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Like the previous year, 2021 is also full of unexpected turns of events where everyone is experiencing various difficulties in moving forward with life. COVID-19 has pushed us to stay home, and many countries in the world are still under restrictions, curfew, and lockdown. For a Muslim, Ramaḍān is the most crucial month for taking advantage due to its great virtue, in which the gates of heaven are opened; the gates of fire are closed,and devils are chained up. The Laylatul Qadr (night of creed) is better than a thousand months.

Since our Sharīꜥah is flexible in terms of practices and Islam is more comfortable to follow, COVID-19 pandemic cannot take our chances away from obtaining the privileges of Ramaḍān @ Home this year. So if you are asked to quarantine yourself at home, or you prefer to stay home with your family due to the outbreak, the following are some action plans to get connected with virtues and get promoted in the eyes of Allah:

1. Starting with suhūr (pre-dawn meal) before Fajr prayer (the dawn prayer):It is best to delay suhūr until the end of the night. Prepare for Fajr prayer before the adhān (call),perform wuḍū (ablution), pray two rakꜥah sunnah (the act of prostration), and arrange a place to pray jamāꜥah of two rakꜥah (congregational prayer) with your family members. After finishing the prayer, it is recommended to sit and do dhikr (remembrance of Allah), then perform the Ishrāq prayer after the sun rises and passes for a quarter of an hour.  
2. Sleeping for a short time after the Ishrāq prayer will strengthen the body for the remaining works of the day, including other forms of worship, seeking knowledge, job or house-related affairs, and preparing for ifṭār (the evening meal that breaks the daily fast). 

5. Pray Ẓuhr and Aṣar on time as jamāꜥah with family. Recite the Holy Qur'ān regularly after every congregational prayer.
6. Prepare for ifṭār and help family members in creating harmony before the adhān of Maghrib. Most importantly, spend a few minutes before the moments of ifṭār, by making duꜥā (prayers) for yourself, family, and everybody else to seek the protection of Allah from the pandemic. Break the fast by bringing food near to children, elders, spouse, and yourself.    
7. Pray Maghrib at home, then return to the dinner and eat whatever is available without wasting it. Spend time after Maghrib by reading, sitting with family, and waiting for ꜥIshā (the night prayer). 
8. Prepare for four rakꜥah of ꜥIshā congregational prayer followed by tarāwīh. (Niyyat: Uṣalli sunnata tarāwīḥ rakꜥatayni imāman/ma'mūman lillāhi taꜥāla).                                                                                  

   

7. Tarāwīḥ (additional special prayers during Ramaḍān after Ishā) can be prayed 20+3 or 10+3 or 8+3. Choose your course and get ready to designate among you, if you have more than one male to lead the tarāwīḥ prayer. Minors, teenagers (murāhiq) can lead the tarāwīh prayer in your house. Female muṣallīn(who perform prayers) will follow the male muṣallī in the standing order beside the Imām (leader in the prayer). However, if there is no man in a house, a female imām can lead the prayers for other female members.        

Starting with small sūrahs (chapters in Qur’ān) and repeating the same sūrahs for the second half of the tarāwīḥ is acceptable. Also, reciting long memorized sūrahs or reading directly from the physical book of the Holy Qur'ān or electronic version from any device is permissible based on the ability of the Imām in-house. Some small sūrahs can be repeated in the same rakꜥah if you intend to lengthen the prayer. The Prophet (PBUH) used todo soin the same rakꜥah to reach the higher level of khushūꜥ (tranquillity). Many scholars do not encourage listening and following the imam from nearby masjid (mosques) while you pray at home.       

While performing Tarāwīḥ, the 20 rakꜥahs should not be performed all at once, but as two rakꜥahs.A break should be taken after every four rakꜥahs (literally tarāwīḥ means taking a break). After every two rakꜥah you may or may not chant the adhkār like any tasbīḥ (subḥānallāhi walḥamdulillāh walāilāhaillallāh uwallāhuakbarwa la hawlawa la quwwata illābillāh) or any ṣalawāt (ṣallallāhu wasallamꜥalayhi). After every four rakꜥah, you may need a little break during which you may have some Qur'ānic discussions or talks, or pray for yourself, family, and the entire ummah.           

Finish the tarāwīḥ with ṣalāt witr (Niyyat: uṣallī sunnat witr rakꜥatayn/rakꜥah imāman/ma'mūman lillāhi taꜥāla) as three rakꜥahs in two sittings (2+1) or one sitting (though after two rakꜥah you will sit for tashahhud;then continue to stand for the third rakꜥah).

8. After you go to bed, if you plan for qiyāmullail (standing for prayer during the night before fajr), you may set the alarm an hour before suhūr and pray eight rakꜥah and ask Allah to protect all of us from this pandemic. 

May Allah grant us the best in Ramaḍān of this year, take us closer towards his pleasure, keep us away from his anger and punishment, and award us the opportunity to recite his verses by His mercy- Ᾱmīn.

(Dr. Mohamed Aslam Akbar Hasani is an Assistant Professor in Shariꜥah Sciences and Heritage at the Department of Economics, Kulliyyah of Economics and Management Sciences at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He teaches undergraduate courses in Islamic commercial jurisprudence and Islamic economics and conducts research on classical works of Muslim scholarship in economic thought and Maqasid al-Shariah based developments.)