Preparing for Ramadan | Shaykh Suleiman Hani | Miftaah Circle

Preparing for Ramadan

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَمَنْ وَالَاهُ

As always, we begin in the name of Allah, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Maintainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is in between. And we ask Allah to send His peace and His blessings upon His messenger, Muhammad ﷺ. Peace be upon him — every time you hear his name or you read it, صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. And all who follow him until the end of times.

What If This Ramadan Is Your Last?

What if this Ramadan is your last? What if you were resurrected? I want you to imagine this scenario. What if you were resurrected and on the Day of Judgment — imagine you're meeting the Prophet ﷺ, you're meeting the companions of Rasulullah ﷺ, and they ask you: how was your last Ramadan? Imagine you receive your book of deeds, you look at the final Ramadan in your life, the final chapter. What was it like? Did you assume there was going to be another one, so you slacked off? Or did you really believe — like with every prayer, pray as though it is your last, pray as though you are bidding farewell — this is my last Ramadan.

I mentioned this before a few years back: a sister was tweeting or posting online something about the upcoming Ramadan. It was Sha'ban, just like it is today. She said, "Insha'Allah, this Ramadan will be my month of increased hidayah — I'll change, I'll come back to Allah." And a few weeks before Ramadan came around, she passed away in a car accident. May Allah have mercy on her. We pray and we assume she started taking those steps — the steps of change, the steps that prove you are sincere.

Many Muslims hear this but they forget. Remember this point: the Prophet ﷺ informed us that the best of generations is his generation, and then those who follow, and those who follow. So if you and I want to know — how do you maximize your Ramadan? How are you supposed to actually worship in Ramadan? Aside from what your parents have told you, aside from maybe some of the imams who have taught you, aside from scholars and teachers and books and articles over the years — let's make sure the foundations of practices in Ramadan are taken from the Prophet ﷺ and the companions so that we know what we're doing aligns with it.

Stage One: The Preparation — Sha'ban

We start with stage one. Stage one, believe it or not, is not even Ramadan yet. Stage one is the preparation stage right now. Stage one is what you're doing today by attending this conference. Stage one is your practice in Sha'ban — this month before Ramadan comes around.

Remember, Sha'ban is a proof for the one who wants to get closer to Allah in Ramadan. Sha'ban is a proof for the one who is sincerely passionate about living to another Ramadan for the sake of Allah and wishing and hoping their last Ramadan was accepted. Sha'ban is the proof. Sha'ban is the preparation.

Aisha رضي الله عنها reports: she did not see the Prophet ﷺ fast any other voluntary month of the year more than Sha'ban. What does that tell us? The preparation has started. You're welcoming the greatest month of the year.

Usama bin Zaid رضي الله عنه said: "O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in Sha'ban" — meaning, the voluntary month. He said: "This is a month in which many people do not pay attention. When other people are not paying attention to acts of worship, pay extra attention. The reward is great. There is a blessing in it. It is a month between Rajab and Ramadan in which the deeds are lifted up to Allah, and I like for my deeds to be lifted while I am fasting."

Anas رضي الله عنه says: when Sha'ban would begin, the Muslims would dedicate themselves to the recitation of the Qur'an. Increase your Qur'an recitation. Why? So that you have momentum going into the greatest month of the year. So we are encouraged — as many scholars have stated, Ibn Rajab رحمه الله talks about this — as this is the month that is warming you up and preparing you for Ramadan, take advantage. So that when it arrives: welcome, open arms, welcome and ready to go. Welcome — and I'm already established in my preparation, I've adjusted what I needed to adjust of routine.

Your Story Is Already in the Qur'an

Now, what are the best practices from the lives of the companions, from the Prophet ﷺ? Remember: your story is already in the Qur'an. You read about the prophets, you read about the righteous, you read about some of the evil people as well in the Qur'an. Your story is there as well. The story of how the believers prepared. The story of how the believers did not give up on Allah. The story of how you repented to Allah and you kept trying and trying and trying and you never gave up. You never lost hope. You knew who Allah was. You knew there was always a chance to keep moving forward.

