Ramadan is beautiful time for one to evaluate themselves and better themselves as Muslims.
Remember always: "He whose 2 days are equal is a sure loser!" - Hadith
Your greatest challenge is not to be better than someone else or to be like some scholar or personality or to 'get with the programme' but to be constantly better than, to outthink, outdo, outsmart, impress, surprise yesterday's you! Be a better person by the end of Ramadan. Make that resolution.
Pick and choose from the 33 resolutions mentioned the one's that are closest to your heart and you believe you can implement, don't take up too much and then be disappointed.
Write them down in your planner, put them up on your wall/desk, and read them every day to remind and renew your resolve, don't let them be forgotten
Will join a Halaqa - an Islamic study group
gain knowledge for personal improvement and service to community
strengthen brotherhood and work with others
make sacrifices to attend and share with others
re-charge spiritual batteries after week of studies, cure weak lazy
Iman
learn leadership, critical thinking and public speaking skills
fall in love with the Quran and engage in Allah's remembrance
Will not let myself be bored or sit idle
Not waste hours watching TV, playing video games on the latest 'playstation
10' and 'game-tetrahedron' (face the Ka'aba not the Cube!)
Will find work to do and take initiative myself without anyone asking
Boredom is a disease, sign of poor life management, lack of direction
or purpose, life is too exciting too be bored!
Entertainment is not a replacement, don't expect others to entertain
you or find things to do
"One who helps someone in his need, Allah helps him in his work, and
one who removes any worry or trouble of any Muslim, Allah, in return,
removes anyone of his worries on the Day of Judgment"
Lost time is lost ajar (reward)!
Will get to know my neighbours and give them a gift on Eid.
Do you know who they are? What is their name? What do they do? Do they
need you? Can you approach them? What have u ever shared with them?
Kindness towards neighbors is actually a duty in Islam. The Qur'an says,
in Sura'tul Nisa, Ayat 36, "Serve Allah, and join not any partners with
Him; and do good - to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors
who are near [relatives], neighbors who are strangers [non-relatives],
the companion by your side, the wayfarer and what your right hands possess.
For Allah loves not the arrogant, the boastful."
Amr-bin-Shuaib reported from his father who [reported] from his grandfather
that the Messenger of Allah said, "Do you know what the duties of a neighbor
are? Help him if he seeks your help; give him safety if he seeks your
safety; give him [a] loan if he seeks your loan, give him relief if he
is needy; nurse him if he falls ill; follow his bier if he dies; cheer
him if he meets any good; sympathize with him if any calamity befalls
him; raise not your building higher so as to obstruct his air without
his permission; harass him not; give [to] him when you purchase fruit;
if you do not, take it secretly; and let not your children take it out
to excite thereby the anger of his children" (Maulana Karim, pp. 253-4).
Ibn Mas'ud reported that a man asked the Holy Prophet, "Oh, Messenger
of Allah! How can I know when I do good and when I do bad?" The Holy Prophet
said, "When you hear your neighbors say you have done good, you have done
good. And when you hear them say you have done bad, you have done bad"
(Maulana Karim, pp. 249-250).
Will find a poor, needy, unemployed, sick, orphan, lonely Muslim in my
community and befriend him or her.
This is the sign of a true Muslim, selfless altruistic love and concern
for others, remembering those who are oft-forgotten, caring for the uncared,
speaking for the voiceless…
Do you know a poor Muslim in your building, your area? Do you know who
to give Zakat, Qurbani too even? It's not that they don't exist, we just
don't make an effort to find out such Muslims and families
Abu Hurairah (RA) relates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, "A man set
out to visit a brother in the neighboring town. Allah deputed an angel
(for his protection) on his way. When the man met the angel en route,
the latter asked him, 'Where are you going?' He answered, 'I want to visit
my brother who lives in this town.' The angel asked, 'Are you going to
take some valuable thing to him?' The man answered, 'No. I have no desire
except to visit him, because I love him for the sake of Allah only.' The
angel said to him, 'I am a messenger from Allah sent to tell you that
Allah loves you as you love your brother for His sake.'"
