Dear sisters, Ramadan is only a few weeks away: the most important month of the year for all Muslims around the world. Last year seems a distant memory but what have you done to prepare for Ramadan this year? What do you aim to achieve? Have you set any goals for the month of fasting or are you living each day as it comes?
Picture the scene: the new moon has been sighted and an official announcement has hailed the start of the Ramadan. While the men leave for tarawih prayers at the masjid, you busy yourself in the kitchen:
- breakfast ready for tomorrow morning – check
- alarm set to wake up early to eat – check
- Ramadan Kareem message sent to all contacts – check
- dates for iftar – check
Oh no! You’ve forgotten to get the sherbet! Now this is serious…how can your family break their fast without this refreshing drink? You’ll have to go to the shops tomorrow! So you spend a good chunk of the next morning buying groceries and (of course) since your out, how about a quick look for potential Eid gifts. Before you realise it, the day is over! Unfortunately this scenario is not uncommon and I am as guilty as the next person of not being prepared in time for Ramadan. Outside of Ramadan, I like to drink tea to punctuate my day, and just as the month of fasting starts I go ‘cold turkey’ – switching off my caffeine fix immediately. No wonder I get withdrawal symptoms as I end up with bad headaches for the first few days of Ramadan. Worse still, my headaches make it difficult to concentrate on ibadah!
It is well known that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), would prepare for Ramadan months in advance. We should try to emulate them by planning to take maximum benefits from the holy month. The virtues and blessings of Ramadan are countless as described in authentic ahadith. The month represents the annual opportunity Allah has given the believers to refocus their lives to live by His commands, to renew their intentions to please The Creator and to try earnestly to do what they can to get closer to Him. These days are special and shouldn’t be wasted doing mundane tasks that take you away from the worship of Allah. Any outstanding tasks should be completed before the arrival of this month.
School children are drilled with the proverb:
‘If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail’
This is true for any upcoming task: from writing a school assignment, organising an event, a work-related project, starting a new business, and of course, Ramadan. The best way to plan is by setting SMART targets – the acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
You can read more about planning for Ramadan here:
[Aiming for an Awesome Ramadan Series – Part 1] It’s Time To Change Your Life
Please share any goals you have for Ramadan this year.
Together, we can inspire each other. Together we can achieve greatness.