All of us eagerly wait for Ramadan to begin. Of course, we need to prepare ourselves before Ramadan, so as to get the most out of it. This article offers 15 actionable points to help you prepare for Ramadan.
15 Ways To Prepare For Ramadan Right Now
1. Fast Before Ramadan
This will help you get used to the routine of fasting so that during Ramadan, you can adjust and synchronize better.
2. Train Yourself
Start eating less from now itself. Train yourself to stay hungry for a little more time, with each passing day. With the long fasting hours, small children running around and no family to help out, tempers can rise very quickly on empty stomachs. Training right now can come handy during Ramadan.
3. Practise Reading The Quran
If you have not been a regular reader of The Quran, this is an ideal time to start, and make a habit out of it, so that you can progress faster in Ramadan.
4. Take Days Off From Social Networking Sites
A lot of time while fasting is spent telling other people that we are fasting. It is not necessary to let people know what you are having for Iftar or that you are waiting for it. People do not need to know which Masjid you are attending for Tarawih. Spend less time on social networking sites beforehand, so that it is easier for you to adjust during Ramadan.
5. Cut Down On Your TV
Most of us are regular watchers of TV. Try to spend less hours watching TV few days before Ramadan, so that you can take longer breaks during Ramadan.
6. Be Productive
You can contact your local Masjid or ask friends and relatives about any charity event that you can participate and help out. Don’t kill time. It’s not precious but priceless, especially during the blessed days of Ramadan. Use it productively.
7. Read A Good Book
Choose a good book (for example, one related to Hadith, stories of Prophets or Sahabah, etc.) and get into a habit of reading. Make the most of time. Books have a lot of knowledge locked in. Dig deeper and unlock the treasures!
8. Listen To Islamic Lectures
This is another way to use your time productively. It increases your knowledge and faith. You can listen to lectures from various scholars. If you start now, you will get into the habit of doing this, else it becomes difficult to start during Ramadan as most of us do not spend much or any time listening to Islamic lectures.
9. Try Sleeping Less During The Night
Get into the habit of being awake during the night so that it is not difficult during Ramadan. Your body will adjust accordingly if you start right now.
10. Spend Time At Your Local Masjid
Try praying all the 5 prayers in the Masjid itself if you did not do so earlier. Try waking up early for Fajr, and then head towards the Masjid to pray in congregation.
11. Get Your Eid Clothes And Gifts Ready
This one is simple: do not waste a day of Ramadan, especially the last ten days, for shopping.
12. Cleanliness Matters
Clean your house right now, so that minimum cleaning will suffice during Ramadan. Also, a cleaner and more organized environment can add to the overall peace and calm.
13. Organize Your Dua List
Prepare and gather all the duas that you want to make in Ramadan. Make a list of people you want to make dua for: some friends from long ago that you remember fondly, close and distant relatives etc.
14. Make A List Of Goals
Make realistic goals — how many surah or ayah would you like to recite in a day, etc. Perform dhikr during your normal chores. List out your bad habits that you want to get rid off, or good habits that you want to pick up. Let this Ramadan be the beginning for it.
15. Analyze Your Routine
Understand your routine, such as the times of the day when your energy levels are high or low, the times in the day when there are some errands that you have to run, and so on. Optimize your high energy levels (which are normally after Fajr) for reading the Quran. Think of what you can do when your energy levels tend to drop.
Conclusion
Ramadan is an opportunity to correct our mistakes and repent. It is an opportunity to do as much as Ibadah (worship) as we can. It comes once a year, and no one knows how many of us will live to see the next one. So let us all try to make the most of this Ramadan. Let us try our best to better ourselves for the sake of Allah.
Let this Ramadan make us realize our mistakes and lead to a better change in us. Let this Ramadan be the best turning point of our lives.