Remember Allah in Surah al-Maoon says the person who does not ENCOURAGE
the feeding of the poor or does not do the SMALL ACTS of kindness has
belied the Deen, is untruthful/insincere in it, and then Allah curses
the one's who pray to be seen as their Salah is useless if it done to
just show outward Islam whereas the inside, the heart, is empty and sealed
from mercy and goodness!
Will not eat (out) alone, will always share my food
Make every meal a time for gathering and sharing
Learn to share from your food, you will see the effect it has on you
Have family dinners, don't just wake into your home and eat while watching
TV and checking mail, get together with parents and siblings and have
a proper meal
This is where families meet and discuss their days and lives, be part
of it, and start this tradition if it does not exist anymore in your home!
Will give gifts to 5 people I don't know for no reason and expecting
nothing in return
That's one person who won't forget you next Eid or ever for that matter!
The Prophet used to give to his Sahabah from everything he received
Will give up an addiction
could be internet, pornography, games, cigarettes, parties, music
Will do something for the environment.
It never ceases to amaze me how, even though Allah calls Muslims the
"best of peoples, evolved for mankind" (Holy Qur'an, Sura Ali Imran, 3:110)
and has appointed humans as his "agents, inheritors of the earth" (Sura
Al An'am, 6:165), we are often very negligent when it comes to caring
for this Earth that is our home and that of our children and their children
as well.
Allah commands us to be mindful of the resources that He has placed
at our disposal - He forbade the unnecessary cutting down of trees, and
He emphasizes the need for cleanliness (which would extend to our environment
and, thus, make polluting the earth abominable). Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
also reminded us of the importance of cleanliness when he said, "Cleanliness
is half of faith." We are ordered to make ablution before prayer, and
also to make sure that our places of prayer are free of contamination
and filth. Since the entire world (except restrooms, graveyards and other
forbidden areas) is a potential place of prayer for us as Muslims, it
follows that we should be mindful of preserving it in a state of cleanliness.
As Allah's vicegerents, surely, we should be foremost in efforts to
protect our environment - in any manner that we might possibly do so.
Will not enter the home without a smile on my face and saying salaam
They deserve it, think of how their day was, what they did to allow
you to go out and do whatever you were doing
Greet them at the door, make them feel special and loved
Sign of a healthy happy family
Will 'adopt' and be a mentor/role-model to a small brother or sister
in the family, at the mosque, Islamic school, or among circle of family friends
To find Islamic role-models is one of the hardest things today
Be that one that families, children, youth look upto as an example of
a good Muslim, human being, successful in all aspects of life, and there
for others
Children run around our Islamic centres coz no one cares to talk to
them or play with them while the 'adults' discuss their important matters
Who is going to take care of these matters when the 'adults' are gone?
The children!
Your brother/sisters gets enough negative brainwashing at school and
on TV, you are lucky if the time you spend with them barely neutralizes
that effect much less gives them confidence in their identity, self-respect,
uniqueness, special gifts
Will take a course to help the Muslim community
e.g. conflict resolution, anger/addiction management, grief counseling,
family/youth/marriage counseling, small business management, running a
charitable non-profit organization, interacting with media, negotiating/leadership,
project management.
"The best of you is the one most useful to others"
Just because you are willing to help does not mean you are able or equipped
to handle every situation
Need to be professional in how we run our masjids, schools, etc.
