Sunnats and Aadaab of Ramadhaan – Part 1

1. Start preparing for the month of Ramadhaan well in advance. Some of the pious elders would prepare six months in advance.
2. Make a timetable for how one will utilise the valuable moments of Ramadhaan.

عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال من صام رمضان وعرف حدوده وتحفظ مما ينبغي له أن يتحفظ كفر ما قبله  رواه ابن حبان في صحيحه والبيهقي (الترغيب و الترهيب رقم 1474)

Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadhaan and acknowledges its boundaries and limits and ensures that he fulfils the rights of Ramadhaan as he ought to fulfil it, all his previous sins will be forgiven.”

3. If a person has any outstanding rights in relation to the Creator (e.g. qadha salaah, qadha fasts, unpaid zakaat, etc.) or the creation (e.g. one has oppressed someone or hurt anyone in any way) or any unsettled debts, then before the month of Ramadhaan enters, he should sort out his affairs and fulfil all outstanding obligations in order for him to be able to derive the full blessings of the month of Ramadhaan.
4. Try to gradually increase your ibaadat from before Ramadhaan and get into a set routine of making ibaadat so that it will be easy to carry out ibaadat during the month of Ramadhaan.
5. Engage in plenty of istighfaar and duaa from before Ramadhaan .
6. When the month of Rajab comes, recite the following duaa abundantly:

اَللّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيْ رَجَبٍ وَّ شَعْبَان وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان

O Allah! Bless us in the months of Rajab and Sha’baan and take us forth to the month of Ramadhaan.

عن أنسٍ رضي الله عنه قال كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ سَلَّمَ إذَا دَخَلَ رَجَبٌ قَالَ اَللّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيْ رَجَبٍ وَّشَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان  (شعب الايمان رقم 3815)

Hazrat Anas (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that whenever the month of Rajab would arrive, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would make the following duaa, “O Allah! Bless us in the months of Rajab and Sha’baan and take us forth to the month of Ramadhaan.”

7. With the approach of Ramadhaan, and during Ramadhaan, one should recite the following duaa:

اَللّهُمَّ سَلِّمْنِيْ لِرَمَضَان وَ سَلِّمْ رَمَضَانَ لِيْ وَسَلِّمْهُ لِيْ مُتَقَبَّلًا

O Allah! Safeguard me for the Month of Ramadhaan (by making me see the Month of Ramadhaan healthy and fit so that I can take maximum benefit from it), and safeguard the Month of Ramadhaan for me (by making the conditions in it such that I can take maximum benefit from it) and accept it from me

عن عبادة بن الصامت قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعلمنا هؤلاء الكلمات إذا جاء رمضان اللهم سلمني لرمضان وسلم رمضان لي وسلمه لي متقبلا. رواه الطبرناني في الدعاء والديلمي وسنده حسن. (كنز العمال رقم 24277)

Hazrat Ubaadah bin Saamit (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would teach the Sahaabah the following duaa at the approach of Ramadhaan:

اَللّهُمَّ سَلِّمْنِيْ لِرَمَضَان وَ سَلِّمْ رَمَضَانَ لِيْ وَسَلِّمْهُ لِيْ مُتَقَبَّلًا

8. Any nafl (voluntary good deed) carried out in the month of Ramadhaan fetches the reward of a fardh act and the reward of a fardh act carried out in Ramadhaan is multiplied 70 fold.

عن سلمان رضي الله عنه قال خطبنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم في آخر يوم من شعبان…  من تقرب فيه بخصلة من الخير كان كمن أدى فريضة فيما سواه ومن أدى فريضة فيه كان كمن أدى سبعين فريضة فيما سواه (الترغيب و الترهيب رقم 1483)

Hazrat Salmaan (Radhiallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) delivered a khutbah on the last day of Sha’baan, (wherein he mentioned): “Whoever intends drawing near to Allah Ta’ala by performing any virtuous deed (nafl), for such person shall be the reward like the one who performed a fardh in any other time. And whoever performs a fardh, shall be blessed with the reward of seventy faraaidh in any other time.