Personal worship tips for Ramadan
1. Make sure your intentions are only for Allah Azza Wajal's regardless of what you're doing, may it even be work!
Intentions are very important for every action. Scholars say that the person will not be rewarded if he does not have the right intention. Some people are shy and, therefore, hold the view that the intention cannot be to achieve paradise or to marry hoor al-ayn. However, most of the scholars say that such intentions are also valid for expecting reward from Allah Azza Wajal. Though the best intention would be to please Allah Azza Wajal.
2. Put sincerity in your Salah!
Don’t treat your Salah like something you hate and you’re forced to do it. This perspective will usually get you late at the mosque. Put love and sincerity in it and perform it as perfectly as you can. You’ll be surprised how much you enjoy it. In other words, you have to do it either way so better have fun with it.
3. Wake up early in the morning, or rather, late at night, for Tahajjud!
Calculate the time between Maghrib and Fajr. Divide it by 3. The 3rd part will be the one in which the Ajr for Qiyam ul Lail is greatest. Note the time that you're sleeping on. Calculate the likely times for you to wake up considering in mind the sleep cycle time. Choose the multiple of the sleep cycle time which is nearest to the Tahajjud time that you calculated. Tune your alarm clock for that time. Wake up and pray as many rakahs (in 2s) as possible before you start Sehr. Make sure your sujood, rukoohs and every part of Salah is much much more longer than usual and that you make dua during Salah especially during Sujood.
4. Make sure that you do not miss even a Sunnah! In fact, add a few nawafil too!
According to one Hadith, in Ramadan, the reward of a nafl reaches the reward of a Sunnah, the reward of a Sunnah reaches the reward of a fardh and the reward of a fardh is increased by 70 times. Now, I don't think any sensible person would want to miss out on such a profitable business!
5. Make sure you make it to the mosque 5 times a day!
If you don't usually go to the mosque, start getting regular. If you are already regular, try making it to the very first row every time. If you are already able to reach to the first row every time, try being the one who stands directly behind the Imam or if the Muezzin stands there, aim for the position next to him. Moreover, make sure you never get late just like you try never to get late to school or work because this is actually much more important. In case you live in a non-Muslim country and there’s no mosque near your house, get a few of your Muslim neighbors to arrange a place where you people can gather together for the Salah. If you’re married and there’s proper arrangement for women, take your wife along. Take your children along too if you think they won’t disturb the people during Salah.
6. Start memorizing the Quran!
Take some time out in the morning and evening and start memorizing the short Surahs of the Quran especially the ones you take a special liking to. The recommended time would be before Ishraq (sunrise) and before Maghrib (sunset), in other words at Fajr time and at Asr time. Remember you get rewards for memorizing this whereas you won’t get anything for memorizing the songs which most people usually listen to. Rather, in a lot of cases, you get sins due to their explicit lyrics.
7. Read the Quran and understand it!
Not everyone gets enough time for memorizing passages but most can take out enough time for reading those passages. Leave your books, especially the fiction ones, stop watching useless programs on TV and pick up the Quran for a month, at least. If you’re a non-Arabic speaking Muslim, it won’t take a lot of effort to read its translation, in your language, along. Though you won’t get rewards for reading the translation however, if you follow what you read, the reward might exceed much more than the 10 words per letter method.
8. Make wudu before every Salah!
Usually, the Prophet Muhammad (S) would make wudu before every Salah so put that into practice. Though that doesn’t mean reading more than one Salah with the same wudu isn’t allowed. At the time of Hajj, he (S) prayed more than one Salah with the same wudu just to show the people that it is allowed. Make sure that you don’t delay it till the last minute. Do it as soon as you get time. You might have to suddenly go somewhere and might not get enough time for doing wudu again.
9. Pray your Sunnah and Nawafil Salahs at home!
The Prophet Muhammad (S) recommended people to pray their fardh salahs at the mosque and the other extra ones at home. Though that doesn’t mean you delay it beyond the time or miss it if you know you won’t be able to reach home by then.
10. Leave the bidahs and replace them with the Sunnahs!
Overtime practices that had nothing to do with Islam were introduced by many new Muslims. Though not all were introduced with the intention of corrupting the Islam, they still shouldn’t be practiced as the Prophet Muhammad (S) told us that bidahs (innovations) lead to dhalala (misguidance) which, in turn, leads to naar (hellfire). Compare your practices with those of the Prophet Muhammad (S) and leave the ones which contradict the Sunnah.
11. Remember to make dhikr!
Remembering Allah Azza Wajal through dhikr is the one thing which the people of Paradise will regret not doing enough. Find out the adhkar to which the Prophet Muhammad (S) attached special importance, such as سبحان اللہ و بحمدہ سبحان اللہ العظیم, reciting Surah al-Kahf on Fridays etc., and keep on reciting them as much as possible whenever you remember. You do not have to take out a specific time for it. Just do it whenever you’re doing something which doesn’t require talking whether it’s at work or at school or at a train station.
12. Go for Salat ut Taraweeh!
Most of the mosques arrange for Salat ut Taraweeh after the Isha Salah. Try making it there every night. If you’re an Arabic speaking Muslim, pay special attention to what is being recited. However, that does not mean that the non-Arabic speaking Muslims let their thoughts wander away. They should also concentrate on their Salah. Maybe they could read the translation early on in the day so that it helps them understand what is being recited. Again, the same applies here, as mentioned previously, that you should arrange for it yourself if no such arrangement has already been made. Moreover, the married Muslim men should try to take their wives along too if there is proper arrangement. Children should only be taken if you’re sure that they won’t disturb the people during Salah.
13. Spend more on the needy!
In every community, there are poor and needy people. Buy them food and surprise them by making it an anonymous gift. It is narrated that many of the Salaf (pious predecessors) used to provide food to the needy of their community without them finding out who it was who was helping them. They would only find out when that person died and they stopped receiving food. Most of the children like to play around, ring their neighbor’s doorbell and run away. Go do that to some needy person but remember to leave some food on the doorstep. Of course, for the ones without a house, you’ll have to find them and give it to them personally.