Your story in the Qur'an all comes down to one thing — and it is your sabr, your perseverance. No matter how difficult things get, you keep trying. No matter how many times you've fallen down, you stand back up, knowing Allah is supporting you, knowing your need of moving forward, knowing that Allah is promising you a way forward and that it will be worth it. And so when you look at your story in the Qur'an, you realize at the end of the day there is no greater option than to be a person of preparation. Your life and your story in the Qur'an is one in which you are preparing to meet Allah. Your entire life is preparation for a meeting with Allah.

And likewise, Ramadan is a preparation. Sha'ban is a preparation for Ramadan. And Ramadan is a preparation to meet Allah with a clean slate — to meet Allah with that hope for mercy, forgiveness, and reward.

Stage Two: Ramadan Has Arrived

I want you to imagine that you could see behind the scenes. We can't — al-ghayb is not for us. But imagine what happens behind the scenes as Sha'ban ends and Ramadan enters in less than two weeks. What's happening behind the scenes? The Prophet ﷺ tells us: when the month of Ramadan arrives, the doors of the heavens are opened and the doors of Hellfire are shut. And the Prophet ﷺ said: the devils are chained.

Here's a lighthearted story. One time a brother in Egypt is telling us this. One time he entered the musalla and he saw two men fighting — arguing really, really loudly. And one of the men eventually got so angry, he was yelling at the other. He said, "You're such a devil, you're such a Shaytan." And he's holding his wrist. And the other man is confused and afraid. He said, "Why are you holding my wrist if you're calling me a devil?" He said, "You're acting like a Shaytan and I don't know why you didn't get locked up this month, but I'm going to tie you up." لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ.

Now here's a question that oftentimes people ask: if the devils are chained up in Ramadan, why do we still see people committing sins? Why is there still sinfulness in the month of Ramadan? The scholars have given many answers. I'll share two opinions.

The first: the hadith does not say that all the devils are chained up. So some scholars say some of the devils are not chained up. The second — pay attention to this — is that the devil is working on the human being all year long. May Allah protect us all. The devil is working against the human being all year long, getting you accustomed to certain habits. So you've developed a habit — it may even become an addiction. And the person is so addicted to it that whether or not the devil is chained or free, the person will still do it. So now there's momentum for evil, momentum for something prohibited. May Allah protect us and guide us and forgive us.

I remember when I was younger, one of our teachers said: think of a cup of tea that's being stirred. When the stirring stops, there's still some momentum. Yes, Ramadan has entered, the devils are chained up — but you were doing something for the entire year. Do you think it will just disappear? Do you think your bad habits will just vanish? Or is there something internal you need to do?

And one of the greatest things to imagine is the number of angels coming down as Ramadan enters. The mercy that is coming down. The angels are coming to the believers — 2 billion of them — in every masjid, every home, all around the world, looking for the believers who are ready, accustomed now, prepared, asking Allah for forgiveness, praying qiyam al-layl, reading the Qur'an.

And the Prophet ﷺ would make du'a when he would see the crescent moon for Ramadan. He would ask Allah to bring with it:

"O Allah, bring to us this moon with blessings and faith, and with safety and submission." You're asking Allah as this month enters for safety and for submission — Islam, meaning to submit to Allah.

Ramadan Is Proof That Human Beings Can Change

There's this beautiful phenomenon we observe as 2 billion Muslims every single year — and all human beings can take lessons from this. As Sha'ban ends and stage two Ramadan begins, what happens? Asr is gone, Maghrib enters, the practices have changed. The same person — maybe someone here in the audience — the same person who said, "I cannot read Qur'an," is now reading Qur'an the entire year. Someone who did not pray any qiyam the entire year, no voluntary prayers at night, is now praying tarawih — 8 rak'ahs, 20 rak'ahs, an hour, two hours. Someone who stopped making du'a all year long is now begging Allah for forgiveness and guidance. Someone who does not fast a single voluntary day of the year is fasting all of Ramadan.

