Understanding the Month of Glory; Lessons on the Month of Ramadhan

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Understanding the Month of Glory; Lessons on the Month of Ramadhan

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Understanding the Month of Glory; Lessons on the Month of Ramadhan

Understanding the Month of Glory; Lessons on the Month of Ramadhan

Author:
Publisher: www.alhassanain.org/english
English

www.alhassanain.org/english

Understanding the Month of Glory: Lessons on the Month ofRamadhan

Publisher(s):Tayyiba Publishers & Distributors

www.alhassanain.org/english

Notice:

This versionis published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errorsare not corrected .

Table of Contents

An Invitation 6

Verses of the Holy Quran on Ramadhan 7

Ahadith on Fasting 8

A Message from the Holy Prophet (S) 9

Imam Sajjad (a) Welcomes the Month of Ramadhan 10

The Ramadhan Checklist 11

An Attitude of Anticipation and Enthusiasm 11

Flexible Time and Schedule 11

A Qur'an with a good translation 11

A Donation to a Worthwhile Charity 11

A Determination to Avoid Sins 12

A Desire to Help Others 12

A Muslim's Thoughts on Ramadhan 13

Seeking Nearness to God 15

Why should a believer seek nearness to Allah? 15

1. Allah is Merciful and loves His Creatures 15

2. It is the only achievement that will give true peace and happiness 16

3. It will guarantee success in the world and the Hereafter 17

How to seek Nearness to Allah 17

Seeking Nearness in Ramadhan 17

Exercises 17

The Spring of the Holy Qur'an 18

Reciting the Holy Qur'an 18

How to recite the Qur'an 19

Understanding the Holy Qur'an 19

Exercises 20

Supplicating to the Almighty 21

What is Du`a? 21

Effects of Dua 22

Pleases the Almighty 22

Gives Peace and Contentment 22

Increases Knowledge and Humility 23

Changes what is destined 23

Averts Difficulties 23

Etiquette of Du`a 23

Du`a is always answered 24

Exercises 25

Seeking Forgiveness from Allah 26

Necessity of Istighfar in the life of a believer 26

Conditions of Istighfar 27

Exercises 28

Eighteen reasons why a Muslim Fasts 29

Sympathy for Others 32

Conditions of the Poor and Needy around the world 32

Helping Others 32

Being Grateful to the Almighty 33

Exercises 34

Ramadhan 35

Eid 36

Thoughts on Eid 37

An Invitation

Verses of the Holy Quran onRamadhan

Ahadith on Fasting

One who while fasting does not guard his tongue from telling lies and does not refrain from bad deeds, is not respecting his fast. Allah does not approve of mere abstention from food.

Holy Prophet (S)

When you are fasting, you should not speak ill of anybody, nor should you be rough and noisy. If anybody speaks ill of you or tries to pick a quarrel with you, reply him not, but say to him that you are fasting.

Holy Prophet (S)

A person gets the same reward by reciting in this month, one verse of the Holy Qur'an, as others do by reciting the whole of the Qur'an in other months.

Holy Prophet (S)

The day of your fast should not be like any ordinary day. When you fast, all your senses - eyes, ears, tongue,hands and feet must fast with you.

ImamJa` far as-Sadiq (a)

O Jabir! Whoever during the month ofRamadhan , fasts in its days, stands up for prayers in parts of the night, controls his desires and emotions, puts a rein on his tongue, keeps his eyes down, and does not injure the feelings of others, will become as free of sins as the day he was born.

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a)

The sleep of a fasting person is worship, his silence is glorification (of Allah), his prayers areanswered and his actions are multiplied.

Imam Ali (a)

The prayer of a fasting person at the time ofIftar is never rejected

Imam Ali (a)

Whoeveris prevented from food that he likes, because of his fast, Allah will feed him from the food of Heaven and from its drink.

Holy Prophet (S)

There are two pleasures for a fasting person; one when he breaks his fast, and one when he meets his Lord.

ImamJa` far as-Sadiq (a)

Unfortunate is the person whois deprived of the forgiveness of Allah during this great month (ofRamadhan )

Holy Prophet (S)

Fasting is a protection from the fire.

ImamJa` far as-Sadiq (a)

Fast, and you shall be healthy.

Holy Prophet (S)

If peopleunderstood what good there was in the month ofRamadhan , they would have liked that it last for a year.

