Quran Cordoba - Every Muslim family hopes to meet Ramadan and be given the strength and ease to perform good deeds during it. They can break their fast and eat sahur together, perform Tarawih prayers and recite the Quran together with their family, and so on. The Quran consistently depicts good deeds as a competition, and we are encouraged to compete in good deeds at all times.

فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُوا يَأْتِ بِكُمُ may Allah bless him and give him peace and blessings

Meaning: "So compete (in doing) good. Wherever you are, Allah will surely gather you all (on the Day of Resurrection). Indeed, Allah has power over everything." (QS Al-Baqarah, 2: 148)

Fastabiqul khairat . Compete in goodness. We are encouraged to continue competing in goodness, not to slack off. This is also what we can understand from the words of Allah ta'ala:

وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُوْنَ

Meaning: "And for that let people compete." ( QS Al-Muthaffifin, 83: 26 ).

The beauty of Ramadan is a race to perform good deeds. Will we all go it alone with the rewards of our deeds? Of course not. Besides preparing ourselves, everyone should prepare their families. This is a task that every Muslim family should not neglect during Ramadan. This task is to foster a spirit of worship and good deeds at home throughout Ramadan.

READ ALSO: Tarhib Ramadan: Welcoming the Holy Month with Joy and Maximum

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Enter Heaven with the Whole Family

Why does this need to be done? Because, the same frequency in faith and obedience to Allah SWT. is a condition for our family to be reunited in heaven. This is what we can reflect on from the words of Allah SWT. in the Koran.

وَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُمْ بِاِيْمَانٍ اَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ or اَلَتْنٰهُمْ مِّنْ God willing

Meaning: And those who believe, and whose children and grandchildren follow them in faith, We connect their children and grandchildren with them, and We do not deduct anything from the reward of their deeds. Every human being is bound by what he does. ( Qs ath-Thuur: 21 ).

The pinnacle of happiness for a Muslim isn't simply being admitted to Paradise by Allah SWT, but rather, being admitted to Paradise with their entire family. This is an instinctive human impulse, much like the longing we feel when we gather with our children, grandchildren, and family during Eid. Being together in this world is blissful enough, but gathering in Heaven will undoubtedly be the pinnacle of all happiness.

Ramadan should be a time to strengthen the atmosphere of worship at home. Don't let Ramadan pass without strengthening your family because you haven't prepared for it. There are several things you can do to optimize Ramadan for strengthening Muslim families, so that you and your family can enter Paradise:

First , the concept of a happy atmosphere, my home is my heaven

We should use the time we have to create a joyful atmosphere at home. Whatever the method, Muslim families should strive to create a happy atmosphere for worship throughout Ramadan.

This is the expression the Quran desires when every Muslim is faced with the grace of Allah SWT. With the opportunity for obedience, the Quran requires every Muslim to respond with joy. This is what we can understand from Allah SWT's words.

قُلْ بِفَضْلِ ٱللهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ

Say: "With the grace of Allah and His mercy, let them rejoice. The grace of Allah and His mercy is better than what they have collected." ( Qs Yunus: 58 ).

This joy comes because of the many glories, blessings and virtues of Ramadan. This is what the Prophet Muhammad instilled. to friends when entering Ramadan.

ﻗَﺪْ ﺟَﺎٓءَﻛُﻢْ رَﻣَﻀَﺎنُ، ﺷَﻬْﺮٌ ﻣُﺒَﺎرَكٌ، ﺍﻓْﺘَﺮَضَ ﺍﻟﻠﻪُ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻜُﻢْ ﺻِﻴَﺎﻣَﻪُ، ﺗُﻔْﺘَﺢُ ﻓِﻴﻪِ God willing ﺍﻟْﺠَﺤِﻴﻢِ، وَﺗُﻐَﻞُّ ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻴَﺎﻃِﻴﻦُ، ﻓِﻴﻪِ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔٌ ﺧَﻴْﺮٌ ﻣِﻦْ أَﻟْﻒِ ﺷَﻬْﺮٍ

" Ramadan has come to you, a blessed month. Allah has made it mandatory for you to fast on it. The doors of heaven are opened to it. The doors of Jahim (hell) are closed. The devils are chained. In it there is a night that is better than 1000 months..." ( HR Ahmad ).

Second , consistent Ramadhan program with family

There are many activities throughout Ramadan. However, don't let Ramadan pass without a program with your family. Apart from routine programs for obligatory prayers and tarawih prayers in mosques, sahur and breaking the fast together, additional programs are needed to strengthen the atmosphere of worship in Muslim families. Such as tadarus together at home, wirid and dhikr together, rotating taujih, taking part in online parenting studies, or i'tikaf at the mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan.

Abdullah bin Mas'ud, as narrated by ath-Thabrani, said, "Guard your children's prayers and accustom them to good deeds. Because good deeds are a habit ."

READ ALSO: Forming an Inspiring Quranic Family in the Month of Ramadan

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Third , Motivate and Strengthen Each Other Throughout Ramadan

Family members should be on the same wavelength to encourage each other in worshipping Allah SWT throughout Ramadan. Even for children who are beginning to learn to fast, there's an interesting hadith where the Prophet sent his companions,

مَنْ أَصْبَحَ مُفْطِرًا فَلْيُتِمَّ بَقِيَّةَ يَوْمِهِ ، وَمَنْ أَصْبَحَ صَائِمًا فَلْيَصُمْ

"Whoever does not fast in the morning, let him complete the rest of the day by fasting. Whoever fasts in the morning, let him keep fasting." Ar Rubayyi' said, "We fasted after that. And we invited our children to fast. We made them toys out of feathers. If during the fast they wanted to eat, then we gave them the toys. Finally they continued to be entertained so they continued fasting until it was time to break the fast ."

Al-Hafidz Ibnu Hajar said, " In the above hadith there is an argument for the law on training children to fast. " This is how previous generations educated their families, as well as strengthening them to persistently worship Allah SWT.

Fourth , a home that is conducive to the spirit of Ramadan.

Muslim families must design their homes to be conducive to worship throughout Ramadan. Having observed Ramadan for decades, they understand the conditions that often disrupt a prayerful atmosphere at home. Muslim families may own various electronic devices, such as televisions, computers and laptops with internet connections, gadgets, and mobile phones. These devices need to be managed to maintain the devotion of worship.

Sometimes, home recitation programs are disrupted by constantly on, incessantly used devices. Sometimes, Quran recitation programs are pushed aside by seemingly exciting television programs featuring celebrities all the time during Ramadan, even though they often lack educational value.

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READ ALSO: Ramadan Fasting and Mental Health: Maintaining Mental Balance in the Month of Forgiveness

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Such is the beauty of Ramadan with family, there are several things that can be done to build the same frequency in filling the days of Ramadan in Muslim families. May Allah grant our family life and health to fill Ramadhan with good deeds and be accepted by Allah Ta'ala . Let us encourage our families to achieve the glory of Ramadan. amen

And God knows best