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Ramadan is here and the countdown has officially begun. Thinking about the early morning suhoor, family iftars, and bonding with our faith excites Muslims across the globe.
My mission for every year is to make sure my Ramadan is better than my last. Seeing the growth from each Ramadan year-by-year shows how significantly closer I am to Allah (swt) – even saying it, gives me the chills. Every year, we should compile a list of goals for Ramadan because it can help keep you grounded and center your objectives. Here is how to make the most out of your Ramadan:
Work on Time Management
This may sound cliche, but we all know everyone has been through those moments where you sit back and say what you want the upcoming Ramadan to be like, but little by little, your end-goal starts drifting away.
The first step is always making plans that you know you will have the time for, or that you will make time for. Small goals, big goals, anything! Writing an itinerary of your daily life can help keep your priorities for the day in check. Making lists is psychologically proven to keep you organized and more grounded!
Building a Stronger Deen
Find a way to incorporate prayer in your everyday life leading up to Ramadan. For instance, reading an extra prayer, everyday, ultimately gets you more into a routine of reading five times a day.
Try to make more duas! Duas, otherwise known as prayers, are our safe haven in times of need, but we should find a way to make that our means of communication between us and Allah (swt) happen on a daily basis.
Start becoming accustomed to using a tasbih (prayer beads), throughout Ramadan before and after your prayer, so the repetition becomes muscle memory for you.
Taking Time out Daily to Read the Qur’an
Read the Qur’an, every single day! Create the goal of finishing an entire Qur’an, during the month – the reaping of the benefits become endless!
Being busy during the Holy Month, it is one of the biggest challenges, but be consistent! By being consistent, you are more likely drawn to reading a little, every single day – plan and organize how you want to do this.
By implementing the Qur’an more on a daily basis, rid yourself of distractions! We occasionally find ourselves filling our free time up with watching TV, listening to music, going on social media, etc. – use this time for reading the Qur’an!
Give Charity, in Some Way, Every Single Day
Ramadan is a month of giving – offering a hand with housework, donating to your local mosque, giving zakat after prayer, are all means of giving charity.
One of my personal targets, every Ramadan, is always volunteering at any local drive that gives packaged meals to the less fortunate, and with this pandemic, a lot of mosques are resorting to donating food to the less fortunate in a safe way.
Real Purification of Intentions
Last, but not least – go into this month with pure intentions. Real intentions are what is valued the most during this month which is why we should not think of this month as an obligation – it is, instead, an opportunity.
Opening your heart during this Holy Month is what will make the most out of any Ramadan you are blessed to take partake in.
Giving your all to Allah (swt) and the people surrounding you is what will allow you to achieve the benefits of a blessed month.
Our hearts should be engulfed every single Ramadan because of the opportunity we are given, to be closer to our Lord. Every year that we participate in this blessed month, we are greeted with another chance and we should take this opportunity and make the most of it.
