Preparing for Ramadan

Ramadan is the one of the most sacred and holiest months of the year in the Hijri  Calendar (Muslim calendar). Almost 2 billion Muslims around the world observe this month by fasting from sehri to iftar the whole day long. Not only fasting but also it is time for the purification of minds, increasing self-discipline and spiritual well-being through prayer to Almighty Allah. Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained.” So, preparing for Ramadan is one of the most important things to get the highest benefits and blessings from it. However, This blog will focus on some tips and tricks for preparing for Ramadan. So that you make the most of this holy month.

Set your intentions

Before the start of this holy month, you need to be clear about your intentions. Why do you want to fast? What is the reason behind it? And what do you hope to gain in this holy month? To get the best out of it, learn about its importance then set your intentions. Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) said,

“Indeed, deeds are (judged) by intentions. Every man will be rewarded only for what they intended.” (Source: Muttafaqun ‘Alayh)

Purify your heart

It is a month of purification. Besides, seeking forgiveness is also time to forgive others as well. Forgive those who have harmed you. Abstain from not only food and drinks but also negativity and wrongdoings. Do remember Allah as much as you can. These things help you to purify your heart and soul and make you the better version of yourself.

Practice fasting

You can practice fasting for a small duration even the whole day before the Ramadan starts. Some people also reduce their food consumption gradually before the holy month so that they adjust to their eating habits. So, you can follow one of them so that you easily accommodate yourself with the month-long fasting easily.

Make a Ramadan schedule

Planning does half of the execution of your goal. In Ramadan, there is a lot that you can do. So, for execution, you can make a Ramadan schedule of your own. This will help you to stay well-organized, and disciplined, and will create enough time for prayer, devotion and rest including other socio-religious activities. Be serious about the schedule and execute it properly to make it the best Ramadan for you.

Plan your meals

Meals are important especially when you are fasting. Don’t opt for too much food to keep your belly full for the rest of the day, eating too much will make you heavy and tired. Therefore, Be selective and focus on healthy and nutritious food that will ensure a balanced diet. Keep in mind, you need the energy to sustain the whole day. So, go for those foods which are light but provide enough energy for fasting.

Seek knowledge

Besides fasting, this is a month of seeking knowledge as well. Many Islamic scholars encouraged people to seek knowledge through the Quran and other Islamic books and implement those to be better Muslim as well as better humans. Allah Says-

“The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was sent down as a guidance for mankind with clear proofs and guidance and discrimination.” (2:186)

So, grab this excellent opportunity to enhance your knowledge about Islam, attend Islamic seminar programs if possible and listen to Islamic lectures both online or offline according to your convenience.

Increase your worship

The more you seek knowledge the more you will be aware of Islam, thus your faith in Allah will be stronger than ever before. Another way to strengthen your belief is worship. The blessings and rewards of Ramadan are immense. In this holy month, the reward of our every good deed will be multiplied by 70. So, increase your worship as much as you can through performing regular prayer, reciting Quran, contributing to charity and making dua. These things will make you close to Allah spiritually and you will feel the divine peace by heart.

Seek forgiveness

Ramadan is a month of forgiveness and forgiving. Our dua is more effective in this month than at any other time of the year. So, seek forgiveness for your drawbacks, mistakes and shortcomings. Ask for the right path and proper guidance from Allah so that you can live as a better human for the rest of your days. In terms of this Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) said,

“He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeks his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeks his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Lailat al- Qadr in prayer with faith and seeks his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.”

                           (Source: Bukhari and Muslim)

Be mindful of others

Besides self-control, and self-discipline, the core purpose of Ramadan is to build empathy and compassion among mankind. According to the current data from the World Food Programme nearly 345.2 million people are struggling with hunger, poverty and malnutrition. Among them, many people live near us. So, in this holy month be mindful of others, help those who are in poverty, and share your meal with those who live with hunger or are in a food security crisis.

Reduce your screen time

With the huge flourishment of smartphones and computers, people are more engaged with the internet. Though, the Internet is undoubtedly a blessing for humankind but a curse on the other hand as well. Because of highly addictive contents people are much more addicted to their smart devices than ever before which hampers our daily life activities. In this Ramadan to get the maximum benefit of it, it is highly suggested to reduce your screen time and focus on prayer, normal life activity, engaging with your family, social gatherings in iftar and devotion. If you can keep the consistency, you can detoxify your internet addiction and be able to live an effective life.

Maintain Cleanliness

Cleanliness is the prerequisite of any prayer in Islam. Islam highly emphasizes cleanliness and encourages humankind to be clean both physically and spiritually. A Muslim needs to clean his body, wear clean clothes and should keep his house and the whole locality neat and clean to obtain the blessing from almighty Allah. Allah Says-

“Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean.” [2: 22]

Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said-

“Removing any harm from the road is a charity (that will be rewarded by Allah).” [Bukhari]

So, Be clean and wear neat and clean clothes to perform your prayer.

Final Giveaway

Since Ramadan is the month of fasting and praying, your energy level will generally remain lower than any other month of the year. After maintaining all these prayers and obligations you may not be able to do your laundry regularly. Or, you might have office hours the whole day long that’s why Hamlet Laundry is here to help you to balance your work properly. Just go to our service section above and select whatever you need, we will care about the rest. We offer you a one-stop laundry service within a 24-hour timeframe to your doorstep. So, select laundry Hamlet laundry as your laundry partner to help you to maintain cleanliness and make your Ramadan effective.