Holy Prophet (S)

Whoever is not forgiven in the month ofRamadhan ,then in which month will he be forgiven?

Holy Prophet (S)

A Message from the Holy Prophet (S)

O People! The month of Allah has come with His mercies and blessings. Thisis the month that is the best of all months in the eyes of Allah. Its days are the best of days, its nights are the best of nights,its hours are the best of hours. This is a month in whichyou have been invited by Him . Youhave been given the opportunity in this month to receive the honors from Allah, the Merciful.

In this month if you fast as ordained by Allah, every breath you take has the reward ofTasbeeh , and your sleep has the reward of worship. Your good deedsare rewarded more than usual, and yourduas are accepted

Therefore you must invoke your Lord in earnest, with hearts that are free from sin and evil, and pray that Allah may help you keep the fasts, and to recite the Holy Qur'an.Surely the person who in this month does not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah is most unfortunate.

O people! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires. Make it free by invoking Him for forgiveness. Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate yourself before Him for longintervals and make it lighter.

Anybody who does not annoy others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His anger on the day ofJudgement . . Anybody who treats well his relatives in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him on the day ofJudgement .

Whoever offerssunnat prayers in this month, Allah will save him from Hell. Whoever, in this month, offers onewajib prayer, the angels will write the rewards of seventy such prayers thatwere offered by him in other months. Whoever recitessalawat often, Allah will keep the scales of his good deedsheavy . whoever recites in this month, only oneayat of the Holy Qur'an, he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the entire Qur'an in other months.

ImamSajjad (a) Welcomes the Month ofRamadhan

Praisebe to Allah, who ordained this month, the month ofRamadhan , the month of fasting, the month of Islam, the month of purity, the month of purification, and the month of prayers. In thismonth the Qur'an was made to descend as a guidance to mankind and contains clear instructions and distinctions. He gave this month superiority over all other months by giving it abundant honor and dignity. He prohibited in it what He has allowed in other months in order to exalt it, and forbade in it food and drink in order to honor it.

O Lord! Bless Muhammad and his family, and inspire us to know this month's excellence, and to honor its dignity, and to abstain from whateverYou have forbidden in it.Help us to observe its fast, by restraining our limbs from disobeying You, and by employing them in that which would please You, so that we may not lend our ears to any vain speech, and may not direct our eyes, hands and feet towards anything forbidden, and that nothings fills our stomachs except what You have made lawful, and our tongues may not utter anything except what You have allowed.

O Lord! Bless Muhammad and his family, and give us grace to perform timely the five prayers with due regard to their limits whichYou have enjoined, and the rites which You have prescribed. In this respect, raise us to the rank of those who performed them with success, who duly observed their essential points, who always performed them at proper times, in most perfect and complete humility according to the rules laid down by Your Prophet, mayYou blessings be on him and his family.

And our Lord, give us grace in this month, to show favors to our relations, and do good to them, and to take care of our neighbors and do good to them, to take care of our neighbors with kindness and benevolence, to purge our property of obligations, and purify it by giving charity, and to call back those who have left us, and be just to those who were unjust to us, and make pace with those who were hostile to us.

O Lord! Erase our sins with the disappearance of this month's crescent, and free us from our penalties with the completion of its days, so that the month may pass from us whileYou have cleansed us of ourguilts , and freed us from our sins. O Lord! Fill this month with our worship of you alone, and adorn its moments with our service toYou , and help us in the daytime to observe the fast, and at night to pray and beseech You, help us to humble ourselves before you and lower ourselves in Your presence.

TheRamadhan Checklist

When starting on a journey, most people like to have a list of items that they will need. Beforedeparture they make sure they have all the items. That is to ensure they do not spoil their trip by forgetting something, or not being well equipped for the trip. A journey is usually exciting, andtravellers like to make the most of the opportunity to enjoy themselves.

Ramadhan is a spiritual journey for the believer. For the whole month, he travels to get nearer to Allah. On theway he will pass many obstacles and diversions which may hinder and slow his passage. To make sure that his journey is swift and progressive, he needs many items. Preparing forRamdhan means to ensure one has the necessary equipment for the journey.

The following are some of the necessary items for a believer's trip towards Allah.

