Ramadan Countdown

Assalaamu Alaikum! 

How have you been? How is your Ramadan prep coming along?

In my last letter I was talking about planting seeds for Ramadan and I mentioned the importance of clearing out the space and removing weeds before planting. How successful we are in bringing the changes we want very much depends on how much space there is for our new habits to grow and thrive. Its not possible to implement changes without making some decisions, some of which may even be a little difficult at first. Instead of looking at what we should be doing more of, I’d like to shift the focus on what we can do less of or change during the remaining time we have in Sha’ban and continue for a more focused and impactful Ramadan.

Screen time

It is no secret that the deadliest addiction many of us are dealing with on a daily basis is our screens. The devices that we can’t keep our hands off are filled with apps that are deliberately designed to keep us completely hooked to them. We no longer consume content mindfully, rather it has become something that we do in every pocket of free time we get. We don’t realize how much time is being stolen from us by these apps. Ramadan is a month where we absolutely should not risk losing time to something that will not benefit us. I understand that smartphones has become a necessity in our lives and plays a functional role in things such as making payments or keeping in touch with friends and family.

Even while using these devices, there are changes we can bring that will eliminate distractions as much as possible and save us precious time. One distraction that we can get rid of is social media. Remove all social media apps from your phone and keep them off until Ramadan is over. I agree that there are a lot of good reminders and knowledge you get on those platforms, but that’s not a sufficient reason to keep using them on your phone only to get sucked into their bottomless feeds. You can always find other ways of getting reminders and knowledge that doesn’t involve using social media. You can sign up for newsletters, video series or even read a book!

Socializing

Ramadan with its special vibe also tends to increase the amount of social gatherings that people attend. In my country it starts before Ramadan where there are gatherings of friends, families and even colleagues to celebrate the arrival of Ramadan. When Ramadan arrives, then there are iftar gatherings and invitations. I am not saying that we should ban these gatherings altogether, but that they should not come at the expense of neglecting more important things.

The gatherings that are there before Ramadan should not only be something that brings people together, it should also be a place where people are inspired and motivated to do their best in the upcoming month. If it isn’t happening in your gatherings already, be the one to start talking about virtues of Ramadan and fasting, get a conversation going on what can be done to make the best of the month. Try to be more focused on sharing knowledge and encouraging each other to do their best in Ramadan and less on the varieties of food that is served. Allah prescribed Ramadan so that we attain taqwa. We should be mindful of how we use the blessings He has given us and also that our celebrations before and during the month does not encourage extravagance and wastage. Another thing that we should be mindful of is not letting the excitement of the gatherings come in the way of offering prayer on time. Always make sure that there would be a way for you to pray in case you are not able to go home or to a nearby masjid with enough time left for prayer.

Clutter and shopping

Decluttering is perhaps something that you already do as part of preparing for Ramadan. Along with your digital space, give your physical space a declutter too. The truth is that so much of what we already have remain unused. If going through everything in your home is going to be too much for you, select a category and declutter only the things which belong to that category. If you find things which are in good condition, give them away to someone who might want to use it.

Ramadan is one of the best times to reflect on our habits as a consumer and make a firm resolve to change things. Decluttering should not be used as an excuse to throw away things that are usable and buy everything new instead. The purpose of a declutter is to let go of unnecessary and focus on the essentials, enabling you to have a more rich and serene physical space. When you are tempted to purchase, question whether you are buying it out of necessity. Use the restraint that fasting teaches you to and apply it in shopping.

Let us strive to make the best of the remaining days of Sha’ban to welcome to prepare ourselves to be able to make the best of Ramadan Insha Allah.

A hadith to reflect on

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake. There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts, joy when he breaks it, and joy when he meets his Lord, and the breath (of an observer of fast) is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. (Sahih Muslim 1151e)

Jazakallah khair for reading. I would love to hear your experience after trying at least one thing from what I have mentioned here. If you found this beneficial, please share this newsletter with your loved ones too.

With lots of love and duas,

Samar