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Panic! There's just over a week left until Ramadan and everyone around you has already been preparing.
But you haven’t and now it’s all catching up to you. How are you going to make the most of this month? Is it even worth starting to prepare now? What am I even supposed to do?
Pause for a second.
We’ve compiled a list of quick ideas to get you motivated and kick start your preparation.
Shaytan wants you to think it’s too late and there’s nothing you can do now. That’s his trick to stop you from doing anything at all.
If you didn’t start preparing at the start of Sha’ban (the Islamic month that precedes Ramadan), it’s not too late. Start now.
Once you know what you’re aiming for, you can specify what you want to practise in the time we have left.
Want to get up to pray before Fajr? Start setting that alarm 10 minutes, then 15 minutes etc. before Fajr and make it a daily habit.
[Don’t know where to start with tahajjud? Check out our blog post here]
You don’t want to gas yourself up for doing something without realising you only managed to meet your target twice in the past 5 days. Keep track of if you’re on track, if you get what we mean.
An obvious example is a mushaf (copy of the Qur’an) or a Qur’an app. And, like we mentioned earlier, start using it if this is your goal!! Other examples could be an athkar (remembrances) book, Islamic book, or hijabs.
5. Think about the practical side of Ramadan, and therefore prepare accordingly.
Don’t want to be spending time making iftar? Practise meal prepping now, and get the recipes/containers/stuff you’ll need for this. Alternatively, hop down to McDougall’s Prayer Hall every night to get a free iftar instead ????
In an idealistic world, our Ramadan would be filled with entirely ritual and “feel-good” ibaadah (worship), but guess what? You’re not paying 9 grand for nothing (even if it feels like it). Figure out what work you’ll need to do in Ramadan, and how you can ensure you still have time for your new goals.
One way of doing this is taking into account what work you can do now, instead of leaving it for Ramadan.
You can also make a timetable for each day of Ramadan and put in specific times for when you’ll be studying - remember, with the right intention, this can be an act of worship too, so don’t feel like you’re wasting time.
Which deeds are the most important, and therefore what should you focus on? Revisit your Ramadan goals list and add these in. Even listening to short lectures or podcasts about Ramadan, from sources you trust, can help you prioritise your goals and help you get the best rewards. Remember to revisit your Ramadan goals list to make sure you’re including key deeds!
Yes, we’re talking about social media. Cut down your time spent on those apps now, so it’s easier to potentially take a break from them during Ramadan.
Probably the most underestimated step:
It has been narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said Jibreel AS came to him making dua: “Verily, Gabriel came to me and he said: “Whoever reaches the month of Ramadan and he is not forgiven, then he will enter Hellfire and Allah will cast him far away, so say amin.” I said amin.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān)
