HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PREPARE FOR RAMADAN.

Ramadan has come upon us again and we can only be grateful for Allah’s mercies upon our lives. Everyone yearns for this beautiful month as it is a month filled with Allah’s Rahma and is also a means of finding our way back to Allah through worship. Ramadan comes with lots of change in our lifestyles and we’ll have to do away with old habits to adjust to the whole Ramadan lifestyle.

How then do we prepare for Ramadan?

Goal Setting
Do you often have goals for Ramadan? Goal setting is a great way to ensure that you are maximizing your time. Before the month begins preferably in Shaban, set target goals you’ll want accomplished by the end of Ramadan. It is important to set goals that support your spirituality and you can stay consistent with. It could be the amount of Quran you’ll want to read, the nawafil salat you’ll want to start, Remembrance of Allah (dhikr), Night prayer (Tahajjud) among other good deeds.

You need to be intentional about setting these goals and make them easy to achieve. You don’t want to over burden yourself with a lot and risk getting tired before the month even gets into half. Set daily realistic goals and work towards achieving them. Remember the popular hadith, “The most beloved deeds to Allah (SWT) are those which are done consistently, even if they are little”. (Sahih Bukhari)

Be Physically and Mentally Prepared
Ramadan is about spirituality but we can’t have a spiritually filled Ramadan if we are not physically and mentally prepared. Physically, we need to start adjusting our lifestyle so it becomes easier for us when fasting begins. Mentally, we can prepare for Ramadan by seeking more knowledge of the Deen and preparing our minds for its arrival.The importance of making the intention to have a productive Ramadan really does affect how you experience Ramadan.

Plan Meals
Cooking is a lot of task and consumes lots of time. From prepping of the ingredients to the actual cooking takes 2-3 hours or sometimes even more. Instead of using so many hours to cook every suhur and Iftar, plan and prepare your meals. You know the kind of foods you and your family consume, shop for ingredients and prep them for the fridge and freezer. If possible, prepare your stews and soups in large quantities. This will help save time in the kitchen as you’ll use less time to cook. The remaining time can be used for your Ibaadah.

Alternatively, you can listen the Quran or a sermon while cooking.That way, you are able to manage your time.

Don’t forget your monthly flow
As women we don’t get to fast for the entire 29/30 days of Ramadan due to menstruation. Some of us don’t fast the entire month due to pregnancy and breastfeeding. We need to prepare for these days even before they come so we don’t find ourselves idle and lost. The fact that you are unable to fast does not mean you are out of doing other acts of Ibaadah. Read more 5 THINGS TO DO WHILE IN YOUR PERIOD IN RAMADAN.

Give Charity
While we are planning and shopping for Ramadan, we need to remember there are other Muslims who are going to go through the month without enough food and other basic essentials. As we prepare ourselves, let’s identify such individuals and families in our communities and give them charity so they too can prepare for Ramadan.Have a budget on how much you want to spend on charity and sadaqa.

While we wait for Ramadan to finally arrive, Shaban is the month for us to start practicing by reciting and reflecting upon the Quran, practicing of praying extra prayers, repenting and making dua (prayer) and replacing bad deeds with good deeds.

May Allah grant us a blessed Ramadan. Allahumma balignaa Ramadan

Aameen