I ask you: what has changed? What changed when Sha'ban left and Ramadan entered? There was this hope for forgiveness. You changed, you decided, you wanted to get closer to Allah. Ramadan, as it enters, is a proof that all human beings are capable of change if they want to change. Ramadan is a proof that if you want to overcome your sinfulness, your laziness, your bad desires, you are able to change. And you can change any time of the year. Allah is the Lord of the entire year and the Lord of time and the Lord of the universe.

The Value of One Ramadan: A Famous Hadith

I'll share one of the most famous stories about how precious one Ramadan is. This is a famous hadith — I'm paraphrasing the story here. It was reported from Talha رضي الله عنه that two men came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and embraced Islam. They both became Muslim at the same time. And after accepting Islam, one of them would strive harder — rituals-wise, he worked harder than the other.

The one who used to strive harder went out one day fighting for the sake of Allah and died as a martyr — he died as a shaheed. And you and I know the status of the martyrs, the shuhada. The second man did not work as hard. He accepted Islam at the same time but did not die as a martyr. He lived an extra year past his friend, and then he passed away — not as a martyr; maybe natural causes, and Allah knows best.

Talha رضي الله عنه reported that he had a dream. He saw himself standing at the gates of paradise. May Allah grant us Jannah. And as he's standing there, these two men are standing there in front of him — the men who had died. Two men who had embraced Islam at the same time. And then through the gates of Jannah, someone came out — maybe an angel, Allah knows best — and took one person into Jannah first.

If we were to guess with no knowledge whatsoever of this hadith, most of us might guess it was the martyr who went in first. He died as a martyr, he worked harder in Islam. But no — the one who was admitted first was the second man. And then that person came out and took the martyr. And then the person came out and said to Talha: "Go back, it's not your time yet."

The next morning Talha woke up, told people about the dream, and everyone was amazed. They told the Prophet ﷺ about the dream, and he asked: "Why are you so amazed?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah, the first one was the one who worked harder — and he died as a martyr in the cause of Allah. The other man who didn't strive as hard and was not a shaheed was admitted to Jannah before him. How does this work?"

The Prophet ﷺ asked: "Did he not live for another year, one extra year?" They said, "Yes." He asked: "And did not Ramadan come around and he fasted — and he offered prayers for that entire year?" — In one hadith in the Musnad, Imam Ahmad actually mentions almost 6,000 prayers as an example. They said, "Yes — one extra Ramadan and one year of salah. Two obligatory acts of worship. Two pillars — nothing extra beyond that." The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3925; also referenced in Musnad Ahmad)

"The difference between them is greater than the difference between the heavens and the earth."

Brothers and sisters, if Allah blesses you with another Ramadan, you have an opportunity that the dead would wish to come back for. You have an opportunity that can raise your ranks beyond your imagination. Think of how many people who died and did not perform well in their final Ramadan — they would wish to be in our shoes. Ask Allah to keep you grateful, because gratitude will lead you to taking advantage of the month.

720 Hours

How many hours do we have in Ramadan if we have 30 days? 720 hours. If you are sleeping 8 hours a night in Ramadan, there's one third of your month — gone. If you're working a full-time job 8 hours a day, there's another one third of your month. You don't have much left for everything else. Everything else in the last one third. If you're raising a child, forget it — you have no time, it's all gone. May Allah reward the mothers and the fathers who are raising their children. Allahumma ameen.

Why am I mentioning 720 hours? Because we assume when Ramadan enters, we have a lot of time. "This is going to be a long month." أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ — limited days. And it will pass by very quickly. We say this every year. How fast did the time pass by? How quickly it came back around? The one who is consistent, even if small in terms of good deeds, is at least building for something great because the time will fly by anyway. And the one who is wasting time will have more to regret.

