21 Dos and Don’ts of the Holy Month of Ramadan – A Guide to Muslims
In our day-to-day life, there are rules that govern the way in which we conduct ourselves in society. These rules define the things we are expected to do – the dos; and those we are not supposed to do – the don’ts. For example, while we grew up, we were expected to keep quiet when an elder was talking. Similarly, one was not expected to eat while walking. Of course, this is even more weird if done by an adult. Just like in our daily life, the holy month of Ramadan has its rules – the manner in which Muslims should conduct themselves during this holy month of fasting if they are to rip all the benefits associated with it. In this article, I bring you the dos and don’t of Ramadan, the holy month for the Muslims.
When we talk about Ramadan, most of us only think about the act of keeping and breaking the fast. But there is more to this holy month for the Muslims than just that! Apart from abstinence from food and drinks – which we all know, there are many other things a Muslim must do or not do during the month of Ramadan. It’s worth keeping in mind that the month of Ramadan is about patience, forgiveness and goodness. Therefore, a Muslim should endeavour to do anything that promotes any or all of these. In the same way, anything that hinders a Muslim from achieving any or all of these should be avoided at all cost.
In this post, we shall look at:
Now, let’s get down to the dos and don’ts of the holy month of Ramadan.
Dos of Ramadan
There are many things you can do during the month of Ramadan to significantly multiply your rewards.
Do: Recite The Holy Quran
The month of Ramadan is an opportunity for man to communicate with the Almighty Allah as much as possible without any barriers. It’s the month for Muslims to ask for forgiveness from their Creator. This is because, during this holy month, satan is on the chain.
“When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” (Imam Bukhari)
Therefore, remember Allah as much as possible. Ask for forgiveness from Him as much as you can. Recite the holy Quran as much as possible.
Do: Follow the Sunnah
There are many good practices that are not mandatory in Islam but when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to do them. Muslims fasting during the holy month of Ramadan should observe these as much as possible to multiply their rewards during this precious period.
“The most honored by Allah amongst you are those best in taqwa.”(Q 49:13)
Do: Volunteer Your Time and Help
There are very many charities, both local and otherwise, that need your help and support. This ranges from creating awareness to helping those in need. Spare part of your time during this month of Ramadan and offer your help.
There are many people who have been rendered homeless due to wars and internal displacements. Some are victims of the rampant land grabbing. And they are on a daily basis seeking refuge, housing, and basic needs among others. As a Muslim fasting during this holy month of Ramadan, just reach out to them and offer a helping hand. Of course, this is something any Muslim should be doing on a daily basis, but if done during this holy month, the rewards multiply.
Do: Offer Zakat
Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It involves getting a percentage of your wealth and sharing it with the needy. In fact, Zakat is a requirement for those who have. You need to pay Zakat to have your fasting accepted by the Almighty Allah. To know the minimum amount of Zakat you ought to pay to purify your Ramadan, simply multiply your wealth by 2.5%. Zakat can be in any form – money, food etc. And when offering food for Zakat, it’s required that you select from the food you use most often at your home.
Do: Give, Give, Give!
Ramadan is a month for giving. Give to those in need! One thing you ought to always remember as a Muslim is that Allah gave you that wealth to be shared with those He didn’t give it. Therefore, share it! There are many things you can give during Ramadan. For example, there are many Muslims out there who are fasting but when are not even sure of the meal they will use to break their fast. Offer iftar to as many Muslims as you can.
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Do: Encourage Unity
Preach and promote unity among your family, friends and loved ones. Gather them during suhur, iftar and prayer times. Eating and praying together with them during this holy month of Ramadan will help strengthen your relationship with them. That doesn’t mean to say that you should promote unity only amongst your family, friends and loved ones. You should extend the same to other community members as well.
Do: Observe The Five Daily Prayers
Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day. We all know that. And you will be wasting your time if you fast but fail to observe the five daily prayers. To purify your Ramadan and have Allah accept your fasting, observe this great pillar of Islam – Swallah.
Do: Observe Taraweeh
Taraweeh is a prolonged prayer normally performed daily after Isha throughout the month of Ramadan. It’s a Sunnah prayer aimed at creating a stronger bond between a Muslim and the Almighty Allah. Observing this prayer during the month of Ramadan helps you rip from the many rewards that await you from the Creator.
Just to remind you, we are looking at the dos and don’t of Ramadan – the things you must do or avoid to get the best out of your fasting. Let’s move on.
Do: Forgive Everyone
Ramadan is about forgiveness. During the month of Ramadan, do forgive anyone and everyone who has wronged you. If the Almighty Allah can forgive us of the sins we have committed throughout the entire year, then why not you? Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
It (Ramadan) is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness, and its end, emancipation from the fire (of hell). (Bihar al-Anwar 93: 342)
Therefore, forgive, forgive and forgive.
Do: Legalize Your Marriage
This is something you should actually do even before you enter Ramadan. We have all witnessed Muslim men who forego fasting because they have not yet legalized their marriages with their wives. We have also witnessed those who will fast but will never eat a meal prepared by their “wives” throughout the holy month of Ramadan. Of course, none of these sounds good! But the gist of the matter is, the Almighty Allah will not accept your fasting if you have never legalized your marriage.
Therefore, the solution is to legalize it before Ramadan so that as the month starts, you are well sure that your fast will be accepted – at least for that. After all, legalizing marriage in Islam shouldn’t be something complex or expensive. All it takes is getting consent from the father-in-law. The rest will be to arrange with your religious leader whether to do it from home or from the mosque.
