* Fasting not just in eating: The best way of thinking about how to get rid of some of the weaknesses of our soul is to consider ‘avoiding them’ as part of our fasting. Fasting from food and drink means refraining from eating and drinking during only a limited time of a day in the month of Ramadan. Fasting from what we have selected to correct in ourselves in the month of Ramadan does not have any limits and will become part of our personality by the end of the month of Ramadan, so it will never end.
   5. Doing proper Tahajjud:
      We know that the prophet (pbuh) has advised us that if we cannot do the Tahajjud during its real time, then we can do it after the Ishaa prayer. We also know that during the month of Ramadan, traditionally many Muslims take this offer and do their Tahajjud prayer after Ishaa in congregation (Jama’ah) and that is what gradually was called Taraweeh. Point number five is that let us do proper Tahajjud at least during the month of Ramadan. That is, reading it individually after midnight and preferably in its best time i.e. the portion of the night that is closer to the time of dawn (Suhoor). During our Tahajjud, if we like, and if we have not memorised much of the Qur’an, we can hold the book in our hands and read from it. We can determine how many verses or pages to read in every Rak’ah before doing the last three ones. We do not need to aim to finish the Qur’an by the end of the month and we can be flexible and sometimes read only short Sura of the Qur’an if we are too tired or need to wake up early the day after.  Note that this does not suggest that participating in Taraweeh prayer is wrong.
   6. Praying for others:
      It is better if we always start our prayers to God by glorifying Him and counting His blessings in our life, then asking general and specific goodness and help for all and then for those close to us in particular our parents, kin and friends and only then for ourselves.
   7. Giving charity:  Giving a bit more than normal as charity during this month can have a tremendous effect on us.
( Continued)
Courtesy of Column ForeignAffairs