Ramadan is Coming! Ideas for Mental and Physical Prep
The title says it all. Ramadan will be visiting us in less than a week Insha’Allah. Ramadan is a month full of rahmah (mercy), maghfirah (forgiveness), and protection from the hell fire. A month of tranquility. A month dedicated to draw closer to our creator. Also, it is a blessed month where even a person who doesn’t pray, prays. How wonderful is that! The ambiance of Ramadan makes one run towards good deeds unlike any other time of the year. It also seamlessly inclines oneself to engage in forms of worship which we otherwise think difficult to engage in. Thirty days dedicated to gain forgiveness, mercy and uncountable amounts of rewards from the almighty Allah alone.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
It changes the atmosphere around us. Loads of extra amaals, recitation of Quran, Ifthar (breaking fast at sunset), Suhoor (eating before the beginning of sunrise), Tharaweeh (the night prayer), charity and meeting people makes it one of the busiest times around the year. It is also my favorite time of the year.
A number of emotions and thoughts are connected to Ramadan and people like to think of it in their own ways. That is…. some are under the impression of Ramadan being deprived of food and water for a long period of time during the day. Hunger and thirst are the driving emotions of the month. Well… to some point it is true. Who said it is easy. Being a foodie, I cant help but think of food and crave for food during fasting hours. Before the beginning of the month, we crunch our brains thinking of surviving the hot summer, quenching our thirst and satisfying our growling tummies. However, haven’t you noticed that by mid Ramadan you’re fascinated at how fast the days have gone by and how the less you’ve felt your hunger or thirst? The month gives us ample other activities to focus on rather than food. Almighty Allah has taken the duty upon himself to make it easy for a fasting Muslim. So why don’t we look up to Ramadan being an exciting and challenging thirty days of worship. A positive outlook in life never does any harm. It portrays a beneficial and uplifting aspect of fasting to those who are not Muslim.
Different view points, situations, and environments give different experiences of Ramadan to different people. Back in Sri Lanka, Ramadan was very special for myself and my family. We took a break from our regular day to day activities and stuck to our very own Ramadan schedule. We had the leniency and the privilege to do so. We also had enough and more time in our hands to indulge in Ramadan prep and forms of worship. Everyone around, be it Muslims or non Muslims were aware of the Fasting customs and worked towards accomplishing them. In Canada however, circumstances and attributes of Ramadan here are a lot different. Time being our worst enemy, leave us regretting the whole month passing by. Extreme long hours of fasting, late night prayers, early dawns, work and school all are factors that affect the outlook of the experience. I always feel we haven’t been able to dedicate enough time and concentration to the blessed month since coming to Canada. Nevertheless, Allah is well aware of our circumstances. Though it is always true at other times, little deeds go an especially long way in Ramadan! Being steadfast with good intentions and fulfilling your daily activities will help reap the maximum benefits of the month. Believe in quality over quantity. One Rakah of prayer done in sincerity and consolidation is better than 100 Rakahs of prayer in negligence.
Having said that, we should not try to take it easy over the thirty days of fasting. It is important to honor Ramadan. Think of Ramadan as a special guest visiting us for a month from Almighty Allah. It is upon us to do our utmost best to welcome Ramadan with an open heart and tend and care for it. Respecting Ramadan and tending and caring for it is our obligation. It is also upon us to give it our complete dedication and send it away with Ramadan being pleased with our company so that it gives good reviews of our hospitality to Almighty Allah. We should also cherish its days with us as we don’t know if Ramadan will visit us the following year or not.
Ramadan is the best time to bring positive changes to our lives. It is almost like a spiritual detox to help cleans our systems of all the bad habits and evils we’ve gotten accustomed to. The devil is locked away and their is less distractions to prevent us from focusing on Almighty Allah. Hopefully the practice of the new change for 29-30 days will make it a habit or constant change in ourselves even after Ramadan. Every Ramadan, I come with a Ramadan resolution just like the New Years resolutions people come up with. It could be any trait or habit you want to change or simply any act that would bring you closer to Allah. Wearing Niqab (face veil) was one of my Ramadan resolution four years ago. The simple act of making it a habit to read one Ayah (line) from the Quran daily, being truthful, waking up early, reducing screen time and bringing one Sunnah of the Prophet to your life; all of these make excellent Ramadan resolutions. Whatever your resolution or change maybe, it is important that it stays with you even after the days of fasting. This Ramadan we are hoping to revisit and revise all the Surah’s we have memorized and understand them with the meanings Insha’Allah.
From MHW, we would like to wish our Halal World a blessed and joyous Ramadan Mubarak! May Allah make this blessed month a means to accept all your good deeds and reward you immensely. May this Ramadan be the best days of your life. May Ramadan spark your hearts with goodness and lessen your hardships.
Remember to keep us in your duas as well Insha’Allah!