Ramadan - a month that Muslims around the globe look forward to each and every year. For those of us who get to cross paths with Ramadan once again, we should be truly grateful. This means that we have been blessed with another year to live, another year to worship, another year to do good, and another year to repent! Before the start of Ramadan, it is important that we reflect on the month of blessings that is to come and determine how we can make the greatest use of it!

1. Seek Knowledge About Ramadan
Before Ramadan begins, do your research! What is Ramadan? Why is it important? What does it entail? It's vital that you seek answers to these questions and truly understand the importance of Ramadan. This way, you can ensure that you do everything that you are required to do, and refrain from anything that you are discouraged/prohibited from doing throughout the month. By reading articles or  books, and listening to videos or podcasts, you can ensure that you have the correct mindset and intentions before the start of Ramadan.

2. Make a Plan
For those of you who like routine in order to get in the habit of doing things, creating a plan is essential. Your plan could look something like this:

3 am - Wake Up, Read Nafl, and Have Sehri
4 am - Pray Fajr & Read Qur'an
5 am - Sleep
7 am - Wake Up for Work
1:30 pm - Lunch Break: Pray & Read Qur'an
6 pm - Reach Home, Pray, Read Qur'an
7 pm - Rest
8 pm - Prepare Food for Iftari
9 pm - Open Fast, Maghrib Prayer
9:15 pm - Eat, Clean, Prepare for Tomorrow
9:45 pm - Go for Taraweeh Prayers at the Mosque, Pray Ishaa
10:00 pm - Read Qur'an, Sleep

In order for a plan like this to be fruitful, you must keep it at the forefront of your mind at all times. If you don't intend to wake up for Sehri or go to Taraweeh prayers, it is likely that you will not! Our minds and bodies need to follow a schedule to successfully get things done. And the first step in getting things done is setting intentions!

3. Set Goals
With "Making a Plan' comes 'Setting Goals'. Some goals consist of:

• Finish Holy Qur'an x1
• Read 5 Islamic Books
• Keep All Possible Fasts
• Read Taraweeh Prayers at the Mosque

6. Stack Pantry Items
If you can, stack your pantry with items that won't go bad. This way, you won't have to go out in the heat, while fasting, to grab your groceries. Instead, you will have many pantry items, which can make your trip to the grocery store much shorter!

7. Meal Prep
Before Ramadan begins, cook staple foods and freeze them for days when you have little time or energy to cook a huge meal for either Sehri or Iftari! Freezing certain foods early will definitely help you throughout the month!

I hope that these tips are helpful for you as you prepare for Ramadan. May this Ramadan be a blessed experience for all of us, and may we extract all of the blessings that this month brings with it. May we be better Muslims by the end of this month than we are at the start, Ameen!

1. Pray Your Salat
The importance of Salat has been emphasized in the Qur'an countless times. Allah has stressed that Muslims offer Salat regularly in order to achieve the benefits that come with it.

• Gain Nearness to Allah: With prayer, we can develop a bond with our Creator and learn to pray to thank Allah and seek help during difficult times.
• Taqwa: Piety or righteousness is achieved through Salat. This is because Salat keeps us away from wrongdoing, ensuring that we learn to do what's right in order to please Allah.
• Reward in the Hereafter: The Prophet (pbuh) said, "The first thing the people will be accountable for on the Day of Judgement is prayer, Allah will say to His angels: "Look at my servants prayers. Were they complete or not?" If they were complete It will be written as complete. If they were not fully complete Allah will say: "See if my servant has voluntary prayers, If he has them Allah will Say: Complete his obligatory prayers shortage with his voluntary prayers." Then the rest of his deeds will be dealt with in the same manner", (Reported by Abu Dawood).
• Protection from Satan: Satan is an enemy of the believers and tries to stray them from their path of righteousness. Not offering prayer is actually a sign of us following Satan, whereas those who offer prayer are resisting temptation from Satan.

In the Holy Qur'an, Istighfar is seen as drawing the strength and support of Allah which leads to attaining nearness to Allah and salvation. The Holy Qur'an states:

But surely the righteous will be in the midst of gardens and springs, receiving what the Lord will give them; for they used to do good before that. They used to sleep but a little of the night; and at the dawn of the day they sought forgiveness...[51:16-19]

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1. Designated Worship Room/Area: 

Many of our homes are filled with pictures, wall-art, TVs and other distractions. Thus, setting aside a room/area of the home that has none of these distractions, rather access to the material needed to worship and remember Allah (i.e. a Prayer mat, Qur'an), is a great way to stay focused while praying or reading the Qur'an. Moreover, passing by this room/area can serve as a reminder to pray and remember Allah.

Source: http://room-decorating-ideas.com/muslim-prayer-room-design/

2. Islamic Library: 

In the Holy Qur'an, Allah has commanded us to constantly seek knowledge. As well, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) advised us to:

'Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave'.

The only way to do this, is to have access to the resources needed for attaining this knowledge within our reach. Nowadays, so many Islamic books are available online (i.e. ebooks), and so having a hard copy is not necessary. However,  having hard copies of a few key books (i.e. prayer books, commentaries of the Qur'an, etc.) is a good idea. The attention and focus you will have on a book that's in your hand, will far exceed an electronic copy, due to several other distractions. It's also a good way to rest your eyes and write notes on the books to better understand the content. Also, if you have young children, having kids Islamic books on these shelves will teach them how to rely on these books for knowledge. Reading these books will help you gain knowledge on living a better life.

Source: http://www.switchconsignment.com

3. Written Reminders:

4. Get Rid of Negative Noise:

5. Lead By Example:

With all of the above said, it is very important to live by example. Read your prayers on time, recite the Qur'an, constantly pray to Allah, stay calm, don't raise your voice, etc.  By keeping yourself absorbed in the remembrance of Allah, and living your life following Allah's commands, you will be a role model for your parents, siblings, spouse and children. On the other hand, if you listen to foul music, watch inappropriate TV shows, yell, never remember Allah, and remain stressed, your home will never attain peace. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"Each of you is a sheperd, and each of you is responsible for his flock...A man is a sheperd in charge of the inhabitants of his household and he is responsible for his flock; a women is a sheperdess in charge  of her husband's house and children and she is responsible for them..."

Remember, it was narrated by Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'eed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said

"No people sit in a gathering remembering Allah, But the angels surround them, mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them and Allah remembers them before those who are with Him."

So remember Allah along with your loved ones so that your home can be surrounded by angels and always be at peace.

It is important to eat and drink right during Sehri (Suhoor), in order to survive the long and hot summer fasts. Sehri is an important part of keeping a fast, and thus should not be skipped.


It is important to indulge in a hydrating and nourishing Sehri to give our bodies the strength to make it through the fast. Unfortunately, many people are starting to skip Sehri in order to sleep in longer. However, doing this, they are missing out on the rewards and blessings that come with this important part of keeping a fast.

Be sure to include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy.

Here are some quick and easy options:

DRINKS

• Banana, Strawberry, Peach: granola, nuts, greek yogurt, chia seeds
• Mixed Berry: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, spinach
• Mango: mangoes, yogurt, milk, banana
• Banana-Peanut Butter: bananas, peanut butter, nonfat milk, honey  

During Ramadan, I've noticed that many people tend to drink glasses upon glasses of water at Sehri and then Iftar. Many times during Sehri, those who are fasting try to drink as much water as they can before Fajr. Whereas, during Iftar, those who are opening their fast drink glasses of water to get rid of their thirst. For this reason, I wanted to redirect you to the following Hadiths: