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

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

So far, we’ve talked about preparing for Ramadan using the Sunnah of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) 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

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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 =)

Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

Siraaj is the Executive Director of MuslimMatters. He's spent over two decades working in dawah organizations, starting with his university MSA and going on to lead efforts with AlMaghrib Institute, MuslimMatters, and AlJumuah magazine. He's very married with wonderful children

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Pingback: Ramadan Prep Guide for Busy People| Part 1: Training Season | MuslimMatters.org

  2. Pingback: Ramadan Prep Guide for Busy People | Part 2: Planning and Hitting Ambitious Goals Easily | MuslimMatters.org

  3. Umm Yasa'ah

    June 24, 2014 at 1:48 PM

    Assalamu Alaikum Brother Siraaj,

    Just a heads up, I requested an article from you about mid-Ramadan laziness. Please do write it, it would be extremely beneficial to me and many others. :)

    Jazakallahukhair

    • Dreamlife

      June 25, 2014 at 6:22 AM

      I believe there’s an excellent talk by Muhammad Al Shareef on exactly that – “The Fasting and the Furious”. Look it up :)

  4. amatullah

    June 25, 2014 at 2:02 AM

    Assalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

    JazakAllahu Khayr!

    i personally want to do lots of istighfaar before ramadan (ofcourse even during ramadan insha Allaah) because sins can make it difficult to do good deeds. And all of us commit sins whether we realize it or not.

    And the other thing is to keep making DUA that Allaah S.W.T. enables us to utilize each and every moment of this blessed month in the best way pleasing to Him and that we emerge like new born babies (our sins wiped out) on the day of Eid insha Allaah!!

  5. Abdul-Qadir

    June 25, 2014 at 1:13 PM

    The main things for me in recent Ramadans is making sure to get enough water in the morning and getting the maximum amount of sleep at night. We forget sometimes that water is more important to our bodies than food, so I have to remind myself to drink several glasses, that way my energy level will be high throughout the day.

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