Summary of Article: 10 Points for Excelling in Ramadan by Shaykh Yaser Birjas
" 1. Don't make failure an option in Ramadan. Don't give yourself an exit. Many people start making excuses, and once you give yourself and excuse to fail, you will lose success. Never give yourself that excuse and always have that hunger to succeed.
2. When you start Ramadan, set your goals as high as you can. If you fall short a little from achieving these lofty goals, insha'Allah they will still be higher than what you did last year.
3. Have the confidence that you will achieve your goals and have a strategy and plan.
4. Choose and select the good deeds you enjoy doing and increase them more and more. Make your plan around these deeds that you love and enjoy doing. The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) recommended us to achieve that which is little but continuous. Many people love to start Ramadan with as many good deeds as they can, which may be too much. Take it easy and start with what you enjoy. As you build momentum, add more. The whole point is to be proactive, so start your plan and choose the good deeds you enjoy and start working on it.
5. Achieving all of these great goals has been done by the people before you. The sahabah were the best examples after the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam). Check the stories of the successful in Ramadan: How did they succeed? What did they do? Read some of the biographies of the people and the great scholars and how they spent their time in Ramadan. Remember, keep these stories with you throughout the month of Ramadan, and when you feel weaker and weaker, go back to the stories and remind yourself.
6. Look for people around you in your own community who can help you achieve these lofty goals. You will definitely find one or two people around you. You should go and look for those people. Remember that your companions in Ramadan can help you go higher in goals or can pull you down. Habits are contagious. Look for high achievers in the month of Ramadan. If you always associate yourself with high achievers, bi'idhnillah you will go higher in your goals.
7. When you set your goals, don't just set them to achieve them at your convenience or when you have spare time. Put priorities during the day and night. Go all out and work so hard. It happens only once a year.
8. Be prepared to change your schedule. Many people are effective the first few days but then feel that they are losing it and then lose momentum completely and say they can't do it. Instead of slightly changing their schedule, they try to start over with a completely new schedule and then they quit. Expect yourself to change plans. Never put your programs back to back and make them so crowded. Do something reasonable every single night. Don't simply cancel the good deeds you have started just because you think you are falling behind.
9. During the month of Ramadan, you are going to feel a little tired and exhausted. Go to someone who you think can help you remind yourself. Ask them for advice. Keep Riyadh Al-Saaliheen handy and the ahadith about the virtues of Ramadan handy. Hopefully it will rejuvenate your spirit. If that doesn't work, then have someone else give you advice. If that doesn't help, attend a program in the masjid. Revisit your goals.
10. Never Give Up. If the Shaytan wants anything from us, it is for us to give up on ourselves. Once Ramadan is over, what was multiplied in Ramadan will no longer be multiplied. Never give up even if you fall short and behind. Continue doing good deeds until the end of the month, even if it is the last night. Even if it is the last hour and you still haven't finished khatm'l-Qur'an, still continue reading. Falling short one juz is better than falling short 15 juz.
I wish all of you a successful Ramadan this year and ask Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) to make this Ramadan the best Ramadan for all of you. I ask Allah to help us all to live to this Ramadan, to make the fasts our best fasts, and the qiyam our best qiyam and to help us become more generous in the month of Ramadan. I ask Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) to help us all achieve some of the i'tikaf during the last few nights of Ramadan. I ask Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) to help us be of those who will survive and live and worship Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) on laylat'l-qadr. I ask Allah to make us among those who will learn beneficial knowledge and benefit others. "
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