Will promote women's rights, representation, equality in some way
" At masjids, youth groups, Islamic work: Get sister's input on matters effecting
both brothers and sisters
" Stand up against prejudice or gender bias from a person
" Don't ignore half the Ummah, they are probably the better half and have
been for the last few centuries when Muslim men gave up their duties, responsibilities,
struggles for Islam
" Their jihad in the home has continued with or without support
Will join a humanitarian cause
" e.g. illiteracy, poverty ("hateful to Allah"), third world rights, women's
abuse, homelessness, soup kitchens, food banks, blood donation
" It's not 'volunteer work' for Muslims, it's caring, guardianship for the
creation of Allah who Allah made us a Khalifah of
" Being Muslim is not just about attending Halaqas and coming to gatherings
but social justice, harmony
" Islam is and has been a socially conscious, useful, and egalitarian way
of life, we believe we are only as good as the poorest, weakest amongst us
" Remember Abu Bakr's speech on becoming Khalifah!
" Allah connects Taqwa, Iman, Ihsan and all other "religious concepts" to
practical humanitarian work
" Nobody gives a damn about humans in today's world, Islam is all about humans,
individually and colelctively
Will read, learn and memorize the Seerah and stories of Sahabah
" The greatest, most inspiring story on earth, never get boring, never loses
its wow-factor
" The reminders and lessons of the lives of these great women and men should
run off our tongues and permeate our minds
" To everything, we must know what did the Prophet do? What would he have
done? How did Umar think? What did Ibn Masud say? Etc.
Will visit a sick or dying Muslim whenever I hear about it no matter
who, known or unknown, Paki, Indian, Arab, or Somali.
" Ali (RA) reported, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'There is no Muslim
who visits a Muslim in illness at morn except that 70,000 angels pray for
him till evening, and if he visits him in evening, except that 70,000 angels
pray for him till morning. He will have a garden of fruits in Paradise.'"
Will attend at least one funeral prayer, will help carry the bier,
and stay still burial,
" it becomes wajib upon you when you hear about it anyways!
" The feeling and atmosphere is indescribable
" Nothing gets your life back in order, your priorities straight, and your
head and heart where they belong, than seeing death so near
" We are made to forget death in our everyday lives, it is trivialized on
TV, nature hides death from us, but it is closer to us than our feet (Hadith)
" Attending a funeral, praying for another Muslim's forgiveness, watching
the family grieve, offering your support, secretly helping changes you (unless
you intentionally remove it from our mind), who will pray for me? Where will
my janazah be? Where will I be buried?
" Quite bleak stuff but helps to think about it every once in a while!
Will honour and respect my parents so much that it shows
Will befriend a Muslim who is not of my ethnic, cultural background,
language or nationality.
" Get rid of latent, hidden racism and cultural jahiliyyah
" Look at your circle of friends, who are they? Do others feel welcome in
your company?
Will talk to my father about my plans
" for the future, for my studies, my marriage, my career, my personal life's
goals and expectations and ask for his advice and guidance, that is what he
is there for
Will stand up for a just cause when nobody else will,
" for Allah's sake even if alone, will not compromise on a principle when
everyone bends the rules, will speak the truth when everyone else got away
with lies
" Think of the story of 3 who were left behind for jihad but did not lie to
get away but Allah forgave them and honored them
Will fast Mondays and Thursdays
o Start with the fasts of Muharram
o Prophet recommended fasting at least 3 days a month
o Could also fast on the Days with "white nights" (13, 14, 15th of a month)
o Develop and maintain habit of voluntary fasting, develops self-discipline,
regularly exercises will, determination, inner strength/resolve, sense of
accomplishment, special feeling of closeness to Allah, get a head-start on
the week on Monday and prepare for Jumu'ah on Thursday
Will pick up an Islamic art
o Calligraphy
o Architecture
o Graphic Design
o Music, Songwriting, Nasheeds, Hamds
o Poetry and prose
o Storytelling, writing children or adult fiction
o Chronicling a life, a leader, your mother, a community, a masjid's history
o You have gift, find it, and if you can't, support others who are trying
Will make special personal dua's
" for friends, classmates, young people, parents, Imam, a person I don't like
very much
" draws you close to the person from within
" what you wish for Allah to grant another person is what Allah will grant
you
" don't rely on your own dua's for yourself, pray for others so that they
may pray for you!