An Attitude of Anticipation and Enthusiasm

A believer looks forward to the month ofRamadhan . He enjoys the beauty of spirit thatRamadhan begins, the warmth of carrying out the orders of Allah, the hope of achieving His pleasure, and the happiness at being able to obey the commands of Allah. He is happy when the month arrives and sad when it departs.

Flexible Time and Schedule

Ramadhan requires that we set aside more time than normal for worship and prayers. A believer plans his time in such a way that inRamadhan heis not overwhelmed by the demands of the world. He lessens work if possible and cuts down onactivities which can be put to a halt for a little while. The chance to earn rewards and blessings from Allah in this special time will only last a limited time. Believers must make sure their daily schedules allow maximum benefit of this special time.

A Qur'an with a good translation

An important part of worship inRamadhan includes reciting the Qur'an regularly. AHadith tells us,Ramadhan is theSpring of the Qur'an. Understanding the word of Allah, and pondering over it should be daily activities in this holy month. A believer makes sure he has a copy of the Qur'an which is easy to read, and which has a simpletranslation which he can understand. If time permits, he should also read the commentary of the Qur'an. It is also important to have the right books for theDuas andA` amaals for this month.

A Donation to a Worthwhile Charity

Ramadhan is the best time to donate in the way of Allah. To feed the hungry or give to the needy is an act of great reward, especially during the holy month. Before the month ofRamadhan , a believer decides how much he can afford to give, chooses a worthwhilecharity and sends his donation. This is a recommended charity, different from thezakatul Fitra which is obligatory forEid .Hadith tells us that charity cools the anger of Allah and brings down many blessings on the giver. In the month ofRamadhan this rewardsis multiplied many times.

A Determination to Avoid Sins

Fasting is not mere abstinence from food and drink, as we have heard many times. It is also staying away from all sins. While fasting, all the organs of the body fast, and refrain from doinganything which would displease Allah.

A believer makes a firm decision to avoid all sins that he commits most often, and plans how he will stay away from them during the month. This conscious preparation of a war against sins is a very necessary item in the baggage of a believer in his journey towards Allah.

A Desire to Help Others

In his sermon at the approach of the holy month ofRamadhan , the Prophet (S)said: Whoever lightens the work of his workers in this month, Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day ofJudgement .

This does not only apply to those who have workers working for them. To help and lessen the work of others: parents, siblings, relatives, friends, etc. during the holy month is an act of great virtue. It eases the load of the other person, and brings about kindness and affection. Cooperating and assisting one anotheris greatly loved by Allah.

These and other similar important items are necessary for a successful journey during the month ofRamadhan . Each believer must try to be prepared as possible, lest the opportunity to redeemhimself pass away. It is a great loss for the believer if the whole month of mercy and blessings passes, and he has not been able to achieve forgiveness of his sins, and has not won the pleasure of Allah, and the rewards that He gives so abundantly duringRamadhan . To avoid such a failure, it is necessary to keep aRamadhan checklist thatis regularly updated .

A Muslim's Thoughts onRamadhan

Ramadhan is always a great time forme . In my life,I'm always struggling with theideal of putting God first in every aspect of my life.I know that God Alone should matter in my life, but in the hectic pace of life, ordinary mundane things start to crowd that feeling out.

InRamdhan , fasting from food, water and other things sets a context within whichI can try to establish God's presence in my life.I also know that we are not supposed to only fast from food, drinks etc., but from all hypocrisy, all lies, all dishonesty, all backbiting and all evil. Tomy surprise, I am able to achieve that to some extent.I can carry that for some months.I think it is like the fourth or fifth month afterRamadhan that it starts to slacken.

Itwas once said that the true meaning of Fasting is to Fast from anything that distracts you from Remembrance of God.I have loved that ever since I first read it.I think this became a shortcut for me to evaluate every situation before I get involved.

Ramadhan also helps me in myday to day situation in one other way. No matter how bad the situation,I can look past it and say that as Quran says: “life of this world is but an illusion.” OnceI have done my best, I should give the rest to Him. I know that HisWill always work for my highest good, no matter how difficult it may seem at that time. His Will *always* work for our highest good.

Every time this faithhas been proven true, and as time passes this faith turns and matures into Conviction.Hopefully, this Conviction, thisYaqeen , will translate into the rest of my life and in every month.