Laylatul Qadr: Do Not Procrastinate

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Verily this month has presented itself to you. And within it is a night better than — greater than — a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it has been deprived of all good. And no one is deprived of its good but that he is truly deprived."

This hadith is about Laylatul Qadr — greater than a lifetime. There's a brother who told us this very recently. When he used to be distant from Allah, one year in particular, this is when his life changed. He kept telling himself: "I'll really change when Ramadan comes around." Ramadan comes around. The first day or two he was fine. Then he relapsed and started committing a lot of sins again. He would repent — and then he stopped. No more tawbah. Just committing these sins throughout the month of Ramadan. He said he fasted with no love for the fasting, and he had reluctance and laziness when it came to salah. He kept telling himself: "It'll get better. Maybe the last 10 nights, maybe the second half of Ramadan."

The last 10 nights came. He said: "I'm going to take advantage of all of them." And he was lazy. "You know what? I think maybe I'll just do it on the 27th night. I'll repent." The 27th night — why? It's not guaranteed that that's Laylatul Qadr. He pinned all his hopes on it. When the night came, the 27th night, he said: "I'll take a quick nap at night, and this is the night I will finally make tawbah." He took a nap. He set maybe 5 or 10 alarms — did not wake up for a single one. Slept and slept and slept. He said: "I woke up after Fajr. When I woke up, I was afraid. Did I really just miss Laylatul Qadr? Did I just miss the odd night — one of the likeliest candidates — the day I said I was going to repent?"

He said: "I got really scared. Because I had heard the hadith we just mentioned — 'Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all good.' I had procrastinated for this day, thinking tomorrow I'll become a better Muslim. Tomorrow came. I did not change. Tomorrow came. I missed the opportunity."

Who said you're going to take advantage of the last 10 nights? Who said you'll be alive for the last 10 nights? Who said you're guaranteed to be awake during the last 10 nights? Who said you'll have good health and energy in the last 10 nights? Who said tomorrow is a tomorrow that you will experience? The sun will rise tomorrow — but we don't know if we'll rise. And the believer is the one who lives a lifestyle of not procrastinating. When you think of a shortcoming, the best time to repent, wallahi, is in the moment. When you think "I want to be a better person," don't ever think "tomorrow I'll be a better person." For there are many people who died who thought they had hopes on tomorrow — they pinned their hopes on it and tomorrow never came for them. Turn back to Allah in the moment and you will be the happiest of people.

What did this brother do — to end the story on a high note? He was so afraid that he actually did turn back to Allah on that day, that morning he had missed the 27th night. He started asking Allah for forgiveness, started repenting, started praying nawafil. He went to the masjid for the first time in Ramadan for tarawih prayer. He started reading Qur'an and making du'a. Sure, he missed the 27th night — but he turned back to Allah for that 28th night, the 29th, the end of Ramadan, and onwards as well. He said: "That was a day that changed my life — because of how afraid I was, realizing with my pride and arrogance I was thinking I can change when I want. And then realizing it's not guaranteed that you will change tomorrow. It's not guaranteed the opportunity will be given to you."

Then he said: "I stopped playing games with the religion of Allah." Do not play games with the purpose of life, because this life was not created as sport. Allah did not create you and the entire universe for your trial and test to be a game.

"To see who is best in their deeds." This is a matter of reality. We're talking about our existence, we're talking about Allah. Take advantage and know that the mercy of Allah is encompassing you, surrounding you, available and accessible to you. But the test of life is while you are alive. The test of life is here and now. And once your soul leaves your body, it's over. The test has ended and accountability begins.

The Purpose of Fasting: Taqwa

The Prophet ﷺ lived a lifestyle — and this is why we learn best practices from him — that summarizes the one ayah about why fasting was prescribed for us. Anytime you hear in the Qur'an يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا — "O you who believe" — 89 times in the Qur'an you find this. Pay attention, for Allah will tell you about something good for you, or something harmful so that you may avoid it.

