Preparing for Ramadan

With only few days to the commencement of Ramadan fast for the Islamic lunar year of 1442AH, it is no longer news that the holy month is by the corner. It is in this sacred month that the holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Salla-llahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, SAW) for the guidance of humanity. Within the month of Ramadan is a night that is better than a thousand other months. Because Ramadan is a unique spiritual season, it is important to effectively prepare ourselves for it so that every opportunity availed by Ramadan is optimally utilized; without taking anything for granted.

Ramadan is a month that Muslims happily look up to. It is a month like no other. It is a holy month in which Allah (SWT) has promised to forgive every repentant Muslim; grant mercy to every seeker of clemency; and pardon those who ask to be pardoned. Abu Hurayrah (RA) reports from the Prophet (SAW) that the gates to hell fire shall remain closed throughout each Ramadan period just as the gates to paradise are left open during the same period so that the wish and prayer of those who desire the latter (paradise) would graciously be granted.

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Preparing for Ramadan requires us to know when to watch out for the crescent of the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan. Going by the current count of the month of Sha’ban on the Timing Chapter calendar, the search for the crescent is expected to begin on Monday April 12, 2021 which is equivalent to 29th day of Sha’ban. Where the crescent of Ramadan is not sighted on the 29th day of Sha’aban, the month would be deemed to have naturally completed its circle on the 30th day in which case Ramadan fast automatically begins the following day, which would be the 1st day of Ramadan.

We are not required to begin the Ramadan fast until we have heard of the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan from credible sources. In our case in Nigeria, the tradition is for Muslims to wait for the announcement of the sighting of the crescent from His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Saad Abubakar. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 4:59 “O ye who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you…” The more we remain steadfast and patient to wait for and obey Sultan’s words, the more united and stronger we remain as a Muslim community. We advise members of the Muslim community to be wary of unsubstantiated pieces of information that may emerge from social media sources on the commencement of Ramadan. We also urge the general public to abstain from circulating unconfirmed news about moon sighting. Misleading information can throw Muslim communities into confusion. Remember that Allah’s wrath awaits rumour mongers.

The teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) discourage the observance of voluntary fast close to the start of Ramadan fast. This is to avoid a situation where voluntary fast, which is a prophetic injunction, is seen to be part of Ramadan fast; the latter being an obligatory act of worship sanctioned by Allah (SWT). For those who are used to observing voluntary fast every Monday, they are advised to skip Monday next week because of its proximity to Ramadan; being 29th day of Sha’aban.

As part of deliberate preparations for Ramadan and in order to take utmost advantage of the spiritual benefits of Ramadan, it is vital for us to review our daily routines so as to create enough time for engaging in devoutional activities. This will enable us have more time to recite the Glorious Qur’an (in the case of those who never had it as a routine) or more time for reciting and understanding the Qur’an (in the case of those who already had such on their schedule). Although government is yet to issue a public statement on the nature of protocols that would guide the conduct of this year’s tafsir sessions in mosques and other designated centers, that should not stop us from sitting down to re-organize our existing schedules and allot time for attending or listening to tafsir sessions.

Let us also decide on the time for observing Tarawih prayers in consultations with individuals that traditionally make up the prayer congregation at the family level or conventionally at a public mosque. Let us also define the kind of tasks we engage in during the daytime of the entire period of Ramadan so that we do not miss out from observing Tarawih prayers after breaking the fast or Tahajjud prayers after midnight.

In order to preserve the sanctity of our Ramadan fast, there’s need to review our usual interactions with ICT platforms especially the social media. This is to forestall the possibility of watching or listening to forbidden contents. It is important to identify and avoid specific websites, television channels and radio programmes that would impact negatively on our Ramadan fast. We should be prepared to also avoid certain conversations in our respective places of work to prevent us from expressing or hearing obscene phrases.

Muslim scholars, preachers, prayer leaders, presenters and anchors of radio and television programmes are urged to eschew the use of provocative and discourteous expressions during preaching sessions. They are expected to exhibit a good sense of maturity in the course of educating their audience on the teachings of Islam. Wisdom and good speech, not name-calling or insults, are central to effective and popular religious proselytization. With the country still struggling to overcome several challenges, it is wise for Muslim clerics to abstain from sandwiching their religious preaching with political and ethnic sentiments.

We advise dealers and retailers of consumer goods against taking undue advantage of the Ramadan season to increase prices of essential commodities. It is wicked for any trader to see Ramadan as an opportunity to hike prices of foodstuffs for the simple reason of the high demand for certain commodities especially sugar and fruits during Ramadan. Let us be God-fearing in all that we do and say to earn a living.  Philanthropic individuals, groups, and NGOs are encouraged to organize or support public breaking of Ramadan fast (called Iftar Jama’i in Islamic literature), at least for less-privileged Muslims. It is time in Ramadan for every Muslim including the haves-not to extend hand of friendship, charity, and kindness to fellow Muslims. May Allah (SWT) guide us to begin and end the Ramadan fast in peace and with ease; amin.