I feel very close to other human beings and the rest of creation as well.I am much more forgiving and accepting of my coworkers.I am more liable to overlook their frailties and petty jealousies.I'm like a man who knows that at the end of the day there is a pot of gold that awaits him. Every offering of love we make to Him and Hiscreation, brings us that much closer to Goal. The Goal of The Eternal Bliss, where Allah, the Beloved God will lift the Veil from His Beautiful Face and reveal it to us in all its Splendor, Glory and Beauty.I long for that day. Yes,I do long for that day.

I long for the day that I will earn the privilege of being in company of the Prophets. Then all the worries and problems become petty annoyances.And the mind becomes a little quiet, a little more quiet and a little more quiet, until I hear the quiver of that fragile flame of love and faith in my heart of hearts. It is like when we go to Pilgrimage to Mecca we don our coffins by symbolizing our deaths from this world and we exclaim at the top of ourlungs: I have come my Lord, I have come.

If only Icould do a minor pilgrimage to Him every day of my life by exclaiming through my life and effort: I have come, my Lord, I have come. I have come to you and Iwon't go, I have come and don't let me stray.I have come, so make me yours. For verily Allah has promised in HisQuran: “Certainly we are His, and to Him shall we return.”

I hope this presence of God will persist all through the year until the nextRamadhan comes and I will have no room for anyone but Him and His Lovers and loved ones.

Seeking Nearness to God

The ultimate aim of the journey of a believer is to get close to Allah. To have a position with Him that is special. It is the cherished goal and hope of all those who love Allah. Life in this world is a journey towards that goal. Every action carried out, every deed performed is a step forward in that direction. Human beingshave been given life in this world, as an opportunity to achieve the pleasure of Allah, to serve and worship Him and to achieve nearness to Him.

The Holy Qur'an talks about the believers who enjoy a special position with Allah:

“Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, and who keep aloof from what is vain, and who are givers of the poor-rate. .” (23:1-3)

“Those only are believers whose hearts become full of awe when Allah is mentioned, and when His communications are recited to them, they increase them in faith, and in their Lord do they trust.” (8:2)

The followingHadithe Qudsi show how close the relationship between Allah the human being can be. Allah says:

When I find out that a person remembersMe frequently, I will look after his affairs, become his company, speak with him, and become his intimate friend.

Whenever I knowMy servant is frequently engaged in remembering Me, I will make him desire to pray and whisper to Me. WhenMy servant becomes such, I will prevent him from any wrongdoing when he decided upon it. Those areMy true friends. IfI intend to destroy the earth and punish men, I will forego destruction and punishment for their sake.

Why should a believer seek nearness to Allah?

The following are some reasons and benefits of seeking nearness to Allah.

1. Allah is Merciful and loves His Creatures

There is no beingwho loves the human being more and cares more for his needs than his Creator. Although people sometimes think that God putsa lot of demands on them, and is very strict with them, that He will punish us a soon as they do wrong, this is a great misconception. Allah wants only what is good for human beings.

Allah loves the best of His creations, the human being. One day the Holy Prophet (S) was walking with his companions when he saw a mother bird with her babies in a nest. The mother bird was feeding the small ones some worms. So tender and gentle were her actions, that the companions were awe-struck at this display of love. The Prophet (S) smiled and said, “Are you surprised at the love this mother bird has for her babies? Let me inform you that Allah loves His creatures, the human beings seventy times more than this mother!”

Because He loves the human being, Allah has bestowed upon him many favors. He has given him numerous blessings to enjoy in this world. He has sent rules for his guidance so that the human beingwill be assured of success in both the worlds. He has promised a great reward for those who obey, and punishment for those who disobey His rules.

In His infinite mercy, Almighty Allah has promised to multiply the reward of good deeds by ten, while the punishment of a sin will only be one. He has ordered the angels to record a good deed as soon as the intentionis made , while a sin is recorded only after it is done. A sincan be erased through seeking forgiveness. Allah has encouraged us to ask from Him, to pray to Him, to seek His forgiveness, so that we should be happy. None of this makes a difference to Him, for He is Needless of our prayers and worship.But it makes a big difference to us, to our status with Him, and consequently, our place in the eternal world to come.

When someone loves us, weare naturally drawn to him. We would like to be close to him, and enjoy a loving fulfilling relationship. Knowing that oneis loved brings great peace and joy to the human heart. What more could the human beingask for than to be loved by the Power that reigns Supreme in the universe?The One who has control of all things, and the One who invites the human being to Him and offers him love and mercy. Unfortunate is the person who does not recognize the great power of Allah's love, and does not seek nearness to Allah to ease the aches and pains of daily life.

