INTRODUCTION
As we all know, the spiritual month is once again around the corner. As expected we have been bombarded with a lot of text as regards to the coming of Ramadan. This time around, I intend to do something different . This time around I want to think of all the necessities required of me to cleanse my self before this gracious month. They say;
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail"Benjamin Franklin.
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe"
Abraham Lincoln
The Importance of timely preparation in Ramadan cannot be over emphasized. As we prepare for the external rituals, we have to work on our internal. Please refer back to our article on: https://www.beingmuslimah.org/post/10-ways-for-every-muslim-to-prepare-for-ramadan
SELF CLEANSING IDEAS
Tazkiyya (spiritual purification): Let us sit and reflect . What do I carry deep down within my heart ? Is it malice ? Is it envy ? Greed? Arrogance? It is love ?it is forgiveness ? Do I still have those nagging sins that I am yet to get rid of ? Think of all the negative things inside your heart and come up with strategies on how to eliminate or reduce them to the minimal to enable one have a clean heart ready for worship in Ramadan. Please refer to our article on https://www.beingmuslimah.org/post/spiritual-self-examination-reflection-on-inner-self
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "Verily, Allah does not look at your bodies nor your appearances, but He looks at your hearts.” (Sahih Muslim)
Once you identify your negative feelings inside, do a sincere repentance (Tauba), forgive and don't keep grudges and channel you energy into making the best use of Ramadan. This will distract you from those negative feelings.
2. Gratitude Journaling: Create a journal where you can list all the favors that Allah subhanahu wa ta'Ala bestowed upon you. This encourages us to have a positive mindset to life. When ever a calamity befalls us, let us do some gratitude journaling and this will surely make our hearts purer and ready for worship. Refer
3. Pre-Ramadan Duas
Best Dua Before Ramadan recited by Saad Al Qureshi
اَللّٰهُمَّ سَلِّمنِیْ لِرَمَضَانَ، وَسَلِّمْ رَمَضَانَ لِیْ، وَسَلِّمهُ لِیۡ مُتَقَبَّلاً ياَ أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ
Allahumma sallimni liramadana, Wasallim ramadana Li Wa Sallimhu li mutaqabbala.Ya Arhamarr Rahimin.
"Oh Allah! Safeguard me for Ramadan, safeguard Ramadan for me and accept it from me. O the most merciful of all those who show mercy!"
For special times of when Duas are accepted refer to https://riwaya.co.uk/riwaya-blog/times-duas-are-accepted/
4. Exercise and Diet: We can start exercising and eating healthier even before the fasting period. This prepares our body better for the fasting session. Being in a better physical and mental shape will give us better abilities to serve Allah just like he deserves. Managing our diet properly before Ramadan will give us the discipline to attain Sunnah of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him of not consuming too much food in our bellies. To know more about the recommended diet for iftar refer back to https://riwaya.co.uk/riwaya-blog/ramadan-recipes-ideas/
5. Reflect on Ramadan activities: Just have a simple reflection of all the activities you intend to do this Ramadan. Reflect on Suhoor and its benefits, Halaqa sessions, Tafseer & pondering of verses, Da'awah outings, social media daawah (online) charities one intends to give, the family members and friends to invite for iftar etc. simple reflections of such plans gets one in the mood
6. Books on Ramadan: There are various books you can get hang of. Books on the virtues of Ramadan, best practices, duas and getting the best out of the holy month. Some of the books can be found here https://www.allahsword.com/free_islamic_books_ramadan.html
Reading books on Ramadan are ways to increase your readiness towards achieving the best outcome. In addition to the books, there are also some recommended APPS we can use
7. Roadmap to Ramadan: One of the best ways to achieve your goal is to have a clear road map. Do not make it over whelming. Sometimes rather than completing the Quran 3 times in Ramadan , it may be more beneficial to study the tafseer of few ayats, ponder on the verses, see how it applies to your daily lives as well as how to use those verses to improve your lives. Consistency is more important that volume. This prevents us from overburdening ourselves the first 10 days and then slowing down in the subsequent days. A simple roadmap with clear targets is a good idea. Here is a sample;
Day: Ramadan Day 1
Time. 10:00-10:30am
Activity: Tafseer of Surah Naba: Verses 6-16( verses on favors of Allah)
Goal: To remind myself of the favors of Allah bestowed on us
Time: 2:00-2:30pm
Activity: Recite Juz Amma surahs
Goal: To maximize my reward from each letter
Time:4:00-4:30pm
Activity: Listen to Ramadan series by sheikh Yasir Qadhi, jotting down all the lessons learnt
Goal: To improve my self and impact better on other
Time:5:00-5:30pm
Activity: Prepare Iftar for my husband and children
Goal: To get the reward of feeding a fasting person and also to put a smile on my family's faces.
The above is just an example of how you should plan your road map, make sure there is a goal. What do I want to achieve this Ramadan ? Do I want to be a more patient person ? Search for podcast on patience , Quran and Hadith on patience etc Do I want to do better with kinship ? Give more charity ? Etc Refer to our article on
Conclusion
Having said that, let us not forget the little little things that requires less efforts but plenty rewards such as smiling, serving food to our children and husband, saying kind words to them, teaching them dua for breaking fast, waking them up for suhoor etc . In addition to self cleansing one is also required to provide the best environment that is suitable for worship. For more information refer to https://www.beingmuslimah.org/post/ten-10-ways-to-create-a-worship-friendly-home