The righteous predecessors used to pray, “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha`ban and grace us to witness Ramadan!” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also taught us through his own practical example that we must prepare to welcome the great guest of Ramadan by performing extra fasts and devotions in Sha`ban. It can be compared to warming up before a rigorous exercise regimen.

So the best way to prepare for Ramadan is as follows:

1. Observe fasts on as many days as you can in Sha`ban, but refrain from fasting as you get closer to Ramadan; we are not allowed to join Sha`ban with Ramadan in fasting.

2. Perform extra devotions in Sha`ban.

3. Prepare yourself mentally and spiritually to benefit optimally from the rich spiritual harvest of Ramadan.

Now that fasting is of three [successive] grades, namely, the fasting of the general public (sawm al `umum), the fasting of the elite among the select few (sawm Khusus al-khusus).

The fasting of the general public involves refraining from satisfying the appetite of the stomach and the appetite of the sex, as has already been discussed. The fasting of the select few is to keep the ears, the eyes, the tongue, and hands, and the feet as well as the other senses free from sin.

The fasting of the elite among the select few is the fast of the heart from mean thoughts and worldly worries and its complete unconcern with anything but God. Such a fast is broken by thinking on anything other than God and the last day, as well as by concern over this world, except in so far as it promotes religion which belongs to the hereafter. Thus, those’ whose hearts are sanctified have said, “He who spends his day worrying over what he will have for breaking his fast sins.” This is because he has little confidence in the bounty of God and little faith that the livelihood promised unto him will be received. In this rank stand the prophets, the saints and the favourites of God the most high. We shall not dwell very long on the verbal description of the kind of fasting but shall define it through its active operation. It is to seek God with all of one’s strength and to turn away from all other things besides Him. In short, it is to embody the words of God when He said, “Say `God, then leave. them in their pastime of cavillings.” 42

The fasting of the select few, which is the fasting of the virtuous men, is to keep the senses free from sin and is accomplished through six things: To refrain from looking at anything blameworthy and disapproved, or anything which occupies the person and diverts him from remembering God. The Apostle said, “The coveting glance is one of the poisoned arrows of the devil. He who for fear of God abstains therefrom will receive from Him a belief, the sweetness of which will fill his heart.”

On the Mysteries of Fasting and its Inward Conditions
THE MYSTERIES O F FASTING
BEING A TRANSLATION WITH NOTES
Of
The Kitab Asrar al-Sawm
of
AI-Ghazzali’s “Ihya” Ulum al-Din”
By
NABIH AMIN FARIS
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

റമദാനിന്റെ അവസാന പത്ത്‌ വന്നണഞ്ഞാൽ പ്രവാചകൻ (സ) രാത്രികളെ സജീവമാക്കുമായിരുന്നു. വീട്ടുകാരെ ഉണർത്തുകയും അവരെ സൽകർമ്മങ്ങൾക്ക്‌ പ്രേരിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുമായിരുന്നു.

Ramadan is not only about skipping meals. While fasting is an integral and paramount part of it, Ramadan offers a comprehensive program for our spiritual overhaul.

വിശുദ്ധ റമദാൻ വിട പറയുന്നത്‌ നമുക്ക്‌ അനുകൂല സാക്ഷിയായിട്ടാവണം. റമദാൻ ലഭിച്ചിട്ടും അതിന്റെ സൗഭാഗ്യങ്ങൾ നേടിയെടുക്കാൻ കഴിയാത്തവൻ അഭിശപ്തനാണ്‌. ഫിഥ്‌ർ സകാത്ത്‌ നോമ്പുകാരന്റെ ന്യൂനതകൾ പരിഹരിക്കുമെന്ന് പ്രവാചകൻ പഠിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

നമ്മുടെ സമ്പത്തില്‍ പാവപ്പെട്ടവരുടെ അവകാശം നാം തിരിച്ചറിയേണ്ടതുണ്ട്‌