The followinghadith tell us about the love and mercy of Allah for the human being:

Allah is more merciful on you than you are to yourselves.

Imam Ali (a)

2. It is the only achievement that will give true peace and happiness

People seek happiness and pleasure for themselves. They try out different ways of achieving that. Some believe it come with wealth, so they spend a lot of time amassing it. Others believe it comes from a good job, or a high position in society. They put ina lot of efforts to secure a prestigious job.But most people discover that this type of success does not really bring satisfaction to the human heart.

Material wealth and success are poor substitutes for the emptiness in the lives and hearts of people. The modern world is struggling furiously to achieve material success, to have access to all forms of comforts and pleasures for the human being. In this mad race to achieve and amass, human beings have strayed from the path of true happiness. That is why there is an increase in emotional and psychological problems in the world today.

True happinessis derived from faith and love for the God who created us. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

“Surely by the Remembrance of Allah are hearts set at rest” (13:28).

Ahadith of ImamJa` far as-Sadiq (a) says: Joy and peace lie in the Pleasure of Allah, and in certainty (of belief in Allah). Faith and trust in Allah bring the assurance of a support that will never fade or weaken. Withthat assurance comes the peace of mind that whatever happens, a human being is never alone. Allah, who loves him, is always with him to help and support him. No material possession or glory can bring that unfailing assurance of support.

3. It will guarantee success in the world and the Hereafter

A successful life is one that has accomplished its purpose of creation. Human beingshave been created to know the greatness of the Almighty and worship Him. The humanbeing who seeks nearness to Allah and achieves a degree of it, has fulfilled the purpose behind his creation.

Allah describes true success tobe achieved through His pleasure. He says:

Then give to the near of kin his due, and to the needy and the wayfarer, this is best for those who desire Allah's pleasure, and these it is who are successful. (30:38)

Only Allah can give success in both the worlds. Theone who relies totally on him and hopes only from Him, will achieve what he wants in this world as well as the Hereafter.

How to seek Nearness to Allah

In order to attain God's nearness, a believer uses various means. Some of these include:

• Reading and Understanding the Holy Qur'an

• Remembrance of Allah through Supplication and prayer

• Seeking forgiveness

Each of these means has been included as a separate lesson in this manual.

Seeking Nearness inRamadhan

This type of spiritual journeyis undertaken intensively during the month ofRamadhan . Through increased prayers and worship, a believer tries in this month to cover great distances in his lifelong journey towards God. The incentives to earn extra reward and mercy from Allah in this month encourage more good deeds and increased remembrance of Allah. This brings a believer very close to Allah.

Exercises

1. Write an essay on one of the following:

• The love of Allah for the human being

• How trust and faith in Allah brings peace to the human heart.

2. What are some signs of those who love Allah? Write down the deeds and actions that occupy their days.

3. Recite the followingDua fromSaheefa as-Sajjadiyyah :Dua no. 77, Whispered Prayer of those who love Allah. Name ten qualities of those who love Allah, according to this prayer.

TheSpring of the Holy Qur'an

The month ofRamadhan has been aptly named the spring of the Qur'an. During this month, believers set aside more time than usual to understand the word of Allah, to learn and ponder over its verses. Muslim homes and mosques ring with the beautiful recitation of this glorious book. It is the season of Qur'an reciting, when the desire to learn and understand the word of Allah blooms and flourishes, just as the natural world blossoms in theSpring .

The followingAhadith show the importance of reciting the Qur'an in the holy month:

• “Invoke your Lord in right earnest, with hearts that are free of sin and evil, to enable you to fast and to recite His Book (the Qur'an).”

Holy Prophet (S)

• “Whoever recites anayat from the Qur'an (inRamadhan ) will receive a similar reward as the one who recites the entire Qur'an in other months.”

Holy Prophet (S)

• “Everything has a springtime, and the springtime of the Qur'an is the month ofRamadhan .”

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a)

• “Invoke Allah, ask for forgiveness, recite the Qur'an, and repent to Allah for your sins more frequently, so that the blessings of the month ofRamadhan may come to you, while you are sincere to Allah, the Exalted.”