"Fasting was obligated, prescribed for you as it was for people before you, so that you may gain God-consciousness — taqwa."

Taqwa is your shield. If you want to understand what it looks like, taqwa is like hiking on a trail with thorny bushes. What do you do? Usually you hold your clothes, you're very cautious, you might go sideways. Why? You don't want to be pricked by the thorns. Are you reckless and just sprint full speed? Taqwa likewise — this is the example of Abu Hurairah and Umar رضي الله عنهما — taqwa is for you not to live life recklessly.

Here's an example that may relate to many of us. When you're buying something to eat, oftentimes some Muslims put in so much effort on ensuring the food is halal — meaning, making sure it's pure. You go to the store, you check the ingredients. No pork, no alcohol, nothing prohibited. You check the gelatin — what kind of gelatin is it? Why? Because you're not reckless. You're very cautious, you're afraid. Why are you afraid? Because you know who Allah is and the boundaries that He has placed. You're afraid of crossing those lines out of love, veneration, and awe of Allah, and fear of breaking His law.

Some people are more afraid of breaking the laws here — speeding and so on. You see a cop, you slow down. Why? You're afraid of fines and tickets. Are you not more afraid of the boundaries Allah has given you in public and in private? Taqwa is for you to be cautious. Taqwa is for you to use a social media app that allows you to choose the content you see. Not swiping mindlessly and allowing your eyes 3 out of 10 times, 5 out of 10 times, to see something prohibited — because you love Allah. Taqwa is to be cautious. When you're watching a movie or TV show, check what's in it — just as you check the ingredients for that snack. Even though things have become normalized and we have become desensitized to the world around us, we still care about the boundaries of Allah.

Allah tells us about this objective so we don't forget. Some people become distracted with the external motions of fasting and qiyam — pray, fast, break fast at this time — and they don't think about the internal aspects. One of the stations of Ramadan we learn as best practices is that of the recitation of the Qur'an.

The Station of the Qur'an in Ramadan

How did the companions and the Prophet ﷺ recite once Ramadan entered? How do you connect with the Qur'an? Are you closer to it? Do you fly through a recitation on your tongue — or are you focused on the actual ibadah, لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ — to do tadabbur, to reflect on the Qur'an?

Some of the sahaba would learn from Rasulullah ﷺ how to connect with the Qur'an. And yes, some of them recited the entire Qur'an every single night — but they are few. Every three days some of them; every seven days; every ten days. Do what you can.

"Fear Allah as much as you are able." Your best capacity. Some of the scholars, like Imam Malik, would close their books of hadith and other things and focus on the Qur'an in Ramadan. Why? Allah describes it for us:

"O mankind, an admonishment has come to you from your Lord, and a healing for what is in the hearts, and a guidance, and a mercy for the believers." The Qur'an heals you. The Qur'an is your nourishment. The Qur'an feeds your fitrah, purifies you, removes the ailments of this world, removes the anxieties and uncertainties of the future. It removes the addictions to bad habits and sins. The Qur'an cleans us and we are in need of it.

What If Someone Cannot Read the Qur'an?

What if someone cannot read from the Qur'an? Whether you have just become Muslim or you've been practicing your entire life but cannot read the Arabic letters — try your best. Even if with mistakes, find a teacher, someone in the masjid to help you, and you're rewarded even more for trying although it is not easy for you. Read the translation. Listen to the tafsir. Listen to the surah as many times as you can. Have the Qur'an playing as recordings throughout the month of Ramadan. Let your home, your car, your environment be a place in which the Qur'an is always being recited.

What about a woman who cannot pray at that time? As some of the scholars have stated, a woman is allowed to recite from memory — this is one opinion within the schools of fiqh. Other scholars say there is not recitation at this time. Other scholars have mentioned that a woman can recite but should not hold the mushaf, and she can read from a digital device. Allah knows best. But in any case — listen often, read the tafsir, listen to lectures about the Qur'an.

