Our Beloved Prophet S.A.W is the best creation on earth. He provided the best examples on how we should live our lives: in a pure and humble manner, with the worship of Allah S.W.T, our Creator, as our sole purpose and pivotal role.
Sunnah describes the life and teachings of the Prophet S.A.W. It is the ultimate guidance in which we should follow to lead a successful life full of barakah.
Our Messenger S.A.W said: “Whoever revives my Sunnah then he has loved me. And whoever loves me, he shall be with me in Paradise.” (Tirmidhi)
When we intend to live our life by the Sunnah, it should not only be for our personal gain, but more importantly, out of our love for our beloved Prophet s.a.w.
Here are five Sunnahs that we should all strive for, especially with Ramadhan coming up!
1. Using the Siwak
“If it were not that it would be difficult on my nation, then I would have ordered them to use the siwak for each prayer.” [Tirmidhi]
According to the Hadith above, we could see how important the siwak is to the Prophet S.A.W
Siwak originates from the Salvadora persica tree and has many antibacterial qualities, making it a great way to maintain hygiene of the mouth.
Islam values cleanliness and hygiene, hence this would be why our Beloved Prophet S.A.W placed a big emphasis on using the siwak often - as a means of maintaining oral hygiene.
The best part - siwak is easily available and relatively cheap, making it an easy sunnah to uphold!
With Ramadhan just around the corner, we would usually be more conscious of how our breath smells. Using a siwak often will ensure that our mouths are clean and fresh throughout the day!
2. Maintaining the one-third rule in eating
‘A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one-third of food, one third for drink and one third for air.’ [Ibn Majah]
Food has a great impact on your body and brain’s performance. While we nourish our bodies at Sahur and during Iftar, we should always remember that overeating is a dishonourable quality that we should stay away from. On the other hand, keep in mind that undereating is equally harmful to an individual, and we should not fast for personal gains like losing weight.
Hence, practice having a balanced outlook towards our meals!
3. Speaking good or keeping silent
Most of us are guilty of talking about things that do not concern us, wasting precious time by discussing things that will not benefit us and even worse, speaking ill of someone else or a situation.
The beauty of this sunnah is that it can help us redirect our time and ensure that we do not do any undesirable deeds or the amount of energy used to contemplate irrelevant matters.
Our time and energy could be much better utilised on beneficial matters such as reading the Qur’an, or only speaking of things that will benefit us and others, in this world and the next.
Speaking good of people and having good intentions will definitely be something that we all want to implement and work on daily.
4. Sleeping and waking up early
When we have too many things on our to-do list to plough through, it’s easy to fall into an inefficient sleeping pattern.
While we might take it for granted at times, it's important to remember that the amount of sleep we get plays a great role in our ability to function effectively every day!
Most crucial are the hours after Fajr, the most blessed of the day, and the time when most of us might still be sleeping.
However, starting the day off by waking up early and praying Fajr gives us the barakah and sets us in the right frame of mind for the entire day. In order to rise in the early hours, it’s a must to sleep early, to get sufficient rest at night.
Especially in the blessed month of Ramadhan, when we are encouraged to wake up for Sahur, let’s all break bad sleeping patterns and work towards a better sleeping schedule for a better us, Insya-Allah.
5. Visiting the sick
The Prophet S.A.W said, “Feed the hungry, visit the sick and set free the captives.” (Bukhari)
The value of looking after one another is taught by our Beloved Prophet S.A.W.
Oftentimes, we are aware of people that we are close to, or people we know who are tested with an illness, whether a major or minor one. Most of the time, we tend to forget to check up on them through a visit, or even by sending a simple message.
Visiting the sick and spending time with the sick has two benefits; the act demonstrates love towards one another and instantly tightens the bonds of kinship or friendship.
Also, when we see someone who is down with a sickness and unable to function as well as they normally can, it is a great reminder of the blessing of health.
So the next time you hear of someone who is ill, try your best to go beyond sending a message and practice this sunnah by being physically present to comfort them. If it’s safe to pay them a visit, of course!
This coming Ramadhan, many of us will have plenty to do, in order to improve ourselves from the previous year.. With these five super sunnahs, let’s all aspire to be the best version of ourselves every single day. We also encourage you to contribute to any of our many Ehsan Ramadhan 2022 packages this blessed month, to multiply your rewards and practice the sunnah of charity regularly and caring for others.