السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Ramadhan is a month full of blessings. It is therefore important for us to bring that reality into our daily lives. One of the blessings of Ramadhan is that it helps to foster family relations.
Let us consider how easy this can be implemented:
1. Sahur
Since we have to wake up early morning for sahur, it is a good opportunity to have sahur together as a family. During sahur, perhaps parents may ask about their children’s plan for the day to get the family conversation going. When was the last time you had breakfast at home, with the whole family?
2. Tahajjud Prayers
Since we are awake for sahur and have some time before Fajr, encourage your family to perform the tahajjud prayers. It does not have to be many sets of prayers, but one or two sets is good enough – especially if is consistent. In this way, you can help instill the value of discipline and istiqamah (consistency) to our family members.
3. Fajr Prayers
When was the last time we pray congregational Fajr prayers at home with our family? It is such an important prayer and since we are all already awake, it is the best opportunity to do this together. As we begin the day with prayers as a family, insyaAllah, blessings will accompany us throughout the day. After all, a family that eats together and prays together, stays together. Amin!
4. Iftar
As the whole family then goes about their daily activities either to work or school thereafter, make it a habit that the whole family come back home for Iftar together. Nothing is more nutritious and blessed than to eat home-cooked food. A father provides the resources for buying ingredients, a mother puts her love into cooking for the family, and the children consume with appreciation the food prepared. In this way, everyone in the family gets rewarded as ibadah by simply eating and conversing together. But make sure the television is switched off!
5. Maghrib Prayers
Right after Iftar, it is also more convenient to gather the family together to pray Maghrib as a family. Such is the blessing of Ramadhan and having Iftar together.
6. Terawih Prayers
What is beautiful after that is when the family proceeds to a mosque nearby to perform the terawih as a family, together with the Muslim community in the area. Alternatively, the father can be the Imam for terawih at home, and to alternate with their sons to take the imam-ship, in order to train them and to instill confidence in being an Imam.
This cycle, with modifications depending on the circumstances of each family, continues to the next day and insyaAllah, by the end of Ramadhan, you will have instilled noble values for your family. This will be your gift and inheritance for your children to be guided by Islam through the challenges that they may face in the future.
As we do this often, it will be easier to perform, as it becomes a way of life in our family. As parents, we need to show some leadership to lead the way and inculcate these values in order to maximize the blessings that Ramadhan has to offer. A strong family will definitely lead to building a better community and society.
I urge you to try and give this a chance. I pray that Allah s.w.t. will make things easy for you and may your family relationship in this Ramadhan be an intimate one. Amin, ya Rabbal 'Alamin.
Love,
The Alchemist.
Ramadhan is a month full of blessings. It is therefore important for us to bring that reality into our daily lives. One of the blessings of Ramadhan is that it helps to foster family relations.
Let us consider how easy this can be implemented:
1. Sahur
Since we have to wake up early morning for sahur, it is a good opportunity to have sahur together as a family. During sahur, perhaps parents may ask about their children’s plan for the day to get the family conversation going. When was the last time you had breakfast at home, with the whole family?
2. Tahajjud Prayers
Since we are awake for sahur and have some time before Fajr, encourage your family to perform the tahajjud prayers. It does not have to be many sets of prayers, but one or two sets is good enough – especially if is consistent. In this way, you can help instill the value of discipline and istiqamah (consistency) to our family members.
3. Fajr Prayers
When was the last time we pray congregational Fajr prayers at home with our family? It is such an important prayer and since we are all already awake, it is the best opportunity to do this together. As we begin the day with prayers as a family, insyaAllah, blessings will accompany us throughout the day. After all, a family that eats together and prays together, stays together. Amin!
4. Iftar
As the whole family then goes about their daily activities either to work or school thereafter, make it a habit that the whole family come back home for Iftar together. Nothing is more nutritious and blessed than to eat home-cooked food. A father provides the resources for buying ingredients, a mother puts her love into cooking for the family, and the children consume with appreciation the food prepared. In this way, everyone in the family gets rewarded as ibadah by simply eating and conversing together. But make sure the television is switched off!
5. Maghrib Prayers
Right after Iftar, it is also more convenient to gather the family together to pray Maghrib as a family. Such is the blessing of Ramadhan and having Iftar together.
6. Terawih Prayers
What is beautiful after that is when the family proceeds to a mosque nearby to perform the terawih as a family, together with the Muslim community in the area. Alternatively, the father can be the Imam for terawih at home, and to alternate with their sons to take the imam-ship, in order to train them and to instill confidence in being an Imam.
This cycle, with modifications depending on the circumstances of each family, continues to the next day and insyaAllah, by the end of Ramadhan, you will have instilled noble values for your family. This will be your gift and inheritance for your children to be guided by Islam through the challenges that they may face in the future.
As we do this often, it will be easier to perform, as it becomes a way of life in our family. As parents, we need to show some leadership to lead the way and inculcate these values in order to maximize the blessings that Ramadhan has to offer. A strong family will definitely lead to building a better community and society.
I urge you to try and give this a chance. I pray that Allah s.w.t. will make things easy for you and may your family relationship in this Ramadhan be an intimate one. Amin, ya Rabbal 'Alamin.
Love,
The Alchemist.
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