When an Ayah Touches Your Heart — Pause

One of the best practices: when an ayah of the Qur'an touches your heart, pause. Don't rush. This is a very crucial moment. Everyone here — if I were to ask, what's an ayah, a passage in the Qur'an that hits you hard? — you can think of many examples. There's a reason, an experience, a situatedness in your life that made you relate to this verse on this particular day or in this phase of your life.

Pay attention — what did the Prophet ﷺ do? In Ramadan and outside of Ramadan, when he would recite the Qur'an and there was an ayah that impacted him, sometimes he would repeat it again and again and again. The famous example of this: the Prophet ﷺ was once reciting from the end of Surah al-Ma'idah in qiyam al-layl. He kept reciting this ayah over and over, crying and making du'a — the du'a on the tongue of Isa, peace be upon him:

"If You punish them — they are Your servants, You decide. And if You forgive them — You are the Almighty, the All-Wise. You have the authority, and You know who deserves to be forgiven." And the Prophet ﷺ repeated it over and over and over.

Do you rush past an ayah that touches your heart, or do you pause and reflect? This is one of the greatest moments to capture. Repeat it, recite it, think about it, repeat it again if you must — especially in the voluntary prayers, and especially when you're alone.

It is reported that Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما was leading the prayer and he read Surah al-Mutaffifin. He got to the ayah:

"The Day when all of mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds." He repeated it and repeated it, and he fell to his knees out of the impact it had on him.

One time Sufyan al-Thawri رحمه الله was reading Surah al-Fatihah and he could not continue past:

"You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help." He started to cry and kept crying, and had to start over from the beginning of Surah al-Fatihah.

And you have the example of Aisha رضي الله عنها reading from Surah at-Tur. Her nephew came to say salam. He said: "I usually started with her at home." She was reading the ayah — the people of Jannah are talking:

"Allah was gracious to us and saved us from the punishment of the scorching fire." He said: "I left to the market, I came back — she was still crying and making du'a and repeating this ayah."

Brothers and sisters, this is one of the greatest stations to focus on during Ramadan and throughout the year. Capture the moment that you're in. And "capture here" does not mean post it on social media for everyone to see. Your act of worship — take advantage of the moment Allah has given you. There's no point in getting up at 3 a.m., praying qiyam al-layl, and then hashtagging "rug life, alhamdulillah for qiyam opportunities." Why are you sharing your ibadah with the world?

Of course, make sure you encourage your family. Pray qiyam, take advantage especially from your home — the voluntary prayer is great in the sight of Allah. Don't only pray in the masjid. Umar رضي الله عنه would wake up his family and say: "The prayer, the prayer!" And he would recite the ayah:

"And enjoin prayer upon your family and be steadfast therein." So encourage your family, be consistent, take all the stations of Ramadan, give in charity — the station of generosity, the station of sadaqah, is one of the greatest.

The Busy Believer: Practical Strategies for Ramadan

What about the busy believer? What is the station of productivity for the one who says — like many people in the audience — "I have so many responsibilities"? You may be a high school student, a university student, you may be working full-time, you may be a mother who literally cannot find a break for herself. May Allah bless our mothers — the mothers of the ummah — and our fathers as well. Allahumma ameen.

What can you do if you have so many worldly responsibilities? What can you do to take advantage of this month of Ramadan? We'll answer this question with four points.

1. Analyze Your Schedule

First and foremost, analyze your schedule to make sure you're not actually wasting time. Because a lot of times we say, "I don't have much time" — and then you do what's called time tracking. You look at your entire schedule, every hour, every day. What did I do today? You can start this today, insha'Allah. You have the next week — that's one of the acts of worship before Ramadan comes around.

