house chores and fulfill family responsibilities, and the time you are going to be at work. Then allocate specific time for your ibadaat during Ramadan, for example reading the Qur’an before or after Fajr every day, making dua 30 minutes before iftar every day, doing dhikr after dhuhr salah everyday and so on. Stick to your allocated time. 3. Set clear and SMART goals, meaning that they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Whatever you plan to do for ibadah it should be a SMART goal. 4. Utilize the early hours of the morning. This is before and after Fajr time. This is the time when most family members, or at least the younger children (who need attention most), will be sleeping. And this will help you get quality ibadah time with Allah SWT with the least amount of distraction. Of course this is one of the most blessed times as well.
this month. Help others with some of your time and energy as well. Check up on people to see if they are doing okay, and extend your help whenever possible. 9. Fast from excessive social media that might distract you from benefiting from Ramadan. Monitor your internet and media time very carefully. Only use the media which will help you with the goals of guidance and taqwa. Focus on your relationship with Allah SWT. Cutting down on social media time will free up more time for worshiping Allah SWT, insha’Allah.
10. Last but not least, stay physically healthy with good eating and sleeping habits. Make sure you have good energy for your ibadaat. Take care of your body by getting enough sleep, maybe squeeze in a short nap if possible during the day. Pace yourself throughout Ramadan where you start strong, stay strong, and end even stronger, especially in the last ten days. Make sure you keep 5. Schedule a family study circle where the family sits down yourself hydrated with water and other healthy drinks for an agreed upon time and studies some things from the during the non fasting hours. Make sure you get up for Deen, depending on the age of the children. Again the goal suhoor because that is a Sunnah and there is barakah should be guidance and taqwa. This (added blessings) during that time. helps us develop our family bonds, Plan healthy meals and drinks for along with our relationship with Allah yourself and your family. Avoid oily SWT. This will also bring blessings We should make sure we have and sugary foods and eat nutritious in your relationship within the family and wholesome foods. Remember planned how we are going to members as well, insha’Allah. You the advice of Rasool Allah SAW spend our time with this guest about the 1/3 portions of food, water, will be a family that shares the vision (Ramadan) so that we get the and air in our stomach. Staying of gaining Allah’s pleasure and ultimate reward of Jannah together. emotionally healthy is important as most out of this relationship. well. Since we will be spending a lot 6. Avoid multitasking during of time with Allah SWT, we should be important ibadaat. Studies show able to pour our hearts out to Him. that multitasking can slow down productivity. When we Being connected with Allah SWT should give us the peace multitask, our brains are unable to give full attention to any that our hearts need, especially in the testing time of this one of the tasks. So when you are cooking or cleaning, you period. Avoid debates in arguments with others, especially can continue to do the adhkar with your lips or listen to a over religious matters. Seek help from Allah when you do lecture, but be aware that your full focus will not be given find yourself getting angry or upset. Be very careful with to either of those tasks. When it comes to specific ibadaat your choice of words, because negative thoughts, words during Ramadan try your best to focus on that ibadah with and actions can be harmful to the quality of our fast. no distractions. With everything we do in Ramadan, in the 24 hours, we need 7. We all know that after faith (Iman), the best deed is to have the intention to please Allah SWT. Continuously obligatory salah at its earliest time. Try to improve the make dua to Allah SWT that He accepts everything we do quality of your salah before Ramadan and maintain a high each day. May Allah SWT make each of our Ramadans standard of khushu during Ramadan. Add extra nawafil better than the previous one. Let’s have the best action whenever possible. plan and ask Allah SWT to help us achieve the goals of guidance and taqwa. May Allah give us the ability to be a 8. Help others with your self. You can help some people Mutaqqi (people who are conscious of Allah, people who with money. Try to do this every day, if possible. We know love Allah and fear Allah in balance, and people who obey that Ramadan is a month of giving, so be extra generous in Allah SWT, Ameen! v
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