InshaAllah your first day of fasting is a blessed one. Here are a few videos we're tuning into today! Make some time to listen through to at least one or two!
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As-salaamu'alaikum one and all - Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan, the blessed month of the Qur'an and of fasting, is upon us. It feels as though last year's Ramadan was a distant memory or a dream. At SunnatulHayaat, we hope to begin a community Ramadan journal that sisters can contribute to - be it reminders, recipes, family traditions, reflections and other thoughts, all experiences are welcome. This will be the beginning of something beautiful inshaAllah. Before anything else, we seek to prepare ourselves for this blessed month. Here are tips for this Ramadan! Tips to Prepare for Ramadan**take advantage and act, now!* 1. Set intentions. Intentions are so important in Islam, and are the building blocks for the actions we partake in throughout the course of our lives. By setting intentions, you are essentially creating goals for yourself, important not just for the month of Ramadan, but for life overall. Studies have shown that goal-setting increases achievement, and what better success is there but that which we seek for ourselves? (i.e. the pleasure of Allah) Common goals you'll find Muslim peers having this month include:
The list goes on. However, even more than important as setting goals is planning how to achieve goals. Make sure that as you are goalsetting, you make SMART goals: specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely goals. Break your goals into actionable steps you can take to achieve them. For example, if you want to read the Qur'an cover to cover, doing the math says 1 juz a day, or approximately 20 pages, will get you there. But in even more detail, perhaps reading 4-5 pages after every prayer will create the structure to actually do so. As today is the first of Ramadan, take some time to set your goals and comment them down below! 2. Spend quality time with the Qur'an. There is no doubt that Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an - it is the month in which it was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). We tend to only associate Ramadan with fasting, but it is so, so much more than just about the fast! Let us take this month to truly connect with the Qur'an. Read it more, practice reading and reciting Qur'an, read the tafseer (translation) of the Qur'an, listen to it throughout the day (at work, during lunch, at home, etc), fall in love with the word of Allah. Stay tuned on future posts with tips on how to do this effectively! 3. Give a little. Get in the habit of giving in the way of Allah. Find local charities to get behind, start contributing to causes around the world, share your food with those your see, give a dollar a day - you can give in so many ways, with whatever you can afford to give! Don't forget to make time for your friends and family, smile at others (it's sadaqah!) and be ready, as Ramadan is also a month of giving. 4. Get excited! What traditions do you have when it comes to Ramadan? If you don't have any, set some! Put up decorations, clean up the home, get in the habit of playing Qur'an, and draft up an iftar menu. It's perfectly okay and completely recommended to GET. IN. THE. MOOD. Ramadan is a time of celebration - it is a blessed month! Why not live it up, make the most of it? Tell your friends, tell your teachers, tell your co-workers, tell your neighbors. It's a special time of year for us Muslims! (And just because it isn't a national holiday doesn't mean we can't celebrate.) 5. Increase your daily remembrance of Allah. Let's be honest. In our day to day lives, we get so caught up in the things we do, the people we meet, the thoughts buzzing around in our heads, and we forget Allah. Allah! Our Creator, our Sustainer! Make a habit of remembering Allah. You can start by first fulfilling your daily prayers, and then reciting daily dhikr after your prayers, then you'll come to find how easy it is for your tongue to call upon Allah all throughout the day. Begin building this habit now and maintain it for life. Two phrases are are exceptionally important to note are: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ “Glory and praise is to Allah" سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ الْعَظِيمِ "Glory to Allah, the Great" Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace Be Upon him) said, “There are two statements that are light for the tongue to remember, heavy in the Scales and are dear to the Merciful: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan-Allahil-Adheem” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. 6. Disconnect. Put your phone down (unless you're reading this on it... then please continue on!) and don't dedicate hours to scrolling through feeds that will not benefit you in the long run. We can easily get bogged down in social media, dreaming up a life filled with what others have, and it can be a damper on life. Studies have shown that increased social media usage is linked to increased symptoms of anxiety and depression among other mental health concerns, so take some time off the phone and go spend it with family and friends, IRL. Read books (ahem, read the Qur'an *hint hint*), take a walk, get crafty. 7. Make amends. Ah, lastly. Make amends. The month of Ramadan is the month of istighfar - asking for forgiveness. From Allah. From others, too. Never think something is too much to not turn back. Allah is:
I pray you all have a blessed Ramadan. May Allah open His doors of mercy and Jannah to us and open our hearts, accept our deeds and forgive us our wrongdoings. Ameen. Adapted from Roedah's Ramadan prep video on Youtube.
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