By: Sadaf Sher
Our beloved Prophet (PBUH) said: “He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with faith while seeking its reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven.” Reported by Abu Hurairah [Sahih al-Bukhari].
This month is not just about the physical feelings of hunger and thirst but rather more about the spiritual growth and deeper connection with our God.
While we have entered into the most blessed month of the year, the clocks are ticking fast, and before we know it, we will be seeing it off with heavy hearts. During this month of mercy and forgiveness, Allah Almighty grants us the opportunity to multiply our good deeds, recommit to the Quran and Sunnah, be pardoned for our sins, and have our prayers answered. This is the time to enhance our connection with Him, and we must strive to make the most of it before its long gone.
Such a precious gift from our Creator deserves to be valued – every moment of this glorious month that is wasted is a loss. In order to make the most of Ramadan, we must schedule our daily activities. Possible overused, but the modern adage holds weight: “by failing to plan, you are planning to fail”
If you haven’t yet jotted down your timetable, do it now. Plan out your days and nights, the prayers, the recitation, the reflection, the adhkaar, special duas, and seeking knowledge, alongside your routine commitments.
Ladies must also schedule their work hours in kitchen so as to avoid missing out on these precious moments and days that come only once a year. The meals shouldn’t be too lavish so as to keep them indulged all day long in kitchens. If anything – even Ramzan calls for simplicity. Women equally needs time for worship and contemplation during this special period.
Ramadan must improve our lives in so many ways. It must get us closer to our Creator so that its sole purpose is met.
Scientific studies have proven that people perform better when they have written down what they need to do. Not having a properly scheduled routine can lead to lack of concentration and focus. Therefore, making a timetable and scheduling all your religious activities will help you make the most of this month while knowing that the rewards are multiplied 70 times as per hadith.
Fasting is a great way to achieve self-discipline. What better a way there would be than to couple it with a schedule and implement it wholeheartedly in order to bring about remarkable changes in oneself.
This month is not just about the physical feelings of hunger and thirst but rather more about the spiritual growth and deeper connection with our God. There’s still time to prep up and jump out of the comfort zone in order to nurture the best version of ourselves!
The writer is an avid reader, creative thinker and a freelance writer. She has done her BS (hons.) in Mass Communication and is currently doing her MBA from Bahria University Islamabad. She can be reached at [email protected]