5 practical ways you can prepare for Ramadan

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is one of the blessed holy months in Islam and is the time of the year in which Muslims practice fasting. The reason it is so special is because Muslims believe it was the very month in which the Quran was revealed to humanity to the Prophet Muhammad (saw). The root of the Arabic word ‘Ramadan’ stems from the word ‘Ramad’ which literally means “burning”, signifying the way that sins of people are burned and replaced with good deeds.” [Tafsir al-Qurtubi V.2, pg 271]. During this time we believe that the devil is locked up, and in this way God makes it easy for Muslims to fast and do good deeds during this month than any other month in the Islamic calender. 

Why do Muslims fast?

The purpose of fasting is to obtain Taqwa (consciousness of God) and to teach us great Sabr (patience). The physical test of restricting ourselves from food and water from sunrise to sunset, as well as the spiritual test of restraining from sins and entertainment during this month, rejuvenates our souls and trains us to be stronger throughout the entire year. We believe that those Muslims who practice fasting will be showered with many blessings and will earn God’s forgiveness. During this month we hope to develop our relationship with our Creator and His message sent down in the Quran. So here are some key ways you can make the most out of your time during Ramadan.

 

First and foremost establish a good and pure intention for your Ramadan. Start with Bismillah!

 

1. Set S.M.A.R.T Targets for yourself to achieve

The key to making the most out of your Ramadan is setting goals that you can achieve throughout the month. Not only will you make more progress if you have some goals in mind, but you will also be able to track your progress and hold yourself accountable to them. The SMART Target method is a great way to set yourself achievable goals and can be used for pretty much any situation in your life, but it works especially well for Ramadan. So get out a planner or open up the notes section on your phone and get jotting down some of the things you want to improve on this Ramadan. When writing down your aims ask yourself if they comply with the following criteria:

S…pecific?

Do you have a specific destination in mind? Are you goals focused on a point or are they too generalised? (e.g. while a goal to ‘connect with the Quran’ is a good aim, it is not exactly a specific one. A more specific and beneficial goal would be ‘to connect with the Quran by reading its verses in translation and with tafseer.’ Immediately this SMARTER goal sets out what aspect of the Quran you are hoping to connect with.

M…easurable?

Are your goals quantifiable and are you able to track them? (Say your goal is to finish the Quran by the end of Ramadan. Mash Allah that’s an admirable goal. But if you are feeling overwhelmed you might not know exactly how to go about doing that. Here’s where having a measurable target comes into handy.

• Since there are 30 juz in the Quran and there are 30 days in Ramadan, your aim could be to finish one juz per day.
• There are approx 600 pgs in the Quran in total which about 20pgs per juz.
• If we divide this into the the 5 daily salaahs, that’s only 4pgs to read
• So in order to finish the Quran by the end of the month (in sha Allah) all you have to do is read 4pgs after every prayer.  That’s really not that much to read if you think about it!

No matter which way you choose to do it, breaking down the task up into more manageable chunks is the way to go about! This way, you can keep track on how much you need to read on a daily basis to hit your target. In sha Allah, you will reach you goal by the end of the month!

A…ttainable?

Are your goals realistic? While it is admirable to want to achieve lots of great things this Ramadan and to set your targets high, we also have to bear in mind reality because after all we are only human. I would recommend sticking to main 3 targets, but you might want to do more or less depending on how big your targets may be. 

The important thing to remember is that its quality not quantity. It is better to have a few small targets and do really well in nailing them than having lots of targets and not being able to meet any of them properly. I think that is a reminder I need to hear myself especially because I often shoot myself in the foot by trying to take on too much rather than committing to one and carrying it out successfully. You need to make sure you are not shooting too low because then you might not be living up to your potential, but you also need to make sure you don’t shoot too high as well, in case you become unmotivated because you feel like you are not making any progress. Only you know yourself and what is attainable to you, so suit your goals to your own personal capabilities. 

R…elevant?

Are your goals completely relevant to the month of Ramadan? While cooking lavish and delicious iftars is exciting and can be a source of sawab because you are feeding fasting members of your family, it can get to the point where it is no longer productive when you spend your whole day in the kitchen. And as much as shopping for eid presents picking out gifts for your family and friends is fun, it’s probably not the best use of your time. (I know this sounds pretty obvious but, Allah swt gave us this month as a blessing so that we could make the most out of it and benefit from it. He didn’t give us Ramadan so we could spend all our hours of the day, hovering over mouthwatering food and just staring at the clock until sunset!)

