Food for thought, Ramadan Edition
I was watching insta stories of my absolute favorite blogger and she said and I quote “if you really want to do something, in today’s day and age, there is absolutely no excuse.”
Ramadan is upon us. You know, how when you sit to think about religion, you say to yourself you would do this and this only if you could find the time and opportunity to do so? Well, we are given the opportunity every single year, what do we do with it? How you want to do so many things, change so much of you if only you had the time and opportunity to do that? Well, technically we are given that opportunity every single day, in this holy month however, the opportunity is greater than ever. With everyone stuck in lockdown, if you proceed to tell yourself there is a lack of time… I mean, what are we doing with our lives then? If we can’t make time for the worship that we ourselves need, we have got to sort out our priorities then. Anyhow, we have the opportunity, we have the time, what are we going to do with it completely depends on us. Here’s what I usually do and plan on doing with my Ramadan.
First off, every Ramadan, I tell myself, these are the habits I need to get rid of this Ramadan. It’s the perfect opportunity to do it, there is a lot of determination all around, everybody is sort of working on themselves one way or another and it gets pretty easy to set a goal and achieve it. Nothing too big, just small baby steps. Over the years I have managed to keep my temper in control, give fewer thoughts to the negativity around me, I actually managed to cut down my mobile phone usage for the first time during Ramadan as an attempt to value time and waste less of it. These things have stayed with me so every year, Ramadan has given me the opportunity to change myself a little and I have tried to avail it. So far so good. That’s something anyone can try. Anyone can decide one goal, just one that you think you really need to change in yourself and work hard to put effort into yourself and come out as a better person, a person more appealing to your own self as well as one who can please Allah. Work on anger management, try to value time, set your priorities right. These things stay for a lifetime. Change for the better, little by little.
So, what do I have in mind for this Ramadan? I have all the time in the world this year, there is literally nothing to focus on but myself and my deen this year. So that is what I will try to do. I’m really going to try getting a better routine this year, no sleeping till 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Although I have no idea how this is going to work out because never in my life have I ever been a decent routine that lasted a month. But I have made an intention and Allah will help me do that, I believe. However my main objective this year is completing the Quran at least once from cover to cover with translation. I did do that last year as well but this year I intend to do it with more focus and understanding, including bits of research where need be. Alongside this, I intend to memorize three more Surahs, two short ones, and Surah Mulk. I tried this last year as well, though I could only memorize one Surah. But as I said, baby steps. Improving gradually, or else I know I’ll just be enthusiastic the first few days and then get lazy like never before. It is important to manage your pace when trying to change something or else it goes well for a while only to do straight down to hell afterward. Which kind of invalidates the entire point.
I also intend on trying to feed the poor this year. I don’t have a job so it won't be all me of course, someone else will have to get me the stuff but I do know how to cook and that skill will be put to use, not to make Iftaar for everyone at home, but Iftaar for the poor who may not otherwise have a stomach full after Maghrib. It is a massive virtue to feed the poor, especially in Ramadan. So ladies, if this year you are in the kitchen, make sure you are in the kitchen to make the day easier for someone else too. Ramadan is about compassion guys, bring it out in you as best as you can.
For anybody who may wish to access an easy translation or tafseer of the Quran, you can start a youtube Ramadan session of any scholar you like and prefer, or you can download the app Islam360 and choose from the various scholars to recite, read the translation as well as the tafseer for better understanding of the Quran. Like I wrote earlier, in this age and era, there is no excuse.
The point of this blog is not to advertise how I am trying to be a good Muslim here, I am as far from perfection as anybody can ever be. The point merely is that if you put your heart to something, it can be done. And especially in Ramadan, a lot can be done and with rather ease. This has been written merely in an attempt to motivate the reader to try and make the most out of this month because God knows, we have no idea if we will live to see another Ramadan. There are no excuses when it comes to deen and Ramadan, you either want to do it or you don’t. You can always make time for the little things that matter. What you want to do can vary with everything going around you but you can always try and do at least one thing for a better hereafter. Wallahi the End is near, every Ramadan that you get, make it count like it is the last one you’ll ever get because it might as well be our last and we will never know.
Have a blessed Ramadan everyone, remember the Ummah in your prayers :)
