“My exams are coming up, I need to study, I need to focus, I need to make a time-table, I need to set a routine, I need to get healthy, I need to plan my meals and workouts and…and…”

Before any major event in our life we prepare and try to make everything best of the best, aiming high and still wanting to do better next time.

A few days left until Ramadan. It’s far; no need to think about it yet, but think again. Time never waits and Ramadan will come to you in no time. Ramadan is an opportunity for muslims to boost their iman, to attain the highest levels of Jannah by doing good deeds which are multiplied several times. Islam teaches us a way of life.

Most of our life is full of dealing with ourselves and dealing with the people around us. So, it is important to have a good character which implies we need to be a person with the best character in Ramadan.  Many of us know someone close or far who was with us last Ramadan and now s/he is with Allah. This is a great chance for all of us who are alive and healthy Alhamdulilah! We may never get the chance again. Think about those people who were very good in character and had good relations with others around them, they are mostly remembered in our prayers and vice-versa, so think about in which group of people you would want to be a part of after your death.

What many of us do is try to get energized when Ramadan starts. We start our engines to correct ourselves, do ibadah and by mid-Ramadan we are charged. However, that means we have lost most of Ramadan adjusting to our new selves and new routine. Lost time is never found. So in order to get the best and utilise every day and every minute of Ramadan, we need to train ourselves beforehand. Practice will make us perfectly fit for the new routine, Inshallah.

Firstly, let’s organize ourselves, and this is the most important. Fix your personality: anger management, attitude, rude comments and remarks etc. (we all know what is wrong with ourselves) get rid of all these bad traits. Reduce the number of times you sin every passing day. For example; if you get angry four times a day, the next day try to reduce it to three, and so on. This will require lots of patience; which is also needed for fasting, so this is a great way to gain patience. Mending your character in advance, and ridding yourself of bad habits will help you to gain the patience needed in Ramadan to get through a long day without the necessities of nutrition and water. Hence, whilst fasting you will be able to smile, spread happiness and gain more good deeds. Even if you are tired, good deeds like helping out your mother, family , neighbors etc. will also help you gain characteristics of patience, kindness and will build a better neighborhood. Remember to BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)”

As we can conclude from this hadith that it is very important to get ourselves away from not only bad deeds, but also we have to be very cautious about our character. Once you have, identified problem areas in your character begin immediate work on them. But don’t get stuck only on character; you may remain there forever, work on other things too.

Next, set a list of good deeds you would like to implement in your life. Ramadaan is not a one month boot camp. It’s the beginning of a new lifestyle; an opportunity to integrate more reward-able deeds into our lives. By these simple ways you can gain good deeds now and if you continue this in Ramadan your good deeds will multiply making a you a better person for the rest of your life.

Start finding your lost time. That means time management; assigning time periods for ourselves and daily tasks, you will find that you have lots of spare time even if you take 5 minute breaks after each activity. In the spare time you need to do ibadah of any kind, whether it be reading Qur’an, praying or remembering Allah. So organize your time now and you will see that in Ramadan it won’t be very hard for you to balance work and ibadah. Again remember having a proper schedule and organizing time is an important part of character as this will make you a punctual person which is highly appreciated in Islam as well as in the world.  Organize your work place at home and office so that it doesn’t take much time to find and work on things. For women they should make it simple so that dishes and meal prepping doesn’t take most of their time. Remember Ramadan isn’t about feasting it’s about eating just enough to be healthy enough to do ibadah. Also try completing your shopping beforehand whether it be clothes or food, so that you don’t miss the blessed nights of Ramadan.

So, start preparing your character and your body for Ramadan and you will see that this Ramadan will be different; it will be easier for you to do good deeds, stay away from the bad control yourself and be in the best of iman and character. You will see that these little tips will make a huge difference. In Shaa Allah.

Fatima Damad

Writer, AAT