Ramadan Prep Guide for Busy People | Part 4: Clearing the Decks

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

So far, we’ve talked about preparing for Ramadan using the Sunnah of the Prophet to get ourselves warmed up and ready to go for an all out ‘ibadah assault in a few days.  We’ve also talked about planning and calendaring.  Could there possibly be anything else left to organize, prioritize, or calendarize?

Finish Up Last Minute Projects

We’ve spent a lot of time on our planners during this series – I hope you’re making use of one outside of Ramadan.  Look at your non-critical projects and complete them to the furthest extent possible and close them until Eid.  If you’re working out, it’s time to go into maintenance mode and put your focus on ‘ibadah.  If you can do more without compromising your ‘ibadah, then go for it but remember ‘ibadah is the ultimate goal this month.  Clean out your non-critical commitments and be focused.

Put Your Peers on Notice

Whether you’re on the job or part of a club, let everyone around you know that you’re fasting the month of Ramadan, sunrise to sunset.  For some of us, it may be a great opportunity to open up a discussion about Islam itself with those who may not be in the know.  On the job, it may help with planning team events.  Letting everyone know in advance also helps head off awkward situations where you have to explain you’re fasting while in the middle of fasting, and your co-worker feeling embarrassed and apologizing, not knowing if they offended you or not.

Get Festive, Not Feisty

The coming of Ramadan is a major undertaking of worship, but it’s also a huge blessing and reward for all of us who put our best selves forward.  It’s a time to aim to be forgiven for sins.  This is not the time to argue with people.  I can’t emphasize this enough – do not begin the month arguing with people about different opinions, no matter how right you think someone is, or how wrong you think another is.  As mentioned earlier, focus on ‘ibadah, and arguing is not ‘ibadah in this context for 99.9% of us.  And don’t come back and tell me you’re the 0.1%

2 Post Ramadan Resolutions to Keep

Towards the last week of Ramadan, you’ll start hearing about Ramadan momentum, Ramadan spirit, and so on and it’s in one ear out the other.  The reason is because with all that worship you did, your brain will overload thinking of maintaining all of that, so it will maintain none of it.  Do yourself a favor and think of which goals you have mind mind for Ramadan, and then commit to maintaining some small aspect of that which you can maintain 99% of the time.  As an example, you may read 1 juz each day of Qur’an, but can’t sustain that every day.  No problem, how about 1 page a day?  Then make that your post-Ramadan goal.

The other goal to steel yourself for is fasting the 6 days of Shawwaal.  Make sure you have a plan to either do six days in a row, or weekends, or whatever strategy you have in mind, just get it done and get the reward for fasting the whole year =)

What Are Your Final Recommendations?

What are your final Ramadan recommendations before the month begins?  Let us know below =)