There are certain things which are recommended to be done in Ramadan for example performing prayers and reciting the Quran.
The spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan is an opportunity for the revival of the hearts of the believers, the hearts which become replete with love for God in this month. Ramadan is the month in which one who has been too much busy with worldly matters can elevate his soul and strengthen his tie with his creator. That's why as Imam Ali (AS) narrates one day the Prophet (PBUH) said: "O people! Verily the month of God is coming with blessings and mercy and forgiveness. It is the best of months before God and its days are the best of days and its nights are the best of nights and its hours are the best of hours"[1]
It is an opportunity that God has provided all Muslims with, and we should benefit from it as much as we can. Among the good deeds that we ought to focus on are doing the daily prayers in congregation, reciting the Quran and praying.
In the Quran God, The Almighty says: "And seek help through patience and prayer ". [2] Now that Ramadan is during the summer and it is difficult to fast during the hot days and for long hours, we can both use this prescription of the Quran to help us tolerate the difficulty of fasting in these days. We can benefit from this month which is the month of mercy and blessings by performing prayer and particularly performing the daily prayers in congregation.
Another way of benefitting from this month is through reciting the Quran. Not only in Ramadan, but also in every other month a Muslim should recite the Quran but in Ramadan in which reciting even one verse equals reciting the whole of the Quran [3] we should more than ever pay attention to this advice of the Quran which says: "So recite as much of the Quran as is feasible". [4]
Another good thing to do in this month is to pray a lot to God for his mercy, forgiveness and generosity. Ramadan is the month in which the doors of God's mercy are open. It is the month in which requests are granted and the veils between God and his servants are removed. The Prophet (PBUH) said:" Verily the doors of heaven open in the first night of Ramadan and will not close till the last night of it."[5]
What a great opportunity that all doors are open and there is no veil between us and God. Let's not pray only for ourselves but for all our Muslim brothers and sisters in the world.
Footnotes:
[1] Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.93, p. 356, َ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ إِلَيْكُمْ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ بِالْبَرَكَةِ وَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ شَهْرٌ هُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلُ الشُّهُورِ وَ أَيَّامُهُ أَفْضَلُ الْأَيَّامِ وَ لَيَالِيهِ أَفْضَلُ اللَّيَالِي وَ سَاعَاتُهُ أَفْضَلُ السَّاعَات.
[2] 2:45, وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ.
[3] Bihar al-Anwar, p. 357, ¨Whoever recites one verse of the Quran in Ramadan his reward will be as the reward of one who has recited the whole of the Quran in other months¨: َ مَنْ تَلَا فِيهِ آيَةً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ خَتَمَ الْقُرْآنَ فِي غَيْرِهِ مِنَ الشُّهُور.
[4] 73:20, فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ.
[5] Bihar al-Anwar, p. 344, إِنَ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ تُفَتَّحُ فِي أَوَّلِ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ لَا تُغْلَقُ إِلَى آخِرِ لَيْلَةٍ مِنْه