Maximize the Last Ten Days of Ramadan

Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as "better than a thousand months" (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr. Allah's Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time" (Muslim). Allah's peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari). The Prophet said: "Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven" (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira). Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and after it. 1. Make this special Dua Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it? He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me'" (Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi). The transliteration of this Dua is "Allahumma innaka 'afuwwan tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'annee" 2. Recite the Quran Perhaps you can choose Surahs of passages from the Quran, which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite. 3. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran. Choose the latest Surahs you've heard in Tarawih and read their translation and tafsir. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level. 4. Get your sins wiped out. Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven (Bukhari and Muslim). Don't just pray using the shorter Surahs you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray.  Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and explanation beforehand and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs. This is a good way to develop the habit of concentration, even in regular prayers, where many of us tend to be fidgety and/or easily distracted. 5. Make a personal Dua list. Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything no matter how small or big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things: Ask Allah to give you those things Think about what actions you have taken to get those things And develop a work plan to get those things in the future. 6. Evaluate yourself. Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah's sincere forgiveness when making the Dua mentioned in tip number one above. 7. Make long, sincere and deep Duas.  One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night.  Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said: “When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that one supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? “(Bukhari, Muslim). That means, for instance, waking up one hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for anything and everything you want that is Halal. This can be done using the Duas of the Sunnah, but also the Dua in your own language, with sincerity and conviction. 8. Memorize a different Dua every night.  They don't have to be long. They can just be one line. And be sure to know what they mean generally at least, even if you don't know the exact translation in English. You can put them on index cards (or and keep them with you during the day, glancing at them during work, while driving, waiting in line, etc) Then practice them at night in prayer. 9. Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation. Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights. They may try to end on one of the odd nights and read the Dua at the end of a reading of the Quran. Attend this particular night's Tarawih prayer to join in the dua. 10. Finish reading a book on the Prophet. Read about the Prophet's life, which can increase your love for him and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah's sake. It may inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights. This community is built on sacrifice. 11. Plan for the next year. Once you've done a self-evaluation, you can plan on where you want to go, at least in the next 12 months. Laylatul Qadr is a great night to be thinking about this (without taking away from your worship), since you'll InshaAllah be in a more contemplative state. You may choose to dedicate one night for evaluation and one night for planning the next year. 12. To do list for the Night of Power.  Make a to-do checklist for each possible Night of Power. This should define how you would like your night, the one better than a thousand months to be used. Pick things from this list and define the sequence you would like to do things in. Author: Abdul Malik Mujahid Source : www.religionatlums.com