1. some Muslims fast but don't pray.
the fasting of one who does not pray will not be accepted. this is because not praying constitutes kufr. in fact, it is likely that none of his good deeds will be accepted unless Allah decides to have mercy. the Prophet pbuh said: "between a man and shirk and kufr, there stands his giving up prayer." - Muslim
2. taking Ramadan as a ritual
we fast from morning to night 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 du'a, forget to beseech Allah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire.
3. skipping suhoor (pre-dawn food)
the Prophet pbuh said: "the thing that differentiates our fasting and the fasting of the people of the book (jews and christians) is eating suhoor." (Muslim) and he (pbuh) said: "eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing."
4. some don't fast if they miss suhoor
having suhoor is one of the most important Sunnah of the Prophet pbuh and not fardh. so it's anybody's guess if you miss suhoor then you can still keep the fast. obedience to Allah overcomes everything. if one misses suhoor but gets up before dawn, make an intent and continue your fast.
5. emphasis on food and drink
Qur'an 7:31 says: "...and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) does likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)".
6. spending most of your time cooking
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 Salah, Qur'an and other acts of worship. all they can think about is food. so much so that they turn the month of 'fasting' into the month of 'feasting'.
7. eating too much is forbidden
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 some people eat at iftar like there's no tomorrow, trying to 'make up for the food missed'.
8. hosting and participating in extravagant iftar parties
although, inviting each other for breaking fast is something good and encouraged. however, some people go to extremes with lavish 'iftar parties' with all sorts of disobedience to Allah.
9. sleeping all day
in fact, Ramadan is the month of reciting the Qur'an and feeding the poor. some people spend their entire day '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.
10. not fasting because of work/exams
fasting is fardh, for all sane Muslims. exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shari'ah to fast. you can do that during the day. Allah says in the Qur'an 2:286: "Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear."
11. wasting time
the month of Ramadan is a precious, precious time. 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 videogames, or worse: still watching tv, movies or even listening to music.
12. not giving up evil while fasting makes your fast void
some of us fast but do not give lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haram, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things w/o realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allah.
13. smoking
smoking is forbidden in Islam whether during Ramadan or outside of it, as it is one of evil things. and this includes all kinds of 'smoking material'. example: cigars, cigarettes, pipes, sheesha, hookah, etc.
14. stopping suhoor at "imsaak"
and the Prophet saw said: "...eat and drink until you hear the adhan of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he does not give the adhan until dawn comes.
15. delaying breaking fast
some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be 'on the safe side'. however, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the adhaan starts, right after the sun has set. Aisha (a) said: "this is what the Messenger of Allah saw used to do."
16. eating continuously until the time for Maghrib is up
some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc, until they miss Maghrib. that is obviously not right. the Sunnah of the Prophet pbuh was once he broke his fast with some dates, he would hasten for the Maghrib Salah.
17. missing the golden chance of having your du'a accepted
the prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast. the Prophet pbuh said: "three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the payer of a traveler."
18. fasting andn ot wearing the niqab/hijab
not wearing the niqab is a major sin and is obligatory for Muslim women. see Qur'an 24:31 and 33:59. so, fasting and not wearing niqab certainly takes away enormously from the rewards of fasting, even if it does not invalidate it.
19. mixing fasting and dieting
fasting is an act of worship and an only be for the sake of Allah only. always remember that niyyah plays the most important part of a Muslim. a believer will be rewarded or punished based on his intention. so if dieting is the intention, they you will not get any reward from Allah.
20. fighting over the number of raka'ah in Taraweeh
there is no specific number of rak'ahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. both 8 and 20 are okay. shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (ra) said: "no one should be denounced for praying 11 or 23 raka'ah, because the matter is broader in the scope than that, praise be to Allah."
21. praying only on the night of the 27th of Ramadan
some people pray only on the 27th night to seek Lailat ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan. the Prophet pbuh said: "seek Lailat ul-Qadr amongst the odd numbered nights of the last 10 nights of Ramadan (means 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th."
22.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 Ibadah and Lailatul Qadr. although, the Prophet pbuh used to strive the hardest during the last 10 days of Ramadan in worship.
source:
IG: theislamicparadise
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1000 days of Da'wah (pt 1)
SpiritualThis book is intended to give my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters tips and knowledge on their journeys to become better Muslims along the way. Each day you can refer to this book and read a new chapter to learn something new. Let's all strive to b...
