Let’s welcome the month of Ramadan with maximum preparation
Muslimcreed – The month of Shaban has many virtues that every Muslim must understand. The specialty of the month of Shaban is inseparable from its proximity to the holy month of Ramadan.
The month of Shaban is the 8th month in the Hijri calendar which was glorified by the Prophet Muhammad SAW. There are so many practices that bring rewards and blessings that are recommended to be done by every Muslim. Because there are many virtues in this month.
However, the month of Shaban, which is between the months of Rajab and the month of Ramadan, makes many people negligent in carrying out worship. The following is a list of the virtues of the month of Shaban.
Sunnah Fasting Month
The month of Sha’ban is a month that is preferred to increase sunnah fasting. In this month, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) increased the number of voluntary fasts. In fact, he almost fasted a whole month, except for one or two days at the end of the month so as not to precede Ramadan by one or two days of voluntary fasting.
This means that the month of Shaban is full of tests and trials which must be utilized by increasing righteous deeds in this month. The following are the virtues of the month of Shaban that are recommended to be practiced.
Read also : Benefit Of Fasting
Increase Charity
The month of Shaban is the right momentum to increase pious practices such as diligently doing sunnah prayers, doing charity, increasing filial piety to parents, and other alms.
In the month of Ramadan we are encouraged to multiply sunnah practices such as reading the Qur’an, dhikr, istighfar, tahajjud and witr prayers, dhuha prayers, and alms. To be able to do it all lightly and istiqamah, we need a lot of practice. This is where the month of Sha’ban occupies a very urgent position as the right time to practice getting used to doing sunnah in an orderly and continuous manner.
With these exercises, in the month of Ramadan we will get used to it and feel light to do it. Thus, the plant of faith and righteous deeds will produce true piety.
Whoever does not plant the seeds of righteous deeds in the month of Rajab and does not water the plants in the month of Sha’ban, how can he harvest the fruit of piety in the month of Ramadan? In a month that most people neglect to do good deeds, it is only right that we do not neglect to follow suit.
Hurrying towards Allah’s forgiveness and carrying out His commandments is something we must immediately do before the holy month of Ramadan really comes.
Nisfu Syaban night
Nisfu Shaban night is a night in the middle of the month of Shaban (15 Shaban) which is full of glory. On the night of Nisfu Shaban, an angel who records human deeds submits his notes to Allah SWT.
That night, the practice notebook used for taking notes was replaced with a new one. The scholars stated that tonight is the night of forgiveness and the night that every request is granted.
Month of Preparation for the Month of Ramadan
The month of Sha’ban is a month of training, coaching and preparation to become a person who is successful in doing good deeds in the month of Ramadan. To fill the month of Sha’ban and at the same time as preparation for the holy month of Ramadan, there are several things that every Muslim should do.
a. Faith Preparation, including:
Immediately repent of all sins by regretting past sins, leaving the sin right now, and determined not to repeat it in the future.
Increase your prayers to be given a long life so that you can meet the month of Ramadan.
Increase sunnah fasting in the month of Sha’ban to get used to it physically and spiritually. There are several recommended ways of fasting in the month of Sha’ban, namely: Fasting Monday-Thursday every week plus fasting ayyamul bidh (13,14 and 15 Sha’ban), or fasting David, or fasting more than that from the 1st -28 Sha’ban.
Familiarize yourself with the Qur’an by reading more than one juz per day, plus reading interpretation books and doing tadabbur Al-Qur’an.
Immerse in the delicacy of the night prayer by performing at least two rak’ahs of tahajjud and one rak’ah of witr at the end of the night.
Infuse the delicacy of dhikr by keeping the dhikr after prayer, morning and evening dhikr, and other routine dhikr.
b. Science Preparation, including:
Studying the complete jurisprudence laws of Ramadan fasting, Learning the secrets, wisdoms, and practices that are recommended or must be carried out in the month of Ramadan, Studying the interpretation of legal verses relating to fasting, Studying moral books that help preparing the soul to welcome the month of Ramadan, Listening to lectures by ustadz/ulama who discuss preparations for welcoming and filling the holy month of Ramadan, Repeating the memorization of the Qur’an as preparation for reading in Tarawih prayers, both for prospective priests and people who pray Tarawih alone at the end of the night (not in congregation ba’da Isya’ in the mosque), Listening to the murattal reading of the tarawih prayer of the mosque’s imams who are famous for their expertise in recitation, memorization, and reading fluency.
c. Preparation for Da’wah, including:
Prepare materials for cults, taushiyah, lectures, Friday sermons and other oral bill da’wah.
Making leaflets, brochures, pamphlets, wall magazines, da’wah bulletins and da’wah sheets that remind Muslims about the procedures for welcoming Ramadan.
Participate in cults, lectures, and recitations held around us (mosques, workplaces, teaching and learning places) either as presenters or participants as a form of preparation and habituation to take part in similar activities in the month of Ramadan.
Holding fast boarding schools, Islamic courses, Islamic studies and similar events.
d. Family Preparation, including:
Prepare the children and wife to welcome the arrival of Ramadan by introducing them to the preparations mentioned above.
Get used to them to keep the five daily prayers, the Rawatib sunnah prayer, the dhuha prayer, the night prayer (tahajjud and witr), and reading the Qur’an.
Give daily taushiyah / cult if possible.
Minimize the things that distract them from righteous deeds in the month of Sha’ban and Ramadan, such as ignorant music and songs, watching TV, and other activities that do not bring benefits in the hereafter.
Set aside a portion of the income for alms in this month and the month of Ramadan.
e. Mental Preparation
Prepare a strong and earnest determination to:
Opening a new page of life with Allah SWT, a white sheet filled with acts of obedience and contains a few bad deeds
Make our days in the month of Ramadan not like our usual days in other months which are full of negligence and disobedience
Enliven the mosque by performing the five daily prayers in congregation at the nearest mosque and reviving the sunnahs of worship that we have long abandoned, such as: staying in the mosque at dawn until the sun rises for dhikr, recitation of the Qur’an, or studying -teach; be present at the mosque before the call to prayer is sounded; rush to the mosque to get the initial row; waiting for the arrival of the imam with sunnah prayers and the intention of I’tikaf; etc.
Clearing the fast of things that damage the reward, such as fighting, joking and doing casual things that are just to pass the time without bringing any benefit in the afterlife (playing chess, playing cards, hanging out together while singing and playing guitar; etc.)
Maintain and get used to an open-minded and forgiving attitude
Do good deeds in the month of Ramadan and start many intentions from now on. Like; the intention to repent, the intention to open a new leaf with Allah, the intention to improve morals, the intention to fast sincerely for Allah alone, the intention to finish the Qur’an more than once, the intention to pray tarawih and witr, the intention to increase the practice of the sunnah, the intention to seek knowledge, the intention of da’wah , the intention to help help and support fellow Muslims in need, the intention to fight for the religion of Allah, the intention of umrah, the intention of jihad with wealth, the intention of I’tikaf; etc.)
f. Preparation for Jihad Against Lust
Curb the lust of bad habits and the desire to live a luxurious, extravagant, stingy life, and enjoy delicious food or new clothes in the month of Ramadan
Get used to the mouth to say good and useful words; prevent him from saying vile words, dirty, gossip, pitting, and words that do not bring benefits in the hereafter
Prevent lust from wanting to vent anger, pride, deviation, disobedience and injustice
Get used to living a simple life, tenacious, patient, and able to carry the burdens of da’wah and jihad in the way of Allah
Conduct daily muhasabah (introspection) by comparing the above preparatory programs and the level of success of their implementation.
