Ramadan is coming down the pike, which means it’s time to get our engine started to ring the holy month in! There are numerous bounties and blessings that Muslims can reap in this blessed month. It’s the month where the rewards for good deeds and sunnah acts are multiplied, the gate of hell is shut, satans are chained and the doors of paradise are wide open.
That said, it goes without saying that Muslims should make the most out of this month to increase our acts of worship in hope to alleviate our level of taqwa (god-fearing), seek His forgiveness and attain His pleasure. If you are looking for some sunnah acts to practice this Ramadan, here are a bunch of it.
1) Waking up for sahur
Eating sahur is a blessing in itself. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
تَسَحَّرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي السَّحُورِ بَرَكَةً
“Take sahur, for in sahur there is blessing.” [Nasa’i]
Among the blessings of taking sahur is that it gives us the energy boost much more powerful than the usual breakfast we take. You may be able to relate how a single sip of water or a piece of date during sahur could do wonders in maintaining our stamina throughout the day.
Did you know: “As-Suhur / السُّحور’ is with dhamma because ‘Sahur/ سَحور’ with fatha refers to the who makes suhur (the meal) and ‘Suhur / سُحور ” with dhamma is the verb (i.e. the action of taking sahur).
Besides, taking sahur differentiates the fasting of Muslims from the people of the Book. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the people of the Book, is eating sahur.” [Nasa’i]
Related: 9 Tips to Prepare for Ramadan 2022
2) Treating others to iftar
Did you know that you can double up your fasting rewards by offering another fasting person food for them to break their fast? This is one of the most highly recommended acts to do during Ramadan. There are plenty of hadiths that encourage this act and explain its rewards. Here’s one of it.
Zaid bin Khalid al-Juhani narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever provides the food for a fasting person to break his fast with, then for him is the same reward as his (the fasting person’s), without anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting person.” [Tirmidhi]
Related: Fasting 6 Days In Shawwal | 5 Things You Need To Know
3) Praying at night in Ramadan is sunnah
Abu Huraira narrated that he heard the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever prayed at night in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Bukhari]
Wouldn’t it be the greatest form of mercy if Allah forgives all our past sins? Such is the beauty of offering night prayers in the month of Ramadan. This act of devotion also offers its doers major spiritual upliftment when done regularly.
The timeline to do it is broad so there is plenty of time for us to do it. We can perform the night prayers anytime from after Isha’ until before Subuh. You can get to it right after Isha’ prayer, or you can sleep first after Isha’ and then only you wake up for the night prayers in the last third of the night before Subuh.
One of the most popular sunnah night prayers during Ramadan is tarawih prayer. During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the tarawih prayers were originally prayed in congregation for a short period of time before the Prophet ﷺ changed the practice and performed it at home. It was due to fear that people may start considering it to be compulsory.
4) Sunnah to increase tasbih during Ramadan
Tasbiḥ is a form of zikr in glorification of Allah and attributing all glories to Him. As Musllims, we believe that Allah is the Creator of the entire universe. There is no ambiguity or falseness in it. It’s a magnificent power that only Allah the Almighty has and no one is capable of it but Allah.
Just as with any other acts of worship, sunnah acts and good deeds, those who engage in tasbih during Ramadan will receive multiplied rewards. In fact, tasbih recited in Ramadan is a thousand better than any other month.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “A tasbihah in Ramadan is better than a thousand tasbihah in other that it.” [Tirmidhi]
5) Giving sadaqah
Sadaqah, or voluntary charity, is a selfless deed that is highly recommended in Islam as a sign of one’s gratitude to the Creator. The term covers a wide range of good deeds such as giving, helping others and enjoining what is good. It’s not only restricted to monetary gifts.
Extending sadaqah brings the doer closer to Allah in many ways. For one, it helps elevate our level of taqwa. It is taqwa, or the fear of Allah that propels Muslims to obey His commands and keeps us from doing what is forbidden.
Allah said in the Qur’an, “You will never achieve taqwa until you donate some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to Allah.” (Surah Aal Imran, 92)
Sadaqah also extinguishes our sins just like water extinguishes fire. This is based on a hadith narrated by Ka’b bin Ujrah, “Salat is clear proof, and Sawm (fasting) is an impregnable shield, and Sadaqah (charity) extinguishes sins just as water extinguishes fire.” (Tirmidhi).
Related: 7 Benefits of Giving Sadaqah
Reviving Ramadan sunnah and circulating good
This Ramadan, donate to causes that are close to your heart and help those in need via GlobalSadaqah. Choose from over 10 campaigns worldwide and become a part of our global movement to #CirculateGood. May we be among those who are called to enter Jannah from Baab as-Sadaqah.