How can we prepare for Ramadaan?

How can we prepare for Ramadaan? What are the best deeds in this
blessed month?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Among the best ways of preparing for the month of Ramadaan are:
1 –Sincere repentance
This is obligatory at all times, but because of the approach of a
great and blessed month, it is even more important to hasten to
repent from sins between you and your Lord, and between you and
other people by giving them their rights, so that when the blessed
month begins you may busy yourself with acts of worship with a
clean heart and peace of mind. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you
may be successful”
[al-Noor 24:31]
It was narrated from al-Agharr ibn Yasaar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “O people, repent to Allaah for I repent to Him one
hundred times each day.” Narrated by Muslim (2702).
2 –Du’aa’ (supplication)
It was narrated from some of the salaf that they used to pray to
Allaah for six months that they would live until Ramadaan, then they
would pray for five months afterwards that He would accept it from
them.
The Muslim should ask his Lord to let him live until Ramadaan with
a strong religious commitment and good physical health, and he
should ask Him to help him obey Him during the month, and ask
Him to accept his good deeds from Him.
3 – Rejoicing at the approach of the blessed month
The arrival of Ramadaan is one of the great blessings that Allaah
bestows upon His Muslim slave, because Ramadaan is one of the
occasions of good in which the gates of Paradise are opened and
the gates of Hell are closed. It is the month of the Qur’aan and of
decisive battles in the history of our religion.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: ‘In the Bounty of Allaah, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islam and the
Qur’aan); —therein let them rejoice.’ That is better than what (the
wealth) they amass”
[Yoonus 10:58]
4 – Discharging the duty of any outstanding obligatory fasts
It was narrated that Abu Salamah said: I heard ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) say: I would owe fasts from the previous
Ramadaan and I would not be able to make them up except in
Sha’baan.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1849) and Muslim (1146).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
From her keenness to do that in Sha’baan it may be understood that
it is not permissible to delay making them up until another
Ramadaan begins.
Fath al-Baari (4/191).
5 – Seeking knowledge in order to be able to follow the rulings on
fasting and to understand the virtues of Ramadaan.
6 – Hastening to complete any tasks that may distract the Muslim
from doing acts of worship.
7 – Sitting with one’s family members – wife and children – to tell
them of the rulings on fasting and encourage the young ones to
fast.
8 – Preparing some books which can be read at home or given to
the imam of the mosque to read to the people during Ramadaan.
9 – Fasting some of the month of Sha’baan in preparation for
fasting Ramadaan.
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to fast until we said: He will not break his fast, and he
used not to fast until we said: He will not fast. And I never saw the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
complete a month of fasting except Ramadaan, and I never saw him
fast more in any month than in Sha’baan.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1868) and Muslim (1156).
It was narrated that Usaamah ibn Zayd said: I said: O Messenger of
Allaah, I do not see you fasting in any month as you fast in
Sha’baan? He said: “That is a month that people neglect between
Rajab and Ramadaan, but it is a month in which people’s deeds are
taken up to the Lord of the Worlds and I would like my deeds to be
taken up when I am fasting.”
Narrated by al-Nasaa’i (2357); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Nasaa’i.
This hadeeth explains the wisdom behind fasting in Sha’baan, which
is that it is a month in which deeds are taken up (to Allaah). Some
of the scholars mentioned another reason, which is that this fasting
is like Sunnah prayers offered beforehand in relation to the
obligatory prayer; they prepare the soul for performing the
obligatory action, and the same may be said of fasting Sha’baan
before Ramadaan.
10 – Reading Qur’aan
Salamah ibn Kuhayl said: It was said that Sha’baan was the month
of the Qur’aan readers.
When Sha’baan began, ‘Amr ibn Qays would close his shop and free
his time for reading Qur’aan.
Abu Bakr al-Balkhi said: The month of Rajab is the month for
planting, the month of Sha’baan is the month of irrigating the crops,
and the month of Ramadaan is the month of harvesting the crops.
He also said: The likeness of the month of Rajab is that of the wind,
the likeness of Sha’baan is that of the clouds and the likenes