Ramadan Amaals

Spiritual Levels of Fasting

One of the fundamental aims of Ramadan is to cultivate taqwa, a profound awareness of Allah’s ever-present existence in our lives. This sacred month invites believers to embark on a transformative journey, reflected through eight distinct spiritual levels of fasting, each progressively deepening one’s connection to the divine. Below are these elevated states of fasting, which guide individuals in their pursuit of spiritual growth and mindfulness.

8 Levels of Fasting

1. Observe Fast and Perform All Prayers
The first step is to fast by not eating, drinking, or engaging in marital relations from dawn to sunset. You should also pray the five daily prayers and the night Tarawih prayers.

2. Avoid Sins of the Tongue, Eyes, and Feet
In addition to fasting and praying, you should avoid sins involving your tongue, eyes, and feet. This helps prevent harmful thoughts from entering your heart.

3. Avoid Sins of All Seven Body Parts
Next, stop all seven body parts from committing sins. This will purify your heart and protect you by blocking bad influences.

4. Do Good Deeds with All Seven Body Parts
Continue with the previous steps and use your seven body parts to perform good actions. Connect with Allah in every act of worship.

5. Avoid Thinking About Sins
After practising the first four steps, stop your mind from dwelling on sinful thoughts. If a bad thought comes to mind, seek refuge in Allah and redirect your thoughts to something positive, like reading the Quran or spending time with family.

6. Think About the Day of Judgment
Use your heart and mind to remember the Day of Judgment and reflect on Allah’s creation.

7. Focus on the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Concentrate your heart and mind on Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Reflect on the life of the Final Messenger (pbuh).

8. Continuously Think of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Immerse yourself fully in the love of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during your fast, staying connected with them in heart, mind, and soul.

Amaals to practice in your Ramadan Schedule

1. When Ramadhan enters, offer 2 rakaats of Salatul Taubah [prayer of repentance], present your sins to Allah Azzawajal and beseech His forgiveness and say that you have wronged yourself and others; make intention that you are not going to sin; at least not in this month.

2. Adopt the lifestyle, Prophetic Practices, the Sunnah of Prophet [Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam] especially the method of eating and drinking.

3. Offer Salatut Tawbah [repentance] and Salatus Shukr [thankfulness] every morning and evening, to ask forgiveness and to thank our Lord for giving us this month of mercy to this nation.

4. Perform Salatul Tasbih every day after Zuhr Salah.

5. Try to always be in the remembrance of Allah at least in the start and end of all one’s actions.

6. To have the three keys in his mind:
• To believe and feel that Allah is seeing you, hearing you and is always present with you, these are the keys which will open your ibaadah [worship] and keep it sincere.

7. Be God-conscious and help in the needs of your fellow neighbours and those who have a right upon you.

8. Give to charity and help in the needs of those who have nothing but you have been given everything.

9. Recite daily the Masnoon Adhkars for morning and evening and reflect on its meaning.

10. Try and keep a spiritual fast wherever you do using a fasting sheet to keep a record.

11. Offer the Taraweeh prayers with devotion and happiness only to please our Lord.

12. Recite the Qur’an at least for 30 minutes to an hour every day and ponder on its meaning.

13. Use your time wisely as this month only comes once a year, sometimes it will come once for those who will not see it again.

14. For 15 minutes you should do munajaat talk and communicate to Allah and present your sins. The seeker should use their heart to talk to their Lord asking forgiveness, as He [The Almighty] is the listener and giver for those who repent.

15. You should recite Durood 300 times morning and evening. As Prophet [Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam] is the one who had conveyed to this nation the awareness of this glorious month.

16. Refresh the knowledge of fiqh regarding fast for example the nullifiers of fast etc.

17. Those brothers and sisters doing the course of self-purification should double the length of time they perform their dhikr.

18. Offer at least 8 rakaats of Tahajjud Salah. Prolong it by lengthening your bowing [rukoo] and prostration [sujood]. Recite the Masnoon Adhkars for Tahajjud 100 times each. Think that you are sitting in the presence of Allah the Most Exalted.