RAMADAN
Nine Reasons Why We Must Plan For Ramadan
Have you noticed that each year, Ramadan goes by faster and faster?
Personally, I can remember details of Ramadan 11 years ago better in some
ways than of Ramadan last year. It's frightening.
This blessed month can't be left to become a blur in our memories. It has to
be more than that time of the year we squeeze in fasting amongst the other
things we do daily.
One way to make the most of Ramadan is to plan beforehand.
Here are nine reasons why you should plan for Ramadan:
Reason #1: To be in "Ramadan mode"
By planning for Ramadan before it arrives, you put your
mind in "Ramadan mode". If you plan, you will mentally
prepare for it, and it will force you to see it as the
special month it is outside of your regular routine the
rest of the year.
Reason #2: To adjust your schedule
By planning in advance, you can adjust your work, sleep
and meal schedules in such a way as to make time for
Sahoor, Iftar, etc. That means, for instance, that if you
normally go to bed at midnight, in Ramadan you would sleep
earlier in order to get up early for Sahoor. Or if you
usually study late, you can instead sleep earlier and
start studying after Sahoor in the early morning hours.
Planning in advance allows you the luxury to make time for
the change in schedule that Ramadan brings.
Reason #3: You can plan Ramadan family time
Is dinnertime usually an individual affair in your home,
as opposed to a time the whole family eats together? Are
Friday evenings the time every family member goes off to
his/her own social activities? Planning in advance can
change this at least in Ramadan. Calling a family meeting
about a month in advance, explaining the importance of
Ramadan, its implications for the family and the need to
eat Iftar together when possible as well as to attend
Tarawih prayers, for example, will allow all family
members to adjust their work and school schedules
accordingly. That will, Insha Allah, make Ramadan a
blessing not just to every person in the family, but to
the family as a whole.
Reason #4: To make the menu
While Ramadan may mean extra Ibadah to some of the
brothers, it usually means extra cooking for most of the
sisters. Ramadan's blessings are for men and women. Making
a Ramadan menu for Iftar and meals, and working out when
you want to invite relatives, neighbors and friends for
Iftar will give sisters the opportunity to catch Tarawih
and various other advantageous Ibadat instead of spending
Ramadan's 29 or 30 days stuck in the kitchen. (And by the
way, brothers, helping out with cooking or cleaning was a
practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon
him-maybe this is a way you can increase your Sawab
[rewards] this month).
Reason #5 : You can plan a Iftar at your home
You may have eaten fantastic Iftars at friends' homes last
year. This year, open your doors. There is blessing in
feeding a fasting person other than yourself and your
family. Planning in advance gives you the luxury of
calling friends over the month before and setting a date,
so you can "grab" them before others get an opportunity
to. Much Sawab, Insha Allah!
Reason #6: To make a travel schedule
Do you know a fellow Muslim in your neighborhood who wants
to get to the mosque for Tarawih every night but doesn't
have a car? Or do you look at your work schedule and
realize you have to work overtime near the end of Ramadan,
so your family will miss out on Tarawih at the mosque the
last ten nights of Ramadan? Planning in advance helps you
work out your daily or weekly travel schedule to attend
Tarawih prayers at the mosque, or even a trip for Iftar at
a friend's place who may live farther away. It also helps
ease the burden of transportation in winter. Maybe you can
start a car pool? Since you have the time before Ramadan
begins, you can work this out with neighbors and friends.
Reason #7: To do good at high Sawab times
Being generous is definitely an Islamic merit, but being
generous in Ramadan is even more highly rewarded. Match
Ibadat with specific times that carry more reward. Prepare
to do Itifkaf, increase asking Allah for forgiveness in
the last ten nights of Ramadan. Plan to give increased
Sadaqa this month. Plan to visit that relative you may
have not seen for months, if not years. Thinking about and
arranging to do these things and finding other ways of
gaining the pleasure of Allah in Ramadan will Insha Allah
help you benefit more from it.
Reason #8: You can squeeze in Eid shopping
Planning in advance helps you think about all of those
things you wanted to do in time for the end of Ramadan or
Eid last year but couldn't. Maybe you wanted to go Eid
shopping for gifts for family and friends in the last week
of Ramadan but were too busy with the last ten nights of
Ramadan. No problem. This year, you decide to go in the
third week of Ramadan instead.
Reason #9: You can plan Dawa activities during Ramadan
Give food for other Muslims to break their fast with.
Planning in advance for such an activity is needed. You
can also plan school Dawa activities in Ramadan by
planning in advance, by meeting with the principal or
teacher beforehand, preparing a presentation, etc.
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