A Daily Checklist Based on the Prophet’s Ramadan Sermon

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I recently went over some versions of the Prophet’s khutbah welcoming the month of Ramadhan. In it, he (s) mentions various advices and commands for the believers to take note of during this month. However, it is hard to keep track of them, so I’ve compiled them into a numbered checklist. I will be trying, inshaAllah, to review this checklist daily and try to tick off as many boxes as I can so that this month will be as blessed as possible. Please comment below if you will be joining me on this journey so that we can keep each other accountable. If you have not read the full sermon before, please do before viewing the summary below, as the Prophet (s) mentions important details not mentioned here for brevity’s sake.

The Checklist

  1. Ask Allah to give you a sound body and an enlightened heart so you may be able to fast and recite His book.
  2. By your thirst and hunger, remember the hunger of the day of judgement and its thirst.
  3. Give charity to the poor and needy among you.
  4. Lower your glances from what is not permissible for you to see.
  5. Refrain [from hearing] what is not permissible for you to hear.
  6. Show sympathy to the orphans of the people.
  7. Repent for your sins and ask for forgiveness.
  8. Raise your hands in supplications at the time of your salat.
  9.  Lengthen your sajdahs
  10. Give iftar (meal to break the fast) to a believer who is fasting, even if it be with a date or water.
  11. Improve your character.
  12. Lessen the burden [of work] from your subordinates.
  13. Withhold your wrath from people, Allah with withold His Wrath on the Day of Judgement.
  14. Work on your family relations (silatul rahim).
  15. Increase salawaat on the Prophet.
  16. Recite the Quran. 1 Ayah is equal to reciting the whole Quran in other months.
  17. The doors of Paradise are open during this month, so ask your Lord not to close them on you.
  18. The doors of Hell are closed, so ask your Lord not to open them up for you.
  19. The satans are in chains, so ask Allah not to impose them upon you.