Ramadan Prep 2019

Ramadan is fast approaching and as always I am feeling excited, nervous, and more excited. Every one prepares differently for this month according to what they are trying to achieve. As for me, I can remember not too long ago where my excitement was only traditional sweets and family dinners. Now, however, all due to Allah’s blessings, I am able to do a lot more than before.

It has been so for the past few years that I have found benefit in making an actual, actionable plan for this month. I like to jot down what my spiritual goals in actionable steps which then help me to stay on track and note what my pattern of growth has been. Looking through my previous plannings, I was able to recognize what worked for me, what did not work for me, what was a too-ambitious goal and which was achievable.

If you have been following me for a while, then you know that last year was the most difficult Ramadan I have ever had due to my health. Hashimoto’s made it a very difficult month for me so, this year, I am taking it down a notch and focusing on things that can be done passively (say, while lying down on the couch like a vegetable for hours on end).

PLANNING

The first thing I do is always jot down roughly what my intentions are. What is the growth that I am hoping for? What are new things that I am trying to do and how can I actually achieve them? This year, I am focusing on memorizing a small portion of the Qur’an, reading Qur’an, and managing my health. I remember when I did Ramadan planning for the first time three years ago. Oh was I ambitious! I wrote down all of the books that I was going to read, the daily readings of one juz of the Qur’an, and all of the beautiful things that I was hoping to achieve. Now the list has gone down a lot, a little bit due to focusing more on realistic goals, and a bit due to my health diagnosis.

For this year, I opted to finally use faakihah’s printouts from her google drive and from her Etsy shop to make it a little more colorful. I have had those printed out for a very long time and am glad to have put them to good use.

MEMORIZATION

In addition to memorizing my chosen ayat, I want to listen to a tafseer of it which definitely aids in memorization. With my little knowledge of Quranic Arabic grammar, it also helps to piece the words together and help me retain the words and their meanings. This year, I am keeping my goal short insha’Allah by focusing on the first 11 ayat of Surah Al-Mu’minun (23).

I will be using this Quran Journal to help me start on my journey with more structure than before. I have never memorized anything with a teacher so any guidance on this would be helpful. This planner has some aspects which seem promising and insha’Allah with the barakah of Ramadan, it will continue to be an asset afterwards.

This app will be my friend for the duration of the memorization process. It has the ability to repeat an ayah’s recitation, control the speed of the recitation, and choose a reciter. Ideally, I am looking for an app that offers repetition of sections of an ayah. The search is ongoing! Do you have a suggestion?

For the tafseer, I am choosing to listen to this lecture and will keep myself open to any other lecture that pops after after this post is published. Not to worry, I will update those links here as well.

READS

“Purification of the Heart” is a book that I read quite a few years ago and it stirred my soul unlike any other book that I have read. It was a catalyst in me finding Islam as a true faith in my college days. So you see, this book is very special to me. I chose to re-read this during this month because it’s a fairly quick read and goes deeper into the diseases of the heart. Ramadan to me is about evolution into a better version of Me so this book fits right into it. Another reason I chose this was because I can not spend a lot of time reading due to my lack of energy. Fortunately, it is quick read which means that it does not demand too much time in reading but a lot of time in reflecting.

To aid with reflection and to make better use of my couch-vegetable time, and of course to make this an even more stimulating experience, I am going to download the following podcasts that are meant to accompany the reading of this book: Qalam Institutes’s “Purification of the Heart”, and Hamza Yusuf’s podcast series. One thing I would recommend for both of these, especially the latter one, is to download it on your phone in order and have it ready to go. The shows can become a little confusing to organize which, at least for me, creates an obstacle to actually listen. Once they are organized, it is a breeze.

QURAN

This one is going to sting. I can remember going a few years back and find myself sitting on the couch with a Qur’an propped up on pillows, focused on finishing a juz every day of the month. My Hashimoto’s has made this very difficult for me. So, I will be be reading as much as I can every day, making space for it specially during the early parts of the day so that the best of my energy is spent celebrating the reason for the gift of Ramadan.

I am hoping that listening to the tafseer of my chosen surah for memorization will help me connect with the Qur’an on a deeper level while the recitation will be a part of worship during this blessed month.

HEALTH

This category did not use to be on my ramadan planning list. I would wake up, eat a healthy suhoor and wait for a regular dinner for Iftar. The routine was simple, not overwhelming, and my days were not consumed with what to eat for suhoor and iftar. This year, though, a few things have changed. Obviously my health is a major issue but Allah has gifted me with a visit from my mother. Oh what a blessing that is! I was so, so worried about this Ramadan and my fear was five times more than it is now. Insha’Allah we both will be able to help each other go through this month.

One way I am planning on tackling the energy issue is to include carbs for both of the meals as well as incorporate herbal infusions every day. I have yet to invest in a French press (the one I bought recently broke much too soon) which makes the entire infusion process a lot easier. Ease is what is important and I am hoping to be able to do that.

I am also planning on making some sort of energy bars with powdered herbs so that I can get as much nutrition as possible during the eating hours.

This concludes my Ramadan prep for 2019! What always amazes me in planning is the unpredictability of it all. I can plan and plan but if Allah wills, I will not have the chance to reach Ramadan.

I hope and pray that Allah accepts our intentions, rewards them for it, allows us to reach Ramadan, and take us through it in a manner that is most pleasing to Him. Ameen.