When our speech is good, our actions are bad. There is no power or might except by Allah, the most high the most majestic, and Allah is enough for us.

O self, the righteous ones have triumphed through taqwa1

They perceived the truth whilst my heart is blind,

O their splendid beauty—whilst the night conceals them

Their light exceeds that of the stars,

They spend the nights in the melody of remembrance

Their living made pure by this melody,

Their hearts have emptied for remembrance

Their tears are like pearls arranged,

Their daybreak shines radiant upon them

Honoured robes of clemency are the best allotment,

Woe unto you O soul will you not awaken?

And benefit before my feet slip?

In trivial matters and whims has time elapsed

So grasp what remains of it and profit.[/COLOR]