How To Mentally and Spiritually Prepare Yourself For Ramadan
Ramadan. A time when there’s a stillness in the world, and the Muslim ummah feels more aligned with one another. When we’re able to come together and be unified by an unwavering pull towards our deen, our days occupied by a common struggle and our nights spent in prayer, pursuing the boundless love and mercy of Allah SWT. With the blessed month being mere weeks away, we thought we’d share a few tips on how to get yourself in the zone and ensure you make the most of it inshaAllah.
Planning is key!
Although fasting might make you feel otherwise, 30 days really isn’t that long, and so it’s essential to have some kind of plan or roadmap which outlines what you’d like to achieve within the month. It can be as broad or detailed as you want it to be, but your goals should be tailored to you, structured around what you feel is in your capacity to do. If you’re not quite sure where to start with your goals, head to the Challenges or Achievements section of Tarteel for some inspiration. Simply tap on a badge, and it’ll tell you what you need to read, recite or share from the Quran to earn it. Get your friends involved and level up together! It’s a great way to motivate yourself, and there are plenty to choose from.
Or simply join our Recite A Quran Give a Quran Challenge and #Ayahaday social Challenges.
Focus on being consistent in your efforts and remember that we’re trying to build habits that will remain with us long after Ramadan has passed. Towards Faith have a beautiful collection of planners that you could use to help you structure your 30 days that also make a perfect pre-Ramadan gift for your loved ones. Whether it’s reading more Quran, praying Tahajjud a few times a week or studying the Seerah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, work it into your plan and do your best.
And speaking of lists…
Make a list of your duas. This relates to the pointer above in terms of being organized but it needs its own space. Of course Allah SWT knows what we yearn for before we even raise our hands in prayer, but it’s worth writing down your duas so that you have complete clarity when making them. It’s also a really meaningful piece of writing to develop and add to as the month progresses.
Keep a few voluntary fasts
Keep a few voluntary ones leading up to Ramadan to familiarize yourself with the feeling and earn those extra rewards. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ, used to perform many voluntary fasts during the month of Sha’aban and said “...It is the month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i).
Work on your relationship with the Quran
‘Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺.’
Surah Baqarah 2:185
This is the perfect time to start engaging with the Quran; create your own goals in the Challenges section of Tarteel to integrate reading, reciting, understanding and memorizing into your daily practice, and thrive. You may aspire to complete the Quran (khatm), or simply read a set number of pages each day. Regardless of your aims, Tarteel Challenges are a simple, convenient way to get closer to your Quran goals. With reminders, progress tracking and the flexibility to create challenges that work around you, you’ll be building Quran habits that will last inshaAllah.
Whether you read it on its own or alongside a translation, study the tafsir or want to memorize more surahs to use in your salah, there are so many ways to connect with the Quran in preparation for the month ahead. It is your guide, companion, and intercession, and the virtues of reading it are abundant.
Give yourself context
Seeking knowledge is of great value in our deen, so make sure you give yourself plenty of context around Ramadan. Read around the importance of the month, listen to lectures, and make it a point of discussion with your family and friends. The more you know, the more you’ll do.
Yaqeen Institute’s Qur’an 30 for 30 podcast is an excellent resource for exploring the Quran, one chapter at a time; hosted by Sh. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Abdullah Oduro, this series runs throughout Ramadan with each day covering a whole chapter alongside a special guest. If it’s supplementary learning you’re after, Qalam Institute has an easily accessible Online Learning hub so you can take classes in your own time. There’s a variety of content on offer for adults, teens and kids, and topics range from The Fiqh of Fasting to Reading The Qur’an.
We’re better, together
Ramadan is about togetherness. Covid guidelines permitting, find out how you can get involved and support your community. It might be through your local mosque, helping out with a community-wide iftar or even just lending an extra hand at home to your loved ones. Make Ramadan something you experience far beyond yourself - a reward shared is a reward better enjoyed!
Those are just a few tips on how you can better prepare yourself for Ramadan, and it’s important to note that this is a reminder to ourselves before anyone else. We pray that we’re all able to make the most of the time and that Allah SWT accepts our duas. Most importantly, we pray that He allows us to reach the blessed month, and see many more for years to come.
How will you be preparing for Ramadan? Do you have any suggestions or resources to add? Don’t forget to tag us (@TarteelAI) in your posts so we can see how you use Tarteel! :)
