By Amreen Pathan
Transliteration: Allahumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan.
Translation: “Oh Allah make the months of Rajab and Sha’ban blessed for us and let us reach the month of Ramadan.”
While studying for my Alimiyah (Islamic Theology), my honourable teacher and Shaykh, Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat, would give a brilliant analogy for preparation.
He would ask us to picture starting a car and then driving off. What gear would one start at?
One
Then two
And three
Then four…
And finally hitting five. (Or six!)
What would happen if one were to commence driving at anything greater than one? The car would inevitably stall.
Similarly, as Shaykh would explain, starting off Ramadan with one’s energy level at gear 5 and no prior preparation, will inevitably result in the individual stalling and depleting their fuel reserve – all before reaching the end of the road.
It’s all about warming up for the final act. Preparation is expected everywhere, in every field. Going for a run? Stretch first. Sitting an exam? Revise, revise, revise. Cooking a meal? Prepare all the ingredients. Going for an interview? Research the role you are interviewing for. Expecting? Make your home childproof. And so on…
The supplication I have mentioned above was one the noble Prophet (PBUH) would recite constantly upon the advent of the Islamic month of Rajab (two months before Ramadan).
How does this Sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet (pbuh) link with preparation?
This supplication feels very much like setting an intention. All the best-laid plans start with mere intentions.
Note that I have used the word ‘intention’ instead of ‘goal’ because there is some difference. Whilst goals help us to see what we want and visualise our future, intentions give us purpose and a roadmap to achieving our goals in line with our values. The article here explains this really well.
We only pray for the things we desire. So by reading the above supplication, an individual is constantly reminded of what Ramadan means to them. The prayer is a means of expressing one’s longing for Ramadan and the goodness the blessed month brings with it.
And of course, Allah, the all-hearing and As-Samee’, hears this.
I pray this serves as a reminder for me first and then all of you to soak in the glories of Ramadan – a month brimming with mercy, protection and forgiveness.
With approximately 43 days left till Ramadan, the countdown is on.
What intentions are you setting this year?
May The Almighty accept them all.
#Rajab #Ramadan #PreparationIsTheKeyToSuccess
