Are you ready to make this Ramadan of 2023 the best one yet? Preparing for the Holy Month can be a difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be! This blog post will provide you with 7 easy steps to guide your spiritual journey and prepare you for the upcoming blessed month. From engaging in spiritual activities throughout the year, setting personal goals and intentions before entering into fasting and reflecting deeply on how Allah SWT is guiding us in our lives- each step here is designed to foster deep connection with Allah SWT during this beautiful time. Start preparing today by reading on below – let’s get started!
1- Set a timeline for yourself and plan out your spiritual journey
This year’s Ramadan is fast approaching and with it comes an opportunity to explore your spiritual journey. Everybody’s journey will look different but creating a timeline for yourself is a great way to stay organized and make sure you are making the most out of this holy month. It can be as detailed or as flexible as you want and always remember, you have to start somewhere and often taking small positive steps will lead to positive outcomes inshAllah. Example items to add to your journey include but not limited to reciting Quran, praying daily prayers on time, praying additional prayers (i.e. sunnah prayers), and community volunteer work. As you make these intentional changes in your daily life, you will start to develop a deeper relationship with God, reflecting on your journey thus far, or even carving out time for charity work or activities that bring you peace. During this blessed month, take the initiative to learn about yourself and come closer to your faith than ever before!
2- Connect with your local community by attending Ramadan events and gatherings
During the upcoming holy month of Ramadan, why not embrace the opportunity to build stronger social ties with your fellow Muslim Americans in your community? Get involved and make an effort to attend local Masjid iftars,taraweeh prayers, lectures and gatherings – specifically tailored around Ramadan and its spirit. This is a great opportunity to connect with other Muslims locally in a spiritual way. Take advantage of the meaningful activities in your community throughout the holy month that bring people together in the remembrance of Allah SWT.
3- Reassess your daily routine – try to make it more spiritually enriching
With Ramadan right around the corner, we can take this opportunity to really focus on ourselves and refocus our life priorities. Small steps such as taking a few minutes throughout the day for salat (prayer) or athkar (remembrance of Allah SWT), turning off or reducing screen time to help facilitate more spiritual moments – even little things like making duaa (supplication to Allah SWT) with your family and friends – will help to bring a sense of peace and spirituality into your life that you can enjoy year round. So why not start now? After all, we should strive to continue our growth from Ramadan throughout the year.
4- Make a commitment to read the Quran more often and learn its teachings
Ramadan season is in full swing, it is important for Muslim Americans to take stock of our spiritual lives. One of the most beneficial commitments we can make is to read (and re-read!) the Quran more often and to learn its teachings. There is immense power and wisdom in reading Allah’s words, which can help us prepare ourselves for Ramadan by allowing us to align our lives with Allah SWT’s will. Whenever we have doubts or worries along the way, turning to the Quran can provide valuable strength and guidance while bringing comfort and lasting peace. So let us challenge ourselves this year – let us strengthen our relationship with Allah SWT through reading our Holy Book the Quran and striving to understand His teachings. Striking a balance between reading and comprehension is important, while it is great to be able to read the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan, it is equally important to be understanding of its meanings and implementing the teachings in it in our daily lives.
5- Deepen your connection with God by reading Islamic literature, attending lectures and sermons
As a byproduct of the effort required in the earlier steps, deepening your connection with God should be one of your main goals. Reading Islamic literature, attending lectures and attending sermons are great ways to take a step towards that goal. As mentioned previously in the blog post, you have to start somewhere. If that means attending Friday prayer on a regular basis, then great. For others it might be reading books on Hadith (narrations of the prophet PBUH) and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). No matter what actions you take, ensure your intentions are renewed for the sake of Allah.
6- Reflect on what you’ve learned – take time out of each day to ponder on it
Ramadan is a truly special and beautiful time, but it can also be incredibly busy. With so many religious activities and events going on, it can be hard to take the time to reflect on what we’ve learned and use that knowledge to make the observance of this holy month even better. To avoid rushing through all of Ramadan without taking the opportunity to reflect on yourself and your learnings would be a disservice, it’s important to take some time out just for ourselves. Thikr (remembrance of Allah SWT) is a great way to practice gratitude and stay mindful of what’s going on around you. This will have an immense impact on your Ramadan experience here in 2023.
7- Reach out and help those in need
As we come closer to the start of Ramadan, it’s important for us to remember the importance of helping others. Whether it’s volunteering our time at a local masjid, non-profit or donating goods to a food pantry – all gestures of kindness help. This is an integral part of our deen which can help foster a sense of community and empathy towards those who are less fortunate than us. It can be hard to reach out, but even the smallest gesture can make a big difference in someone’s life. Additionally, paying your annual Zakat in Ramadan is a great way to multiply your hasanat (good deeds).
Conclusion
As Muslims across the world begin to prepare for Ramadan 2023, it is a great time for us to reflect on our spiritual lives and how we can make them more meaningful. Through reading Allah SWT’s words in the Quran, attending lectures and sermons to deepen our faith, taking some time out of each day to reflect on what we’ve learned and finally, reaching out to those in need – we can make the most of this once-in-a-year opportunity. We should all strive to take advantage of Ramadan in 2023 for our own betterment and religious gain. May Allah grant us the strength we need to start preparing now!