These are practices and actions that call into question just how strong a person is in their faith.
1. Taking Ramadan
as a ritual
For
many of us Ramadan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual
than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning to night like a zombie just
because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that it's a time to purify
our hearts and our souls from all evil....we forget to make Dua, forget to
beseech Allah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire. Sure we stay
away from food and drink, but that's about all.
2.
Too much stress on food and drink
For
some people, the entire month of Ramadan revolves around food. They spend the
ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about food, instead of
concentrating on Salat, Quran and other acts of worship. All they can think of
is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of fasting into the month of
feasting. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes
and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of
fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to
control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance. ".....and
eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifoon
(those who waste by extravagance)" [al-Araaf :31]
3.
Spending all day cooking
Some
of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are
cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too
tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraweeh or Tahajjud or even read
Quran. This is the month of mercy and forgiveness. So turn off that stove and
turn on your Imaan!
4.
Eating too much
Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are
ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during
the day and others eat at Iftaar like there is no tomorrow, trying to make up
for the food missed. However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation
is the key to everything. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:
"The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the
son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you
must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air."
(Tirmidhi) Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and
worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless. It was said to Imam
Ahmad: Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full?
He said, I do not think so.
5. Sleeping all day
Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of
it) sleeping away their fast. Is this what is really required of us during this
noble month? These people also are missing the purpose of fasting and are
slaves to their desires of comfort and ease. They cannot bear to be awake and
face a little hunger or exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to
spend most of the day asleep is nothing but, negligence on his part.
6. Wasting time
The month of Ramadan is a precious, precious time, so
much so that Allah calls this month "Ayyamum Madoodaat" (A fixed
number of days). Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be
over. We should try and spend every moment possible in the worship of Allah so
that we can make the most of this blessing. However, there are some of us who
waste away their day playing video games, or worse still, watching TV, movies
or even listening to music. Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allah by DISOBEYING
Him!
7. Fasting but not giving
up evil
Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing,
fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating,
stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol,
fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that
the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim
behind it is to fear Allah. "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it
was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the
pious)" [al-Baqarah
2:183]
The Prophet (SAW) said: "Whoever does not give up
false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allah has no need of him giving
up his food and drink." (Bukhari)
8. Skipping Suhoor
The Prophet (SAW) said: "Eat suhoor for in suhoor
there is blessing."(Bukhari, Muslim). And he (SAW) said: "The thing
that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the
Book is eating suhoor." (Muslim)
9. Stopping Suhoor at
Imsak
Some people stop eating Suhoor 10-15 minutes earlier
than the time of Fajr to observe Imsak. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: This is a
kind of bidah (innovation) which has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather the Sunnah
is to do the opposite. Allah allows us to eat until dawn: "and eat
and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from
the black thread (darkness of night)" [al-Baqarah 2:187]
10. Not fasting if they
missed suhoor
Some people are too scared to fast if they miss
Suhoor. However, this is a kind of cowardice and love of ease. What is the big
deal if you missed a few morsels of food? It's not like you will die. Remember,
obedience to Allah overcomes everything.
11. Saying the intention
to fast out loud
The intention is an action of the heart. We should
resolve in our heart that we are going to fast tomorrow. That is all we need.
It is not prescribed by the Shari'ah for us to say out loud, "I intend to
fast", "I will fast tomorrow" or other phrases that have been
innovated by some people.
12. Missing the golden
chance of having your Dua accepted
The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be
accepted at the time of breaking fast. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa
Sallam) said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the
prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler." (Al-Bayhaqi).
Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people
forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying samosas, talking, setting
the food, filling their plates and glasses, etc. Think about it....Is food more
important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your
Duas.
13. Fasting but not
praying
The fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (SAW)
said: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up
prayer." (Muslim)
14. Not fasting because of
exams or work
Exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the
Shariah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is
too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying
Allah is much more important than good grades. Besides, if you will fulfil your
obligation to fast, even if you have to study, Allah will make it easy for you
and help you in everything you do. "Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way
out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is Sufficient for
whosoever puts his trust in Him." (Surah at-Talaaq 2-3)
15. Mixing fasting and
dieting
DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention
to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (especially
sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be for the sake of Allah
alone. Otherwise, mixing it with the intention of dieting may become a form of
(minor) Shirk.
16. Fighting over the
number of Rakaah of Taraweeh
There is no specific number of rakahs for Taraweeh prayer;
rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: "No one should be denounced for praying eleven
or twenty-three (rakaah), because the matter is broader in scope than that,
praise be to Allah."
17. Praying ONLY on the
night of the 27th
Some people pray ONLY on the 27th to seek Lailat
ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights, although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi
wa Sallam) said: "Seek Lailat ul-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the
last ten nights of Ramadan." (Bukhari, Muslim)
18. Wasting the last part
of Ramadan preparing for Eid
Some people waste the entire last 10 days of Ramadan
preparing for Eid, shopping and frequenting malls, etc. neglecting Ibaadah and
Lailatul Qadr. Although, the Prophet (SAW) used to strive the hardest during
the last ten days of Ramadan in worship (Ahmad, Muslim) and not in shopping.
Buy whatever you need for Eid before Ramadan so that you can utilize the time
in Ramadan to the max. Aishah (RA) said: "When the (last) ten nights
began, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) would tighten his waist-wrapper (i.e.,
strive hard in worship or refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay awake at night
and wake his family." (Bukhari and Muslim)
19. Iftaar parties
Although inviting each other for breaking fast is
something good and encouraged, some people go to extremes with lavish Iftaar
parties with all sorts of disobedience to Allah, from flirting, mixing of the
sexes, to show-off and extravagance, to heedlessness to Salah and Taraweeh.
20.
Many people believe if
you eat or drink on accident this breaks your fast
This is false; if you do this on accident then you
continue fasting and do not need to make up the day.
21. Backbit, Slander or
lies
This is probably the easiest “mistake” we can make. Controlling
our tongues is difficult all year round. It can be even more difficult when
you’re working on an empty stomach, haven’t drank anything all day, and it’s 95
degrees outside.
Still, it’s no excuse to commit sin and especially
sins against another person. Fasting is supposed to increase your Taqwah
(piety, God-consciousness) and make you stronger against your nafs (desires).
But if you had a hard time refraining from
backbiting, slandering or lying, then you may have just starved yourself for
nothing.
22.
Increase your good deeds with no intention to continue
This is probably the saddest of all mistakes.
You spent all month improving yourself and sacrificing and
struggling. Your prayers increased. Your qiraat (recitation of Quran)
increased. Your dua (supplication) increased.
·
You
cut back on TV and wasting time.
·
You
tried to control your tongue and your nafs.
·
You
worked hard to reign in your anger and emotions.
And as soon as Eid al-Fitr is done, it’s back to business as
usual.
Still, it’s important that you improve yourself
from one Ramadan to the next. Maintain the momentum you’ve built up over the
past 30 days. And make at least some of these good deeds a permanent part of
your life.
LET’S STRIVE NOT TO REPEAT THESE MISTAKES
Source:
http://islamicbulletin.org
http://islamiclearningmaterials.com
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