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Niat Berpuasa Ramadan

Children Should Memorize the Al-Qur'an

1. Memorizing the Holy Qur’an creates strength in the child’s intellectual skills.
2. The child and it’s parents, moreover the whole lineage is graced by honour and diginity.
3. Eternal salvation from poorness and hunger gained through the removing the shortness of sustenance. (content of a Hadith)
4. Parents will be given a crown on the Day of Judgement, whichs light will be more than that of the sun.
5. Through the blessings of memorizing the Qur’an one is protected from going astray and wrong beliefs.
6. The whole life will become ‘Ibaadah when one recites  in every situation some or other verses, because one has memorized the Holy Qur’an.
7. Through the blessings of the Holy Qur’an one is to a large extent protected from a life of game and play [Lahw wa La'ab].
8. By the intercession of a Hafiz 10 persons from his family are granted salvation. (provided that they are Muslims)
9. Allah Ta’ala appoints angels for the protection of a Hafiz-e-Qur’an.
10. A Hafiz will be granted the highest place of Jannah which he likes for himself.

Let your children by all means memorize the Holy Qur’an. A Hafiz child easily progresses in worldly education and the exams of the fifth grade become easy, too.

[by Hadhrat Maulana Musharraf Ali Thanvi]

Importance of Ramadan to Muslims

Ramadan includes fasting which is the third pillar of all the five pillars of Islam. This means that the fasting during Ramadan is one of the five most basic beliefs or acts that a Muslim is supposed to do. Fasting in Islam is considered to be a means of practicing self-control. It is also considered to be a way of experiencing what hunger is all about, sympathizing with the poor and the needy, and thanking god for everything you have received in life.

An important part of Ramadan festival is offering gifts in the form of Zakat which means giving away one’s wealth to charity. The Zakat is one of the essential pillars of Islam. The concept of Zakat is to purify one’s wealth by giving a part of it to people who aren’t blessed by god. Ramadan is the time for offering intense prayers to god. During this month, Muslims try to read the Quran, the holy scripture of Islam, as much as possible. They may also visit the mosque to listen to the recitation of the Quran. The last 10 days of Ramadan are special because during this time, the Muslims indulge in intense prayers with the belief that they’ll get closer to god because of their good deeds, sacrifices, and devotion. According to Quran, the 27th night of the month of Ramadan, known as the Lailat ul-Qadr or the Night of Power, is actually considered to be auspicious than any other night. So, the Muslims spend almost this entire night in prayers.

Some common beliefs of the Muslims regarding Ramadan are listed below. The Muslims believe that fasting will enable them to feel for those who get very little to eat daily. The Muslims feel that through Ramadan prayers, they’ll connect better with their inner selves, strengthen their faith and get closer to god who has created them. They think that Ramadan teaches them how to appreciate god for every single happiness and achievement they’ve had in their lives. The Muslims believe that self-control during Ramadan will teach them good manners and good speech. They believe that charity during this festive occasion will actually make them more generous and develop a sense of goodwill in them. The Muslims feel that family gatherings during Ramadan will help strengthen their bonding with their friends and family members. Importance of Fasting in Ramadan The concept of fasting is not to starve but to take oneself to a spiritual level where one fully devotes himself to god. It has been proved that during fasting, the body develops immunity and gets rid of the toxins that have earlier accumulated. Fasting during Ramadan helps the Muslims develop the spirit of sacrifice due to which they refrain from all natural desires on this earth. Although they may not think about the poor and downtrodden in everyday life, yet during fasting, they’ll learn to think about the less fortunate. Fasting also helps them get rid of overindulgence in life. Fasting in Ramadan enables a Muslim to train his body and soul so as to develop self-restraint. It helps shape up the personality of a Muslim who is expected not to commit wrong during the remaining part of the year. Fasting is not just physical but the Muslims actually commit their body and soul to the spirit of fasting. They restrain every part of their body. For example, they restrain their tongue from backbiting or gossiping. They don’t touch anything that doesn’t belong to them. Their eyes don’t see anything that’s unlawful. The Muslims also avoid listening to obscene words during the Ramadan. During Ramadan, the Muslims re-evaluate their lives under the principles of Islam. They are expected to make peace with their dear ones even though the latter may have wronged them. The Muslims are expected to purify their minds during the month of Ramadan. Not only should they purify their thoughts, but also their words and actions. [source:  http://www.theeid.com/ramadan/importance-of-ramadan.html]

Surah about Ramadan

(It was) the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…” - [al-Baqarah 2:185]

All about Ramadan

Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits -- essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. The Arabic word for "fasting" (sawm) literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.
During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.
Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.
[source:  http://islam.about.com/od/ramadan/f/ramadanintro.htm]

Salam Ramadan