Diary of a fasting person .. Day 1

Diary of a fasting person .. Day 1

Before Dawn

1-    Performing Tahajjud (Voluntary Night Salah): "Is one who is obedient to Allâh, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)." [Surat Az-Zumar: 39].

2-    Suhur (Pre dawn meal) because of the Prophet's saying: "Take Suhur as there is a blessing in it." [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

3-    Seeking Allah's Forgiveness until the Fajr Adhan: Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "And in the hours before dawn, they were (found) asking (Allâh) for forgiveness." [Surat Adh-Dhariyat].

4-    Invoking Allah between Adhan and Iqamah:

5-    Performing the Sunnah of Fajr: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The two Rak`ahs of Fajr are better than the world and that therein." [Reported by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhy, and Abu Dawud].

6-    Performing the Fajr Salah in congregation: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "He who observed the Fajr Salah (in congregation), he is in fact under the protection of Allah and it never happens that Allah should make a demand in connection with the protection (that He guarantees and should not get it) for when he asks for anything in relation to His protection, he definitely secures it. He then throws him flatly in the Hell-fire."

7-    Adhkar of Salah then performing the forenoon Salah (20 minutes after sunrise), the least of its Rak`ahs are two but if you want to perform more, you may offer two more Rak`ahs then recite one part of the Qur'an.

Going to work

While you are going to work, you are in a worship, so seek the reward from Allah. You may invest the time of transportation in seeking forgiveness, glorifications, and listening to the Qur'an. Fear Allah and guard your tongue and organs, and if there is a free time, use it in reciting the Qur'an.

Zhuhr Salah

1-    Repeating the Adhan with the muezzin is a Sunnah.

2-    Supplication between Adhan and Iqamah is answered, so seize the chance.

3-    Performing the Sunnah Salah (4 Rak`ahs) before Zhuhr.

4-    Busy your time with reciting the Qur'an until Salah is established (it is preferable to take a small copy of the Qur'an with you to work).

5-    Reciting Adhkar after Salah.

6-    Performing two Rak`ahs after Zhuhr.

As for those who do not have work in this time, they should use it in different kinds of righteous acts of worship.

`Asr Salah

1-    Repeating the Adhan with the muezzin is a Sunnah.

2-    Supplication between Adhan and Iqamah is answered, so seize the chance.

3-    `Asr has no Sunnah before or after, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "May Allah show mercy to a man who prays four Rak`ahs before the `Asr (Afternoon) Salah," so who of us does not seek the mercy of Allah?

4-    Reciting the Qur'an until Salah is established.

5-    Reciting Adhkar after Salah.

6-    Attending religious lectures in the masjid so that the hearts would be softened during this month.

7-    After the end of the lecture, a person may stay in the masjid for reciting the Qur'an. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The servant is constantly in prayer so long as he is in a place of worship waiting for the prayer (to be observed in congregation), and the angels invoke (blessings upon him in these words): O Allah! pardon him . O Allah! show mercy to him, (and they continue to do so) till he returns (from the mosque having completed the prayer) or his ablution breaks. I said: How is the ablution broken? He said: By breaking of the wind noiselessly or with noise . " [Reported by Muslim].

8-    As for women, during the afternoon time, they may seek the reward from Allah while preparing the food because a person shall take a reward when he waters an animal, so what about human beings! You may invest the time of preparing food in seeking forgiveness, glorifications, and sending peace and blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). You may also listen to the Qur'an or religious tapes because it is a type of the acts or worship.

Al Maghrib Salah

9-    15 minutes before the Maghrib, a person may return home for ablution.

10- Reciting the Adhkar of the evening at this time and uttering frequent glorification and seeking refuge in Allah. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "So, bear with patience (O Muhammad peace be upon him) all that they say, and glorify the Praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and before (its) setting (i.e. the Fajr, Zuhr, and ‘Asr prayers)."

11- There is an answered supplication for a fasting person, so seize these times.

12- Following the Sunnah regarding breaking the fast by breaking the fast by fresh dates, but if you do not find any, you may break your fast by dry date and if you do not find any, break your fast by water.

13- Repeating the Adhan with the muezzin is a Sunnah.

14- Performing the Sunnah after the Maghrib Salah.

`Isha' Salah

15- Going early to perform `Isha' Salah, size the chance by reciting the Qur'an, and it is preferable to recite the part which will be recited during Tarawih (Special Voluntary Night Salah during Ramadan) and repeat the impressive Ayahs which will help you in submission and reverence during Tarawih.

16- Repeating the Adhan with the muezzin.

17- Supplicating Allah between Adhan and Iqamah.

18- Performing `Isha' Salah.

19- Reciting Adhkar after Salah.

20- Performing the Sunnah of `Isha' (two Rak`ahs).

21- Performing Salatut-Tarawih with the Imam until he finishes Salah because of the Hadith which reads: "He who stood with the Imam till he finishes has a full night ’s standing (in Salah) recorded for him." Thereafter, he did not pray with us till three (nights) remained in the month, He prayed (the Salah) with us on the third (last night) and called the folk of his house and his wives, standing so long that we feared that we might miss al-falah. The sub-narrator said that he asked him, "What is al-falah?" He said: "It is Suhur (predawn meal)." So, be keen to have the reward of a full night by applying this Hadith and do not leave before the Imam finishes Salah.

Increase your good deeds

Spending the rest of the day in performing some righteous deeds.

- Giving in charity: "Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an. Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds)." [Reported by Al Bukhari]

- Visiting relatives, friends, and neighbors, especially the sick to have the reward of maintaining good relationship with them and visiting the sick.

Sleeping

Sleep at 11 PM and recall the intention of using sleep to obey Allah in order to take reward for sleeping; do not forget the Adhkar of sleeping.