Planning Guide and Duas and Amaal for the Month

Duas.org has its main page now set up for the month of Ramadan. You can click on any date and get duas and deeds recommended to perform. I find it a little annoying that when you first go to the page there is a sound player on, but you can easily turn it off.

Here is a dua from Imam Sajjad (as) for welcoming the month.

Here is a collection of amaal for the first night, including a link to first day.

Here is Dua Iftitah, recommended for reciting each night of the month.

It is easy to become overwhelmed in the month of Ramadan. While there is always more we can do, if we set unrealistic goals we only end up frustrated rather than spiritually renewed. Further, if we turn the month of Ramadan into a fast-paced commercial or social occasion, we can miss the point altogether. So keep a positive attitude, simplify your life in whatever ways are possible and realistic, and aim for forward progress, no matter how small it may seem.

Here is a questionaire from the site that may help you to set some goals. You can use it however you like, but at least it may give you some ideas and some focus:

1. The first thing that comes to my MIND about the Holy Month of Ramadan is:
A - Variety of food, Iftar, Suhoor
B - Hardships, Thirst, Hunger
C - Spirituality, Being away from sins
D - Gatherings with friends
E - Quran and Prayers

2. I have decided the Primary GOAL for this Ramadan is to:
A - Be God fearing and increase Taqwa
B - Build my character
C - Attain perfection
D - Increase my spirituality & purify soul
E - Prepare for death

3. To Improve my Salah (Prayers), I have decided the following:
A - Improve concentration
B - Understand its meaning
C - To stand in night prayers (Tahajjud)
D - To be punctual for Jamaat prayers
E - Increase my prostrations

4. To improve my relationship with Quran, I have decided the following:
A - Read the whole Quran at least once (Tilawat)
B - Memorize a few Surahs (Aayaat)
C - Learn to recite the Quran correctly (Tajweed)
D - Understand its meanings & ponder over its verses
E - Go through the Tafseer

5. To be closer to Allah (SWT), I have decided to recite the following:
A - Daily duas for Ramadan
B - Dua after prayers
C - Supplications for Iftaar
D - Duas from Quran & Hadith
E - Duas with tears

6. From health point of view, I have decided the following:
A - I will quit smoking
B - I will control my eating and sleeping habits
C - I will not over eat
D - I will prefer fruits & vegetables over fatty foods
E - I will do some light exercise to keep fit

7. From knowledge point of view, I have decided the following:
A - Read Islamic books
B - Attend Islamic lectures
C - Start a study circle or Quran translation program
D - Browse through Islamic websites
E - Listen to Islamic CDs or Audio cassettes

8. I have decided to work on the following Ma'aroof:
A - Arrange for Iftar
B - Being kind to relatives
C - Help my neighbours
D - Lighten the burden of others
E - Give alms to poor
F - Respect my elders
G - Attain good manners and behavior

9. I have decided to shun the following Munkar:
A - Telling lies
B - Speaking ill of others, gheebat
C - Losing temper
D - Watching TV, serials, films, etc.
E - Vain talk

10. For Shab-e-Qadr, I have decided the following:
A - To search it in the odd nights of last 10 days
B - To seek forgiveness for past sins
C - To ask for guidance for future
D - Recite Quran
E - To stand in prayers

Here is a picture file of the planning/assessment chart related to the above questionaire. If you go to duas.org you can download modify it to suit your needs.

(If you click on the image, it should get larger)

There is also a self-assessment geared more for children chart that can be downloaded from the duas.org page. It has a different checklist for each date. These might be particularly useful for young children learning to pray and fast. For example the first date looks something like this, but you could certainly edit it from the download to tailor it for your own purposes:

01 Ramadan 1431 AH ---------------------- ----------------------

Event: Ramadan Starts

Activities
Quran Recited Number of Rukoo/ Para _____

Fast (Roza)  No  Full Half

Namaze Fajr  Ada  Qaza  No

Namaze Zohrain  Ada  Qaza  No

Namaze Maghribain  Ada  Qaza  No

Namaze Shab  Ada  Qaza  No

Reading for the day
Excerpt from Mafatih regarding Ramadan - Part 1

Questions/Extra Acts/Etc.
(Fill in here)

Last thought of the day:
At the end of the day, Remember!
Doors of Janna are open today. Raise your hands in Dua
Ask Allah to help you improve in this month

So that's the example of the form, minus some formatting - it is available for download at the duas.org link above.



The above video is dua for the first day of Ramadan - there is a short dua for each date in Arabic with English translation. This and many other similar duas for the month of Ramadan are available at the alhidaaya YouTube Channel.

I pray you have found something helpful and encouraging here and I pray that Allah swt accepts all our fasts and grants us all forgiveness and spiritual improvement this month!