Will take care of my health - drink more water:
o "We made water essential for every life," (Qur'an 21:30) Very few people
drink the doctor-recommended eight to ten cups of water a day. Most people
drink only three cups of water a day or less. Even worse, many people cancel
out what they do drink by drinking coffee, green tea or sodas which cause
dehydration in the body. One can solve many health problems simply by drinking
eight to ten glasses a day.
Will give up bad habits:
o The Prophet said, "Allah has forbidden you ( 1 ) to be undutiful to your
mothers (2) to withhold (what you should give) or (3) demand (what you do
not deserve), and (4) to bury your daughters alive. And Allah has disliked
that (A) you talk too much about others (B), ask too many questions (in religion),
or (C) waste your property," (Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 6).
o Everyone seems to have a bad habit that harms his or her health. Drinking,
smoking and overeating are the most popular. However, there are many other
bad habits that are unhealthy as well, such as: drinking excess coffee or
colas, eating junk food, harboring bad feelings for people, yelling, gossiping,
stealing, lying, cheating, watching too much TV, gambling, and many others.
o Keep in mind that any activity that is forbidden in Islam is unhealthy.
Also keep in mind that any activity that starts to become and addiction (such
as television, coffee, a friend and even your job) is also unhealthy.
o Make a pledge to yourself to identify your addictions and stop them (in
the case of alcohol or smoking) or at least reduce them to a healthier level
(in the case of indulgent socializing, work and television).
Will exercise:
o "A strong Muslim is better than a weak Muslim, and there is good in both"
(Hadith)
o There are people who smoke, people who eat junk food, people who have a
family history of disease and people who have stressful lives. But are very
healthy. Why? They exercise!
o Their enthusiasm for joining a health club, swimming and sports teams, or
their dedication to walking once a day, or taking a KungFu class on a regular
basis, has more than made up for their lack of dedication in other health
areas. I do not recommend eating badly or smoking, for doing so will eventually
catch up to you, but if you could change just ONE thing related to your health
it should be to exercise.
o Keep in mind that exercise can even be as simple as praying five times a
day. Many people have compared the benefits of the Muslim prayer with those
of yoga, and it's far more meaningful!
Will have a more positive and friendly attitude:
o "Give Glad tidings to those who exercise patience when struck with adversity
and say, 'indeed we belong to God and to him is our return' such ones receive
blessings and Mercy of their lord, and such are the guided ones," (Qur'an
2:155).
o Start cultivating a positive attitude. There is a mountain of physical and
medical evidence now to support that a positive attitude can work miracles
both on your health and in your interactions with others
o Be happy, don't find excuses to be depressed, lazy, give yourself credit
o Being friendly and happy raises your threshold of anger and you will not
be easily upset by trying situations
o Maintain a level head, be moderate in your emotions, Allah knows we need
more people like that in our masjids and councils and committees! :
Will sleep on time:
o "Lo! your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days,
then mounted He the Throne. He covereth the night with the day, which is in
haste to follow it, and hath made the sun and the moon and the stars subservient
by His command. His verily is all creation and commandment blessed be Allah,
the Lord of the Worlds!" (Qur'an 7:54).
o Allah created night time for a reason - to rest, but it is amazing how few
people use that time to actually sleep. In fact, many research studies show
that lack of sleep can exacerbate almost any health problem from hypoglycemia
and diabetes to pain and mental illness. Even missing an hour of sleep on
a regular basis can harm your health.
o Sleeping on time, after praying 'Isha, and waking up for Fajr and going
to the Masjid, is an amazing feeling
o The time after Fajr is the most productive time of the day, you will get
more done between 6-9 in the morning than you will all day. Try it with any
activity!
