Ramadan is an exceptional and holy month for Muslims, In this month Muslims use to fast and try to practice the rules of Islam by sharing whatever they can.
So in the upcoming days, many want to know the best way to start Ramadan 2023, Especially if they are non-Arab Muslims and want to know more about its rules.
For that reason, in this Article, you will find everything you want to know to start Ramadan 2023 in the best way possible.
What is the meaning of Ramadan?
Ramadan is taken from the root verb (Ra ma da ر م ض) which means intensely or vehemently heated by the sun. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Hijri calendar (A calendar mostly used in Arabian countries and the middle east). Ramadan mostly comes in Summer.
That is why it was originally named Ramadan (derived from the word (رمضاء=Ramda’) which means the heated sand/ground due to the Sun’s heat.
Imam Qurtubi narrates:
‘’It (this month) was named Ramadan because it burns the sins of people with righteous deeds’’.
Therefore one of the main ways in which Allah eradicates and deletes our sins and wrongdoings is by multiplying our deeds in the month of Ramadan and erasing our sins because the Hasanat (good deeds) eliminates the sayyi’aat (evil deeds).
When is Ramadan 2023?
Usually, the Islamic calendar depends on the phases of the moon, and it is known by the lunar cycle. So the holy month of Ramadan falls 10 days earlier each year according to the Gregorian calendar. As a result, the expected start date of Ramadan 2023 is on Wednesday 22 March according to the moon phase over Mecca.
And it ends after 30 days on Friday 21 April, then begins the celebratory days of Eid al-Fitr on Saturday 22 April, or Sunday 23 April.
What is the best way to start Ramadan 2023?
The holy month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection and mental growth. Many Muslims have a lot of goals to achieve to become closer to Allah and their loved ones.
Step 1: Make a checklist of goals to do it daily in Ramadan 2023
- Perform your five prayers on time, especially the Fajr prayer.
- Make sure to pray the Taraweeh prayer ( twelve Rakaat Sunnah).
- Keep on making Duaa for yourself, your family, and all Muslim Ummah.
- Daily reciting of the Quran at least one Juz, and make sure to reflect the meaning of the Quran during reading.
- Avoid gossip, arguing, or backbiting during the day of Ramadan.
- Give Sadaqah to the people who are in need.
Step 2: know more about fasting in Ramadan 2023
The month of Ramadan is considered to be the most pious month because this is the month in which the Quran was revealed.
This is the only month that contains in it the night of power (Laylatul Qadr), which is better than the worship of a thousand months.
Besides the act of fasting which is considered the best act of worship in Ramadan. Also, there are multiple reasons to fast in this holy month that every Muslim should know.
- Fasting in Ramadan is the most beloved act of worship
There are different acts of worship or Ibadah in Islam like Salah, Zakat, Hajj, etc. But the only act of worship which was always loved by Allah is fasting.
The reason to mention the fasting of our ancestors is to let people know that Allah always loved this act of worship, therefore he prescribed it to every nation which came before us. This was the only form of worship that was constant from the time of Ibrahim (A. S)
- Fasting Ramadan 2023 is a shield
Allah asks us for self-restraint, but from what? He asks us to protect ourselves from the whisper of Satan which urges us to commit evil acts.
Fasting is a protection and a shield for a believer against further troubles and future sins. This is a learning period, to gain control over your senses and abilities.
- Fasting Ramadan 2023 develops Taqwa
In the month of Ramadan Allah expects us to develop Taqwa and to become Allah-conscious. Taqwa can only be achieved by having the fear of Allah.
When a person is fasting he gains control of his heart over his physical and spiritual desires. Refraining from food and water reminds him to refrain from acts like lying, backbiting, gossiping, and arguing.
Once you get control over your desires in Ramadan then you will develop Taqwa, and your heart will not allow you to commit something which is prohibited in Islam even after Ramadan.
Step 3: increase the worship in Ramadan 2023
The purpose of Ramadan is to become a better Muslim even after it ends, so to do this you have to engage yourself in Ibadah as much as possible.
So you can follow the upcoming acts of worship to be closer to Allah in Ramadan 2023:
- Performing the obligatory Prayers
Make sure to do your five obligatory prayers on time, and don’t forget to make Duaa afterward.
2. Don’t miss the Tahajjud prayer and pre-Fajr Sunnah
The prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) advises us to do Tahajjud prayer, so it is a Sunnah that is preferred to be performed all the time.
3. Daily Quran recitation with Tajweed in Ramadan 2023
All Muslims know that Ramadan is the month of the Quran. Reading it and applying its words in our life has great rewards from Allah. So reading and memorizing Quran with Tajweed is one of the good acts that bring us closer to Allah in Ramadan.
4. Doing Zakat and charity work
Doing zakat during Ramadan is a great and noble act of worship, so it is recommended to pay Zakat and does charity in the holy month of Ramadan every day for the needy and the poor as an act of generosity. It is not obligatory, but it is a good deed that makes Muslims closer to Allah (S.W.T).
Ramadan 2023 is coming InshaAllah, so you need to be well-prepared physically and mentally. And by following the previous steps, you will have the best Ramadan not only for your body but also for your spirits.
