Preparing for Ramadan (especially for New Muslims)
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Obedient Angel Admin
Join date : 2011-04-30 Posts : 2448
Subject: Preparing for Ramadan (especially for New Muslims) Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:56 am
Tips for Your First Ramadan
1. Some people find it very difficult to fast the whole day in the beginning, so they just train themselves by starting to fast a few hours in th beginning and they increase them every few days. If you are keen to fast all Ramadan in shaa Allah, then it is good to stard with the voluntary recommended fasting of Mondays and Thursdays in Ragab and Shaaban -- the two months preceding Ramadan. During this period, you can experiment and see what exactly basically your problem, if any, will be and see how best to overcome it in shaa Allah. Also, during this experimental period, if you feel sick for any reason while fasting as it will be your first experience and you can't make it to the end of the day, you can break your fast without feeling bad that you have missed a mandatory fasting day in Ramadan.
2. This pre-Ramadan training on fasting is also very beneficial especially for those who are diabetic or have high/low blood pressure, etc. In this way, the will be able to rehearse fasting and see if they need to readjust their doses, etc. If you are diabetic or take any medication for any reason at regular specific times during the day, you need to consult your doctor to see what to do in Ramadan in shaa Allah.
3. Delay your suhur (pre-dawn meal) to the hour immediately before Fajr (dawn), and if you are a coffee addict or so, make sure you take one cup just before fajr time.
4. Drink a lot of water before you fast so that your do not get dehydrated. Drink juices to be immune with some minerals, etc.
5. Avoid eating salty things that always make one feel thirsty.
6. Usually on the very first days of Ramadan, people suffer from a headache due to changing the routine, so make sure you take one or two tablets of a painkiller in the hour preceding fajr (dawn) to avoid this in shaa Allah.
7. If you are someone whose lips always get dry, make sure you use a lip moisturizer before you start fasting because dry lips make one feel awfully bad.
8. If you find that you have started having cramps in your legs after a few days, then this is most probably due to potassium or magnesium loss, check with your doctor for a syrup supplement.
9. Wash your face a lot because it will help to keep you cool.
10. Take a shower at the peak of heat, if possible.
In shaa Allah, just start training yourself so that you can detect any likely problems, God forbid, and prepare for handling them in shaa Allah. It is usually just the beginning that is difficult, and once you get into the routine and immune yourself against any potential tiredness, you ge used to it and it becomes much easier.
MORE:
1. Make up any missed day from your previous Ramadans.
2. Learn some short suras to recite in the Taraweeh prayer since you cannot do the lengthy recitations we do in Arabic.
3. Educate yourself about what Ramadan is really all about to be able to live its true spirit and learn about the Fiqh of Ramadan: i.e. what is permissible and impermissible, what to do if this happens, etc. so that you do not waste your time dring Ramadan days finding out this.
4. Learn some of the most important supplications that you can recite during the day in Arabic. Print them and train yourself on reading them in transliteration and know when and how many times each should be said.
5. In the last month before Ramadan, prepare some food items in advance -- garlic, onion, cleaned and chopped vegetables, prepared and seasoned meat and chicken ready for cooking, and keep them in the fridge so that when Ramadan comes in shaa Allah you spend minimum time in the kitchen and make use of the time in worship.
6. Set a plan on how you are going to spend your day after learning on the virtues of the different acts. Allocate a time for extra prayers, reading and listening to the Qur'an, reading supplications, listening to tasfeer, etc.
Here is a video that can give you some ideas too:
Please note though that the Sheikh in this video says that one can pay the Zakah of fitr even on the first day of Ramadan. This is not right. It is preferably paid on the last day of Ramadan after sunset or just one or two days before Eid so that the poor can really make use of it for Eid purposes rather than spend it in other things if they get it earlier.
Preparing for Ramadan (especially for New Muslims)
Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:56 am
