THERE ARE THREE STEPS...

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Three Simple Steps

There are three simple steps we should take if we wish to make Ramadan a starting point to bettering our lives.

1. First, start out by feeling more responsible about how you behave in Ramadan.

In light of the great opportunities that Ramadan presents us with, we should feel an acute sense of responsibility about everything we say and do in Ramadan. This is the first critical step. We are all bound by the deeds that we do, and we will be held accountable by Allah to fulfill our duties and shun sinful deeds.

2. Work to infuse yourself with the spirit of this special month.

Ramadan has its own incomparable atmosphere. No other time of year is quite like it. Allah has singled out Ramadan for many blessings. He has given the month a number of distinctions. The most emphatic of these is when the Prophet declared that: "Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith, seeking Allah's reward, will be forgiven all previous sins." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

This is an immense opportunity to renew our faith. The chance to put our accumulated sins behind us really should inspire us and invigorate us.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Our faith gets worn out and shabby just like our clothing, so ask Allah to renew your faith." [Sahîh al-Jâmi` al-Saghîr (1590)]

The special atmosphere of Ramadan helps us to put our faith into practice, ad it is through practice that we truly reform our inner selves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Knowledge comes by way of learning, a patient character comes by practicing patience, striving for good brings good, and shunning evil protects one from evil."

3. Set for yourself practical and attainable Ramadan resolutions.

We should consider what we wish to accomplish in the blessed days and nights of Ramadan. We should be confident about ourselves and desire to do as much as we can, but at the same time be realistic about our time and our capabilities. We should set for ourselves genuinely reachable goals.

Pick up a pen and paper and write down what you want to accomplish this Ramadan. Plan out your Ramadan schedule so to your goals and aims will be perfectly clear to you and as well as how you are going to fit those goals into your already busy schedule. It is important to plan well, since as the old saying goes: "Whoever plans poorly, plans for failure."

Be honest with yourself. Write down what you wish to achieve in all aspects of your life: in your faith, character, interpersonal dealings, cultural development, et cetera. Avoid negative statements. Be positive in your choice of words, like: "I want to do so and so." "I want to achieve such and such."

SELAMAT BERSAHUR, BERPUASA, BERBUKA, BERAMAL DAN ....BERJIMAT!