Ramadan is here: It’s normal to feel nervous, so we’ve got your back

Ramadan is finally here. The month of reflection, betterment and experience of a spiritual supercharge while we fast from food, drink and sins that feed our ego and take us further from God’s instruction of purifying our hearts.

The first day could go either way. Some struggle with their fasts, whereas others breeze through it. Then there are those who cannot fast and are trying to increase their connection to Allah in the spirit of this beautiful holy month.

No matter how you started this holy month and whether you’re able to fast or not, remember that this Ramadan, worship is believing. Here are some tips to beautify your worship and strengthen your connection to Allah throughout the month.

Purify:

The first step is to purify your intentions. Do you intend to give to the best of your potential? Or are you thinking of only doing the minimum? Aim high, ask yourself what you really want and purify your intentions. Every good intention is rewarded so already you will be gaining blessings through your journey during Ramadan.

Plan:

As you go through the month, look at your schedule and plan your ibadah (worship) accordingly. Go back to what worked last year, and don’t be afraid to experiment to see how planning differently could help you connect to Allah.

Think about how much Qur’an you can realistically read each day. Set aside time in your calendar each day to incorporate reading and learning.

If you’re able to fast, plan your Suhoor and Iftar meals in advance so you can eat healthy and balanced food. Find ways to fuel your body with fiber and protein so you’re eating healthy food in volume. Plan your workout schedule for the week so you know which days you’re going to be training and when is the best time for your body. Where are you going to do your daily 10,000 steps and do you have plans to listen to a lecture or something beneficial to you while you’re doing so?

Working around life admin and health will ease pressure, prevent procrastination and free up more time for worship. If you do find yourself procrastinating, think of the underlying emotions; anxiety, low self-esteem, fear of failure, hopelessness and depression will all drive you to procrastinate.

Your mental health matters as you strive to become a better Muslim, so take the route of understanding and working through the emotional root behind the actions you want to improve.

Prepare:

Prepare yourself with better nutrition, less caffeine, more water and removing unnecessary distractions. Prepare by learning more about Sunnah actions to complete in this time and what you can do to achieve them.

As you prepare, check in with your emotions. If you feel bad about having a protein shake for suhoor because you don’t like the taste, have high-protein yoghurt instead. If you feel inadequate about

reading one juz a day every single day, have one day where you slow down and really ponder upon what you’ve read in the previous days and plan more time to read an extra few pages of the Qur’an in the following days.

Your emotions will guide you through your preparations and help you make long term changes for the sake of this life and the hereafter.

Praise:

Increase in Dhikr (remembrance of Allah (swt)) and take advantage of the increased blessings of Ramadan. We saw Ramadan only by Allah’s will and mercy, so remember him often.

Remember Allah and He will remember you (Qur’an 2:158). What better way to get Divine guidance through this month than to be in Allah’s remembrance?

Pray:

Get into the habit, if you are not already, of increasing your prayers to include Sunnah and Nafl prayers.

“Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan due to faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukahri)

Prayer is the key to success; our Athan, our call to prayer, teaches us to ‘hurry to prayer, hurry to success’. There’s no way for us to be too busy to pray because Allah is the custodian of time. Give him some time to worship Him, and trust that the barakah (blessings) of the time he’s given you on this Earth will expand.

Ramadan is yours, theirs and ours

For many across the Muslim world, Ramadan will be a month where survival continues to be a priority. Devastated by war, disease and disaster they will struggle to eat, find shelter, or achieve good health.

Your help now, could mean so much more!