Set daily portion of the Qur’an – Set a target for how many times you intend to complete the Qur’an in the month of Ramadhan [this should be at the least more than last year].
Memorize some new portions of the Qur’an and then pray Nawafil Salah and recite these new portions in it.
Before Taraweeh Try doing any/all of the following :
a) Read the English translation of that 1 juzz of the Qur’an [The Imam will typically recite approx. 1 juzz of the Qur’an daily]
b) Read up on the Tafsir of the 1 juzz – hence you will understand better context of the Ayat you will hear in Taraweeh – e.g. you read about the Battle of Badr, then you hear the ayat recited to you while standing before your Lord in Salah in the month of Ramadhan – the feeling is indescribable
c) Linguistic Analysis – Go through and highlight words you do not know the meaning of and learn the meanings etc.
Use www.quranwikipedia.com to help you in this.
Try reading books about the following topics – Purification of the Heart and Paradise and Hell Fire.
Increase in Charity – One of the scholars said that If Allah [swt] forgave someone for quenching the thirst of a dog then imagine the reward of someone who quenches the thirst of a Believer. Recommendation – send money for Somalia/Eritrea etc – Ummah Welfare Trust [www.uwt.org] or Ethar Relief [www.ethar-relief.org] amongst others. You may also decide to sponsor an orphan or a copy of the Qur’an Project [www.quranproject.org]. (only £3 a month)
Invite others for Iftar – you will get the reward of their fast without their reward being decreased.
Visit the graveyard – Reflect on those who were living and are now buried – as this is the fate awaiting us all.
Visit an ill person – visiting the sick is a means of ‘finding Allah’, as mentioned in the hadith, “Verily, Allah will say to his slave when He will be taking account of him on the Day of Judgement…..’O son of Adam, I became sick and you did not visit Me.’ He will answer: ‘How can I visit You? You are the Lord of the worlds!’ He will say: ‘Did you not know that my slave so and so, the son of so and so became sick and you did not visit him. Alas, had you visited him, you would have found Me with him.”‘ [Sahih Muslim]
Helping local families – poor families, children whose fathers not present or imprisoned, etc.
Charity – sponsor and orphan, a hafidh or pay for the building of a well or a masjid.
Learn new Duas to recite in sajdah or ruku.
Spend the last 10 days of Ramadhan in I’tikaf.
Seek Laylatul Qadr on the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th nights [remember – Islamically the night precedes the day] – Worship the whole night – Make abundant Istighfar [forgiveness] and Dua. Supplicate much – as the following years decree for you will descend this night [will you live, get married, die etc]
On Laylatul Qadr – The Night of Power – make the following Dua continuously – ‘Allahumma innaka afuwan tuhibul afwa fa’fu anni’. “O Allah you are Lovingly Merciful and Love to be Merciful so have mercy on me.”
How you feel in your Salah will give you an indication of the level of your Imaan and how you feel during the recitation of the Qur’an will give you an indication of the condition of your Heart.
