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Checklist for Your Ramadan Goals
For Muslims, Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection and growth. During Ramadan, Muslims have goals to achieve in order to grow spiritually and become closer to Allah and their loved ones.
Muslims prepare a checklist of goals they have to do daily, that help them achieve their spiritual reflection and growth in this holy month;
- Pray Fajr prayer on time.
- Make morning Dhikr.
- Pray all five prayers on time.
- Pray all twelve Rakaat Sunnah.
- Make Dua’a for; themselves, their families, and the Muslim Ummah.
- Recited Juz of Qur’an.
- Reflect on the meaning of the Qur’an as they’re reading its pages.
- Give Sadaqa.
- Do not argue, gossip, or backbite.
- Make Istighfaar 100 times a day.
- Pray the night prayer (Qiyam).
More Knowledge About Ramadan
Every year, Muslims around the world anticipate the sighting of the new crescent moon that signifies the official first day of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the most sacred month in the Islamic culture.
The Prophet Muhammad reportedly said; “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened, and the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are chained.”
Muslims believe that Allah has revealed the first verses of the Quran, Islam Holy Book, to Muhammad (PBUH) on a night known as Laylat al-Qadr “The Night of Power”.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims go through a spiritual discipline;
- Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset abstaining from; eating any food, drinking any liquids, smoking cigarettes, and engaging in any sexual activities.
- Build a deep contemplation of one’s relationship with Allah.
- Do extra prayers (Nawafel prayers and Tarawih).
- Increase charity and generosity (Sadaqah).
- Intense study of the Qur’an.
- Curb negative thoughts and emotions like; jealousy, anger, swearing, complaining, backbiting, lying, arguing, and gossiping during the month.
Ramadan is also a highly social time as Muslims invite each other to break their fast together and meet for prayers at the mosque.
The ultimate goal of fasting is gaining greater God-consciousness, known in Arabic as Taqwa, signifying a state of constant awareness of God.
From this awareness, a person should gain discipline, self-restraint, and a greater incentive to do good and avoid wrong deeds.
Prepare Your Body for Fasting
1- Food Consumption
Begin with eating moderate quantities. Do not splurge on food because Ramadan is approaching. This will only increase your appetite and make it more difficult to fast.
2- Early Breakfast
During Ramadan, we wake up early for Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal before the fast begins. Start having an early breakfast from now to help your body get used to the earlier hours, especially if you are not much of a breakfast eater.
3- Do Not Snack
Get used to having two or three meals a day and avoid snacking in between meals.
4- Reduce Coffee Intake
To prevent pounding headaches during the first few days of Ramadan, start reducing your caffeine intake now.
5- Wean off Smoking
Smokers who enter Ramadan unprepared may experience various withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, impatience, and difficulty concentrating during fasting hours.
To avoid this, reduce smoking during the day to mimic what will happen when you fast. It is also good to view Ramadan as an opportunity to quit bad habits such as smoking altogether.
6- Voluntary Fast Days
Try doing a few fasts in the run-up to Ramadan to help you adapt.
7- Regulate Sleep
Whatever sleeping habit you choose, start to mimic it from now. start regulating your sleep from now, because during Ramadan you will be waking up early for Suhoor. You might also be sleeping earlier as a result
8- Stock Up
Meal planning before Ramadan can save you a lot of hassle, especially during the first week of Ramadan, so prepare your shopping list and go grocery shopping now when you are still full of energy.
Increase Worship
The primary goal of Ramadan is to become a better Muslim. One way to do this is to engage in as much Ibadah as possible.
Following are the acts of worship we must try to practice to seek Allah’s pleasure this Ramadan.
- Obligatory Prayers.
Set aside at least 30 minutes for your five obligatory prayers, including Dua afterward. - Tahajjud and pre-Fajr Sunnah Rakats.
Tahajjud is a sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), which Muslims are preferred to perform all the time. - Taraweeh Prayers.
It shows how much you are dedicated to earning Allah’s pleasure and rewards. - Supplications and Duas.
Make Dua for yourself and your family as well as all the Ummah, for the best of Deen and Dunya as Duas of people who are fasting are immediately heard by Allah. - Quran recitation.
Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an, therefore, reading and contemplating the Qur’an in this month has a great reward from Allah. - I’tikaf /Qiyamul Lail.
In the last ten days of Ramadan plan for I’tikaf if possible. It is a few hours to seek Allah’s pleasure. - Zakah and charity.
It’s recommended that one should pay Zakat in Ramadan. Besides giving Zakah, Sadaqa is a noble act of worship as well.
Quran Recitation with Tajweed
Ramadan is the month of the Quran. The more you can engage with the holy book, the better. Many people center their connections to the Quran all Ramadan long, reciting the entire book in 29-30 days.
It is also a great time of the year to dive into deeper readings. It is good to recite the Qur’an with humility and contemplation.
Get Rid of Bad Habits.
The primary goal of Ramadan is to grow spiritually, become a better Muslim, and become closer to Allah, therefore we need to leave all our bad habits, like; irritability, anger, restlessness, impatience, Backbiting, and gossip.
Prepare Your Zakat and Sadaqah
Ramadan is a time of spiritual growth and Ummah unity. During Ramadan, Muslims pay Sadaqah every day to the poor and needy, out of generosity.
It is not obligatory, but it is one of the good deeds Muslims do in Ramadan to become closer to Allah. Also in Ramadan Muslims calculate their wealth to pay Zakat al-Fitr, which is obligatory for every Muslim, in this Holy Month.