You might find there is time being wasted. You don't have to be robotic — we're not expected to be robots who don't have energy management, who don't take care of their body. Your body has a right upon you. But look at your schedule. One brother said, "I'm so busy." And then we did time tracking for one week. I said, "Bro, you're playing video games three hours a day." He said, "Yeah, that's how I relax." I said, "Okay, well you said you had no time. Can you play for two hours a day instead of three?" He said, "Yeah, I guess." Look at your schedule. Are you wasting time? Sometimes we complain of how busy we are, but it's busy work — not productive — and there's also waste on entertainment. May Allah protect us and put barakah even in the times we are socializing with family.

2. Use a Countdown Timer

The second thing: use a countdown timer. Throughout the week, if your countdown timer is going off every 30 minutes or every 60 minutes and you are not on track — not actually working, not doing something you thought you were doing according to your plan — you'll find yourself coming back to your senses, insha'Allah, every 30 to 60 minutes. When the timer starts, focus and intend for the sake of Allah whatever you're doing. Your job, the raising of your child, the activity you're doing with your kids, even the rest you're taking — intend your worldly responsibilities as acts of worship, especially when you're thinking of how they're connected to your afterlife.

3. Delay What You Can Until After Ramadan

Third: if there's something you can delay of responsibilities to after Ramadan, try. I know this seems far-fetched to a lot of people who work in different fields. But many brothers and sisters have told us — when they would look for ways to free up some of their time in Ramadan by asking their supervisors, or in their own jobs, businesses, or studies, taking one less class in Ramadan so they can use the time for the sake of Allah — they found that trying doesn't hurt and often leads to good progress.

One brother told us: he did a lot of great work in Ramadan, still did his hours every single day, but he told his supervisor: "I would like to delay this project that we were about to start until after Ramadan — this is a very important month for me." His supervisor was understanding, because the brother comes every single day with ihsan. So the supervisor said: "Yes, I know you're going to make up the work, I know you're going to go above and beyond." So he gave him that flexibility. It doesn't apply to everyone — but try. It doesn't hurt.

4. Incorporate Acts of Worship Into Every Moment

The last thing: whatever it is you are doing in Ramadan of responsibilities, incorporate as many acts of worship into your schedule as possible. Something as simple as dhikr and du'a. One brother told us — he works at the hospital — incorporate, incorporate, incorporate. Just read Qur'an in every 2-3 minute break that you have. Open up your Qur'an app — it should be on your main screen, right? Not the other social media apps — Qur'an app first. Open it and continue where you left off. He said: "I started doing this at work and I noticed I finished almost a juz of the Qur'an every single day, even though I've had this job for over 10 years and I've never once finished the Qur'an in Ramadan."

Utilize those 2 minutes, those 3 minutes for du'a, for dhikr, istighfar, for reading Qur'an, for doing an act of worship instead of mindlessly opening up something that is useless. Utilize the times that you have and incorporate as many good deeds as possible — including du'a, Qur'an between tasks, and asking Allah for forgiveness and acceptance.

Closing: Build One Another and Take Advantage

Just remember this: if you're standing on the Day of Judgment and the Prophet ﷺ and the Sahaba ask you, "How was your final Ramadan?" — what will you say? If you take advantage of this Ramadan, you won't have regrets. The believers who utilize the blessings Allah gave them, they won't regret.

And sometimes you will notice the people around you — friends or family — if they're struggling, support them. When you're struggling, you'll find support as well, insha'Allah. Everyone has a strength and everyone has a weakness. Build one another — we should be moving forward as friends, as community members, as families, especially towards Allah. Rather than putting each other down or pushing people away, bring people closer to Allah. Take people by the hand, show them where the masjid is, take them to the activities, take them to the programs, encourage one another, read Qur'an with one another.

And there is a promise from Allah: those who fast Ramadan with iman and ihtisab — with belief in Allah and with hope and optimism that their sins will be forgiven, even though you cannot see the reward here — Allah promises the forgiveness of their past sins.

May Allah forgive us, accept from us, and make this Ramadan the greatest Ramadan of our lives.