Imam Aliar-Ridha (a)

The Holy Qur'an contains great cures formankind, beautiful gems of wisdom for life, and the best instructions for happiness in this world and the Hereafter. God speaks to human beings through it, and it is incumbent upon all believers to find out for themselves what God has said to them.

Reciting the Holy Qur'an

Many Muslims like to complete the recitation of the entire Qur'an in this blessed month. If that is not possible, at least a portion of the holy Bookshould be read during this month. The reward for it is much greater than in other months.

Recitation of the Holy Qur'an has many benefits. The followingHadith illustrate some of these benefits:

• “Illuminate your homes by reciting the Holy Qur'an. . for if the Holy Qur'an is recited frequently in a house, it brings blessings for the family, and the house will give light to those in Heaven as the stars of Heaven give light to those on the earth.”

Holy Prophet (S)

• “The heart gathers rust like iron. Remove this rust by the recitation of the Qur'an.”

Holy Prophet (S)

• “Whoever derives pleasure from the recitation of Qur'an, will not be depressed by the departure of friends.”

Imam Ali (a)

How to recite the Qur'an

1. Dowudhu before reciting. Itis forbidden to touch the writings of Qur'an withoutwudhu . Even when not touching the writings, itis recommended to dowudhu before reciting the Qur'an.

2. See protection of Allah from theShaytan .

3. Recite with a beautiful voice. The Holy Qur'anshould be read slowly, with a beautiful voice and consideration for the rules of recitation. The Holy Prophet (S)says: Give beauty to the Qur'an with your voices.And when he was asked as to who had the best voice for recitation, he said: The person who, when you listen to him, you realize that he fears Allah. The Holy Prophet (S) has alsosaid: Everything has a decoration, and the decoration for the Qur'an is a beautiful voice.

4. Interact with the Qur'an. Another important point to remember is to interact with the Qur'an when reciting it. When readingverses which promise blessings and reward for the believers, one should be excited and hopeful.But on reading descriptions of punishments meted out to those who disbelieved and displeased Allah, a believer is fearful and seeks refuge in Allah.

Sometimes Allah asks a questions, as inSura ar -Rahman , Which of the bounties of your Lord will you two deny?. Commentators say arecitor of the Qur'an should answer that by sayingNone of your bounties, my Lord, do I deny. This type of interacting with the Qur'an makes the Qur'an alive, not just a book tobe read .

Understanding the Holy Qur'an

It is important that believers try to understand what Allah has revealed in the Holy Qur'an. It is a book of guidance, and to derive and act upon this guidance, we need to read and understand its verses. The fourth Imam (a) says:

• TheQur'anic verses are treasures of Knowledge and whenever a treasureis opened , you have to see what lies therein.

• Ponder over the verses of the Qur'an, and learn from them, for they are the best of lessons.

Understanding the Qur'ancould be done through reading the translation, thinking about the words used in the verse, the causes of revelation, and reading and discussing the commentary provided by knowledgeable scholars.

Understanding and pondering over the verses of the Holy Qur'an is an important duty of all Muslims. Allah talks to us through the Qur'an, and we need to read and understand what He says in it. Many Muslims believe that understanding the Qur'an is the duty of scholars, and they are contentto just recite the verses without giving them much thought. The Holy Prophet (S) will complain about such Muslims on the day ofJudgement . The Qur'an says he willsay: O my Lord!My people took the Qur'an very lightly. By studying and pondering over the verses of the Qur'an, we will not be among the group the Prophet (S) will complain about on the day ofJudgement .

Exercises

These exercises are to familiarize students with the contents of the Qur'an. This willInshallah bring an appreciation for the holy Book, and an increased understanding of what God has sent us for guidance.

1. Choose onesurah of the holy Qur'an for students to memorize, understand, ponder over, and read commentaryof .Surahs could be chosen according to Grade level and available material. Some good sources of commentary forsurahs are:

2. Choose someQur'anic verses on important topics for students to learn. They could memorize them, understand them, ponder over them, and read or discuss relevant commentary. Someverses which could be included are:

3. Let students make their own schedules forQuranic recital during the holy month. This could include reading of translation and/or commentary.

4. Let the students memorize thehadith on importance of reciting and understanding the Qur'an.

5. Discuss the following important topics with the students during the holy month:

• Revelation and compilation of the Qur'an

• Miracles of the Qur'an

• The need of guidance for human beings