T…ime bound?

Do you have a deadline for completing your goal? This may vary from goal to goal, but your deadline might be the end of the day, or the end of the entire month of Ramadan. Whatever your time limit is – try to stick to it! But I think it is also important to keep in mind that the whole point of Ramadan is to train us to carry on with the good practices that we gained throughout the rest of our lives. So while it is of course fantastic if you are able to meet your goals by the end of the month, don’t completely abandon these goals throughout the rest of the year! Use Ramadan as stepping stone to greater self improvement and take it as part of your journey to becoming a better Muslim, so that we will be stronger and live a more fulfilled lifestyle, In sha Allah!

 

2. Plan in advance by setting a daily routine for yourself to follow

Take out your planner again or your phone and customise your own daily plan for Ramadan. It’s completely up to you how you choose to organise your day, but I think the best way and the most effective thing to do is to plan your day around the 5 daily prayers. Personally, I don’t like to include timings on my daily schedule because it makes me feel constrained and also disappointed when one thing doesn’t go to plan and then the entire timetable gets ruined. So what I like to do instead is incorporate each of my goals into the day so that I can make sure I target them consistently every day. I like to include little checkboxes because I find it satisfying to be able to cross them off.

This year I’m keeping my plan on my phone app (Google Keep) but the important thing to remember is that you look at your plan and remind yourself of it everyday. So whether you want to colour code it and make it look all pretty and then stick it up on your wall so you see it everyday, or you just find it easier to set a daily notification on your phone to look at it – do whatever works for you! For a lot of us who will be studying during Ramadan because they have exams, scheduling time to fit in both revision and time for religious practices is important to get the balance right between Deen and Dunya! 

 

3. Get into healthier habits

It is recommended to practise some voluntary fasts a few days before Ramadan begins to get yourself physically used to it. Also, if you haven’t already made up your missed fasts from Ramadan last year, it is better to not delay it before the next Ramadan this year. Another healthy habit you should practise is reading Quran everyday. This is a reminder to myself as well that we shouldn’t let there be a day that goes by where we haven’t picked up the Quran and read it. (Even if it just 5 mins a day and its from a phone app!) It is important to make time for the Quran and make it a part of our daily routine. This is because on the day of judgement the Quran itself will testify for those who spent time with it in this life. You should also use this time to prefect all your daily obligations such as prayers etc.  

 

4. Join a Islamic Webinar or watch inspirational lectures on YouTube

Alhamdulilah thanks to the internet, we have access to a wide array of Islamic workshops, classes and lectures and so obtaining knowledge about Islam is only a few clicks away! Al-Yaqeen institute in particular are launching a Free 3 week access to ‘Faith essentials’ so be sure to check that out! I also really love YouTube channels such as ‘Free Quran Education’, ‘Practical Islam’ and ‘Merciful Servant’ for providing really interactive and meaningful content. Their videos are also usually quite short which makes the advice given in the videos really digestible. It’s easy to gather together before iftar and watch a video with the family.

 

5. Keep a diary or download a Ramadan app to track your progress

There are also plenty of diaries or apps you can use to aid your journey and track your progress in Ramadan! Personally, I like to use ‘Muslim Pro’ all year round because it has pretty much everything a Muslim could ever need in one app (prayer times, compass, Quran, duas, tasbeeh, halal food places, live Hajj feed, Islamic calendar, zakat calculator and more) but it’s especially useful for Ramadan for keeping track of your fasts and the days you miss too! But there are also plenty of other great choices to choose from such as ‘Ramadan Legacy’ and ‘Muslim Pocket’ and they are only an app store away! So have a browse through for yourself and pick an app that you like the look of to boost your productivity this Ramadan in sha Allah! The ’99 names’ app is also incredibly useful for making Dhikr a part of your daily routine as it comes with each of Allah’s names with meaning. It tells you exactly what situation to read each name in, how many times you should read it and it even comes with a digital tasbeeh!

These tips are reminders for myself just as much as they are reminders for everyone else. So I pray that I can live up to these plans and benefit from them just as well as you can in sha Allah! If this article can somewhat reach even just one person and help benefit their life, I would be thoroughly grateful!

 

May Allah make it easy for all us to achieve our goals this Ramadan! May He put Baraqah in our time so that we can get the most out of this blessed month and May He help us to transfer all the healthy habits that we do pick up along this spiritual journey into the rest of our lives! Ameen :) 

 

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