Practical Landmarks for a Soul-Transforming Ramadan
The Qur'an:
Set a specific amount of time or a daily portion (Wird) for your recitation.
For Contemplation (Tadabbur): Stop at the last two pages of your daily portion and reflect.
Is there a word you don’t know? Read consciously, then look up its meaning.
Is there a Divine instruction from Allah for me to act upon? Take it and hold your soul accountable to it.
It is a simple act, but if you remain consistent, you will find yourself in an advanced spiritual station after a short while.
You don’t need to do this on every page so as not to lose the flow of the recitation (Sard); rather, pick a page from the beginning once, from the middle once, and from the final pages of your portion once.
Beneficial Principles: To take advantage of Ramadan:
- Purify Your Heart from Conflicts: Do not live through Ramadan burdened by grudges. The Qur'an does not dwell in a heart crowded with disputes.
Ramadan requires a heart that is sound and free of resentment (Salim al-Sadr).
But what if they wronged me and I don’t want to forgive?
Then, at the very least, stop following their news. Do not throw wood onto a fire that has almost died out.
- Acknowledge Previous Shortcomings: Clearly admit what you missed last Ramadan.
Write down: "What I failed to achieve last Ramadan: (Honoring my parents – Mindful silence – Frequent charity...)."
Principle: Whoever does not confront their loss will repeat it.
- Be the Change: Do not say, "Ramadan will change me." Instead, see Ramadan as an opportunity for you to change yourself.
Tell yourself this directly, because the phrase "Ramadan will change me" is often a psychological trick to deflect personal responsibility.
- Moderate Your Permissible Enjoyments: Ease off on drowning in "Halal" distractions (competitions, lavish gatherings...). We say ease off, not abandon completely.
- Purify Your Intentions from Showing Off:
Ramadan does not need posts, stories, or photos. Keep the details of your preparation to yourself. Why be preoccupied with others? If you must share, wait until after Ramadan is over!
- Start with a Simple Plan: Exaggeration is the first step toward burnout and quitting.
Tell yourself: "I want to arrive, but I am not bound by a specific, rigid timeframe."
Ramadan needs a clear, simple plan. It needs Habits, not just Goals, because once a person reaches a goal, they often relax and stop progressing.
Example:
The Mistake: Completing a certain number of ختمات (Goal).
The Correct Way: I will not pray an obligatory prayer without reading something from the Qur'an (Habit).
Try to choose habits and link them to existing routines to ensure consistency.
Example: I will never visit my mother without a small gift, and I will never speak to her without making her smile.
This may seem simple, but it builds your character until you become among those whom Allah boasts of.
- Learn the Fiqh of Fasting: Learn the rulings by listening to lectures or reading a book. The fading of the light of knowledge weakens faith.
- Identify the Barrier: Ask yourself: "What is the sin I fear might deprive me of the sweetness of Ramadan?" ↫ It might be something seemingly small, like the way you respond to your mother.
- Ease Off Worldly Preoccupations: Hearts cannot enjoy Revelation if the "noise" of the world is louder.
How do I lower the world's volume?
Do not talk while hearing the Adhan.
Head to prayer immediately when you hear the Iqamah.
Do not answer calls or engage in dialogue during prayer times; teach those who call you that this time is sacred for Allah.
- Quality Over Quantity: The Qur'an is not measured by the number of pages, but by what it changes within you. Do not open the Qur'an with a "productivity" mindset; open it with a heart ready for accountability (as if the Qur'an is questioning you and you are answering).
- Master One Act of Worship: Perfecting one act with sincerity is better than ten scattered, distracted ones.
Act as if Paradise is a palace with a thousand doors; you knock on many, but focus your strength on one.
Example: My "door" is serving my spouse, relieving their worldly burdens and helping them with the Hereafter—while still maintaining time for Qur'an and Qiyam.
- Prioritize the Obligatory (Fara'id): Do not neglect the basics for the sake of the voluntary (Nawafil).
It is a mistake to have no presence or focus in Dhuhr and Asr, yet be vibrant only in Fajr and Taraweeh!
- Monitor Your Heart in Taraweeh: Do not be preoccupied with the number of Rak'ahs or completions. Ask yourself: "What did I gain from this Taraweeh?"
Also, your tears in Taraweeh do not always mean your heart is following correctly. Sometimes, the Imam’s voice is sad, reminding you of a worldly sorrow, so you cry for your grief rather than the Verse.
Be honest with yourself: Is this crying for the voice, for an old sin, or for the Verse itself?
It is all good, but we want you to say: "The Verse scared me, or opened my heart to Paradise, so I cried out of longing." We do not want to cry over the world.
Conclusion: If you cannot stand in prayer at night (Qiyam al-Layl), do not deprive yourself of the "Standing of the Heart" (Qiyam al-Qalb) even in a single Rak'ah.
- The Fast of the Senses: Ramadan is not just fasting from food; it is fasting from all harm.
- Character is Key: Do not use fasting as an excuse for bad manners; that is a declaration of spiritual failure.
- Guard Your Tongue: Most "Ramadan losses" begin with a single word.
- A New Beginning: Live Ramadan as a start for what comes after it, not an end to what came before.
You are increasing your pace to continue, not to return to your old self after the month ends.
- Holistic Care: Tend to your health, nutrition, and sleep. Often, spiritual lethargy is caused by a neglected body.
The Prophet ﷺ said: «You should pray as long as you have the energy to do so. If you feel tired, then lie down.» [Sahih Bukhari]
- Be a Key to Good: Be a "Key for Goodness and a Lock for Evil." Ramadan is an opportunity to discover the hidden goodness within us.
- Daily Solitude (Khalwah): Set aside a few minutes for daily solitude between you and God. The heart enjoys quiet moments amidst the noise of life.
- Do Not Delay Repentance: Do not wait for the last ten nights. Repentance is the "Door of Entry," not the "Door of Farewell," even though we renew it constantly.
- Daily Reflection: Ask yourself every day: "What is new today?"
"New" does not necessarily mean "more." It could mean: "My steadfastness in what is beneficial." This is the most beautiful "new" thing. Whoever doesn't understand this will continue to beat themselves up. Your most important prayer should be: "O Allah, keep my heart firm!" You want to die firm on the path.
- Identify Shortcomings, Not Excuses: When you see a delay in your progress, look for where you fell short, not for justifications.
- Sacred Time for Dhikr: Allocate time for Remembrance (Dhikr) that nothing can crowd out, even if it’s just ten minutes.
- Sincerity Over Volume: If an act of worship feels heavy on the limbs, reduce the number but increase the internal sincerity.
- The Secret Worship: Have a "Hidden Act of Worship" that no one knows about, not even your closest loved ones... even something simple like seeking forgiveness (Istighfar) 100 times a day.
- Refine Your Character: An act of worship that does not refine the heart is deficient.
- Fix Relationships First: Rectify your relationship with your family before focusing solely on voluntary acts.
- A Ramadan Virtue: Choose one specific character trait (Khuluq) to train yourself on this month.
- Sincerity, Not Perfection: Ramadan does not wait for or demand perfection; it waits for and demands Sincerity of Direction.
Start applying these principles now.
Adapted from a lecture by Sheikh Muhammad Khairy.
Witten By Arwa Khaled