Do: Be Calm, Patient and Tolerant
Practice patience and remain calm throughout the lifespan of the holy month of Ramadan. It does no good to raise your voice high or to get angry with others. Even when you are not happy with something or someone, handle the situation with calmness. Be tolerant and patient with everyone and with every situation.
Do: All A Good Muslim Does
Yes, you heard me right! Every time you go to the mosque, your Imam preaches on how a good Muslim ought to conduct themselves. Whatever good deed a good Muslim should do, do it during the month of Ramadan and Allah will double your rewards.
Those and many others are the dos of Ramadan. Now, since we are looking at both dos and don’ts of Ramadan, the holy month for the Muslims, let’s head to the don’ts.
Don’ts of Ramadan
Here is the list of don’ts for Ramadan. The list of things you should avoid during this holy month as a Muslim.
Don’t Fornicate
The act of playing sex between two people who are not legally married is called fornication. Like any other religion, Islam does not allow fornication. Fornicating during the month of Ramadan or while fasting is even more harmful to your relationship with Allah than during the other ordinary days. Therefore, avoid it at all cost.
To remove doubt, if you are staying with a “wife” or “husband” and you have never legalized your marriage, the sex you have is also fornication according to the Islamic teaching. As such, avoid sex with him/her throughout the month of Ramadan – whether day or night.
Don’t Commit Adultery
Similar to fornication, adultery is where a married person engages in sexual intercourse outside his/her official marriage. It’s also called extramarital sex. Islam discourages adultery. As a result, avoid it as much as possible. Not even after breaking the fast – which we call iftar.
Don’t Play Sex During Day Time
This applies to couples that are in a legal marriage. If your marriage is legal, then you can play sex but only after breaking the fast. Therefore, only play sex with your legal wife or husband after iftar and before suhur. Don’t do it during day time while you are fasting.
Are you still on track? By the way, after reading these dos and don’t of Ramadan, remember to leave a comment at the end of the article.
Don’t Lose Patience, and Never Get Violent
There are times when we get angry at some people or about certain situations. But no matter the situation, avoid getting violent. Don’t fight, never beat up children or your spouse and avoid quarrelling. Whether at home or in the community outside of the home, violence is against the teachings of Islam. Avoid it during the month of Ramadan. Control your hands, mouth and tongue.
Don’t hold grudges
Probably someone wronged you or might even wrong you during this month of Ramadan. And you are this kind of person with the “I will never forgive him/her” attitude. My brother or sister, you are going the whole day hungry for no reason. The month of Ramadan is about forgiving and asking for forgiveness. Now, if you cannot yourself forgive, what even makes you think that Allah will forgive you when you ask for it? Why waste your time?
Therefore, if you feel you can never forgive, better eat your food and forget about the rewards of Ramadan. Otherwise, if you want to rip from the many rewards awaiting you in this holy month, do away with all those grudges.
Don’t Gossip
Gossiping is real. Trust me, we do gossip! People can gossip. It’s very common to bad mouth about other people’s problems and lives. And it’s not gender specific. Both men and women gossip. But this is one other act you have to be extra careful about especially during this holy month of Ramadan. Watch your mouth against gossiping and backbiting. There is actually no need for you to go hungry the whole day in the name of fasting when you can’t refrain from gossiping and backbiting. It’s said in the Hadith that:
“Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of him giving up his food and drink.” (Al-Bukhari)
Don’t Waste Precious Time
Avoid wasting the precious Ramadan time on Worldly pleasures. Instead, dedicate this time to worshipping the Almighty Allah and asking for forgiveness together with the good deeds mentioned above. Use this valuable time to repent and pray to Allah in order to attain taqwa (closeness to Allah SWT). Remember, Ramadan comes only once a year and the rewards in this one month are far more than those you can gather during the remainder of the year. Therefore, don’t waste time. Make good use of it!
Avoid Social Media Platforms
Yes, you heard me right. Or, let me say you read it right. If you are or have been a user of Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube among other social media platforms, there is nothing much for me to stress here. You must be already aware that these social media platforms contain a lot of content that is not appropriate for someone who is fasting. Therefore, it’s better to avoid them – at least for the lifespan of the Ramadan period.
Don’t Forget to Comment
I believe you are like, “he is kidding”, right? Yes, Indeed I am. But what I am trying to say here is, don’t forget to share your views in the comments section below after reading these great dos and don’t of the holy month of Ramadan. Share what you think. After all, the month of Ramadan is about sharing. Don’t be mean with your view.
Conclusion on Dos and Don’t of Ramadan
Ramadan is not only about abstinence from food and drinks. It’s also about patience, forgiveness and goodness. As such, you should focus all your actions towards achieving all of these. Make sure to stick to the dos and don’ts of Ramadan above to have the Almighty accept your fasting and rip from the abundant rewards that come with this holy month.
Among the things you should ensure to do during Ramadan are Reciting the Holy Quran, following the Sunnah, volunteering your time to help, offering Zakat, giving to those in need, encouraging unity, observing the five daily prayers, observing Taraweer, forgiving everyone, legalizing your marriage and doing everything else good Muslim should do.
On the other hand, some of the things you should avoid doing while fasting include fornication, adultery, playing sex during day time, gossiping, violence and impatience among others.
Are there any other dos and don’ts of Ramadan you feel I have left out? Share them with us in the comments below. Let’s together help the Muslims get the best out of their fasting!