Day 27: Illuminated Beginnings

 

 

This reminder is a combination of two of the wisdoms of Ibn ʿAṭāʾillah al-Sakandarī. The first is:

 

“He who is illumined at the beginning is illumined at the end.”

 

As we approach Ramadan it is important to do so in the correct way. Many times we go through Ramadan, but when it finishes we fall back into our old habits and mistakes. Then we begin to lose hope in changing until the next year. Therefore, we have to approach the month with the proper outlook, which is the topic of this reminder. In order to have an illumined ending we must have an illumined beginning.

Welcome to the 2011 Ramadan Countdown!

Assalamu Alaikum and welcome to the Ramadan 30 Day Countdown! This is a humble effort from a handful of brothers and sisters, hoping to remind themselves and others of daily tips in order to prepare us all to get the most out the blessed month of Ramadan.

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) told us, “When the month of Ramadan comes, the Gates of Heaven are thrown open and the Gates of Hell are shut, and the shayateen are put behind bars.” In another report, the “Gates of Mercy” are mentioned in place of the “Gates of Heaven”. [Bukhari and Muslim]

People have often wondered how is it that we still struggle in the month of Ramadan, and commit sins while even the shayateen are locked up? Ibn Hajjar in his discussion of this hadith in Fath al-Bari, noted that