Will pray more:
o A man who was stung by a scorpion was brought to the Prophet [peace be upon
him]. He said: Had he said the word: "I seek refuge in the perfect words of
Allah from the evil of what He created, "he would not have been stung, or
he said, "It would not have harmed him," (Bukhari: Book 28, Number 3890).
o " And when I sicken, God heals me," (26:80 Qur'an).
o There are entire sects and groups of people who do not use conventional
medicine at all, but, rather, use prayer as medicine. Even the Prophet himself
used prayer alone as medicine in many instances. In addition, many new studies
have found that prayer does have healing effects - for the prayer as well
as the prayed for
o People who pray live longer, healthier, are more balanced and calm. That
is if you need medical reasons to pray more!
Will keep good company:
o "The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah has cursed wine, its drinker,
its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one for whom it is pressed,
the one who conveys it, and the one to whom it is conveyed," (Bukhari: Book
26, Number 3666).
o In many cases in the Qur'an and Hadith it is mentioned that you do not actually
have to perform a bad act to be affected by it. Muslims are encouraged to
"hang out" with people they would like to emulate and not with those that
are a bad influence on them. This influence, in fact, can come in many forms.
o Do you hang out with friends that drink, smoke or consume too much coffee?
Does your office always have donuts available for breakfast and your local
grocer always have goodies on sale? Start hanging out with people who have
the good habits of eating well and start shopping in stores that offer healthier
whole grain and organic foods. Reduce time spent with people or in places
that are a bad influence.
Will laugh more, yell less:
o Allah's Apostle said, "The strong is not the one who overcomes the people
by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger,"
(Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 135).
o Laughing, instead of yelling, has enormous healing potential. Tell jokes
to your children, listen to comedy on radio or television, buy comedy tapes,
and read the comics in the newspaper. Laughing has been found to have therapeutic
qualities
o On the other hand, anger has been found to reduce immune system function.
Will balance my time equally between personal work, family time,
and Islamic work:
o Will be your greatest challenge to achieve this equilibrium
o The division is not always constant, a dynamic process of allocating time
and resources, changes from week to week depending on urgency and priorities
o Use any extra time you find for personal 'ibadah, take it as a gift from
Allah that you found free time and use it to grow close to Him
o Make sure you know what is personal e.g. studies, academics, career, internet,
emailing, what is family time e.g. going out with family, house work, visiting,
and what is the time you give to Islam and to your community e.g.
o Don't be satisfied with just one use of your time or thinking one replaces
the other or being 'busy' is a valid excuse for abandoning one or the other
o Allah knows, the community desperately needs our service. And there are
plenty of programs, within our own community and without, that channel the
efforts of volunteers to meet these needs - tutorial and mentoring programs,
senior citizen programs, food bank and housing programs. So there is definitely
not a shortage of opportunities to provide service.
o Then why aren't so many of us more involved in helping those who are in
need? I bet that if most of us were to ask ourselves (or others) that question,
the answer would be that we don't have enough time. Time, time. We have empowered
what is actually an abstract and intangible concept. We have allowed "Time"
to become our master… even, perhaps (Astaghirullah), our Lord.
o An Imam once offered Tafsir on the ayat in Qur'an (Sura'tul Baqarah, Ayat
268) that reads, "The Evil One threatens you with poverty and bids you to
conduct unseemly." He suggested that this threatened poverty implies not only
a loss of material resources but that of time and energy as well.
o Many of us are too busy or preoccupied with our personal affairs to be of
much service to anyone else, or to the community. However, we might wish to
take note that BUSY can stand for: Being Under Satan's Yoke (unknown author).
Will act upon what I learn and learn what I act upon:
" Make action points from everything you learn, e.g. what can I do put a book
I just read into practice
" If your reading, learning, experiences in Islam are not effecting you day-to-day
life then it is quite useless. Learn the way of the Sahabah
" But also will not take 'lack of knowledge' as an excuse for not doing something,
but instead use it as an opportunity to learn, that is practical useful knowledge
that becomes wisdom, instead of just data, facts, and tidbits
