‘Verily, all things have We created in (planned) proportion and measure.‘

Assalamu Alaikum fellow Muslim or hello to my non-Muslim friend!

Ramadan 2021 is approaching very fast, and many Muslims around the world are preparing for this auspicious and blessed month. Planning is so important, as said in the Quranic verse above. However, how can you really prepare for this month? In this article, I will be sharing a step by step guide on how to prepare for Ramadan in 2-3 days. I have followed this guide for the past 3-4 years and Alhamdulillah, it has been working quite well for me.

Remind yourself what Ramadan really is for

Ramadan was not created for sharing Iftar photos on social media, nor was it created for you to compete on who can finish the Quran the fastest. Ramadan was created as a blessed month to remember our Lord, attain Taqwa (self-consciousness), build healthy habits and also how it feels like to be deprived of food like the poor. Set your intentions clear and sincerely feel excited for Ramadan.

Buy a Ramadan journal

I would advise to then get a separate A5 notebook with lined pages.I use the Oxford A5 Purple Notebook. Your notebook does not need to be pricey at all. This will be your Ramadan journal which you can use every Ramadan.

Reflect on last year’s Ramadan

Think about last year’s Ramadan and write down three things that went well and three things that you can improve on. This will help you to understand what you need to do to make this Ramadan better.

Write your goals for this year

Now that you know what you can improve on, you now want to go ahead and write about 3-5 goals for this Ramadan. My biggest tip is to keep these realistic, as I know that many people can get too ambitious with these goals but end up not fulfilling them.

Write a daily routine for the month of Ramadan

You now want to write how a typical day in Ramadan will look like for you. 

First write down the times by hour on the side.

Next incorporate the times you will be doing compulsory work such as going to school.

Then, add in the prayer times. 

After that, you can add your acts of worship into the routine, as well as what times you will be sleeping.

You can then count up how many hours you will be sleeping, studying and doing acts of worship.

One piece of advice is that if you are a student, study at the times you work best at. The best times to study would be:

→ Right after eating Suhoor until you have to go to school

OR

→ Right after Iftar until Suhoor

Make a table to track your habits

Now, you want to create a table where you will be shading in the habits. Here is an example: 

Shade this every day in Ramadan.

Make a to do list for any remaining tasks you need to do before Ramadan.

The last step is to write a to do list for any tasks you need to do before Ramadan. Perhaps, you need to do Eid shopping before Ramadan. Maybe you need to reschedule your trip with your friends after Ramadan? Try to avoid doing heavy tasks during Ramadan so you can spend more time worshipping. Complete this to do list.

Mashallah! You have completed your ultimate prep for Ramadan. Remember to look at your Ramadan journal every day and you are good to go!

In Sha Allah you have benefitted from this article. Please comment down below your goals for Ramadan and share this article with your family and friends to earn some more rewards. I will be In Sha Allah be posting more articles based on Islam here on this website on Ramadan so please stay tuned.

May Allah bless us all and Allah knows best.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

‘Eat Suhoor, for in Suhoor there is blessing.’ [Sunan Al-Nasa’i.]

Have you ever realised that you are very hungry throughout the daylight hours of Ramadan? And then you end up having a food coma after eating Iftar? This is not very healthy during Ramadan as you are not following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In order to feel more energetic and healthy during Ramadan, and if you are also trying to maintain or lose your weight, I would recommend reading this article.

These tips are based upon my research through Youtube and the Internet, and some information is from my own experience.

Never skip Suhoor – As said in the Hadith above, it is extremely important to have Suhoor. This will help you to not feel hungry throughout the day, earn blessings and let you fuel up on energy and nutrients.

Avoid overeating – This is a simple tip yet it’s so helpful to keep you healthy during Ramadan.

Stay hydrated – Staying hydrated is vital to keep on going through the day. Water is the best choice so try to drink at least 8-12 cups of water per day.

Avoid working out during the fasting hours – This is useful as your energy levels can drastically decrease while fasting so instead, try to work out like 2-3 hours after Iftar, to digest the food. Drink lots of water during your workout.

Make sure to have your medicines correctly – If you are pregnant, or you have certain medicines to intake throughout the day, you should consult your doctor before fasting to know when you will have those medicines. You should adapt fasting to your physical condition.

This table will hopefully help you understand some meals or food that would be good and bad to take during Iftar and Suhoor, to keep more energetic and healthy during Ramadan. Use this table to your own risk.

Take your meals slowly. Start with some water, a few dates, and after a few minutes, start your meal, which could be a soup with vegetables. Incorporate some lean protein and go from there. Eat slowly and make sure to monitor your sugar levels if you are diabetic.

That was my article today on how to keep healthy and energetic during Ramadan. I hope this helps you. In Sha Allah, more articles will be coming soon so stay tuned. Use these tips to your own risk. Check out my other Ramadan articles too:

http://surobiscribbles.com/the-ultimate-ramadan-dua-list-2019-my-ramadan-series/

http://surobiscribbles.com/start-preparing-for-ramadan-from-now-my-ramadan-series/

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

“When Ramadan enters, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Ramadan is approaching and I want to ensure that we are all ready for this blessed month. I want to make sure we make the most out of this Ramadan by making Dua, praying, reading the Quran, fasting and doing these small things. It can make a big difference in this life and the Hereafter.

Today, I would like to share with you 10 tips to help you kickstart into a beautiful Ramadan. By incorporating this routine into your daily routine now can help you continue these habits during and even after Ramadan. In Sha Allah, you will learn something from this article.

Tip 1: Make the intention (Niyyah)

Before you start Ramadan and changing your routine to hopefully become a better person, it is important to touch your soul, close your eyes and think about why you are a Muslim. Why are you going to fast this Ramadan? Why do you believe in Allah, the Quran, Hadiths, the Prophets and all that Allah has said? These questions will make you feel mindful and make you feel grateful for all that you have which will give you purpose to start Ramadan.

Tip 2: Download the Muslim Pro App (not sponsored)

Muslim Pro is a free app for mobile devices. This app is the best Islamic app I could possibly find and I would suggest for you to install it. It includes a fasting tracker, praying tracker, prayer times, Quran, Qibla, 99 names of Allah and so much more. It will definitely help you as you can listen to the Quran recitations or know the direction to pray anytime, anywhere.

Tip 3: Have a Ramadan journal

I bought myself an A5 notebook last year for Ramadan and it helped me so much. Alongside the Muslim Pro app, you can use this journal to track the days you have fasted, prayed and also track any goals or habits that you want to fulfil this Ramadan. You can even use the same journal every year.

Tip 4: Create a routine

Using the Ramadan journal, I would also advise for you to create a routine. This is crucial especially as a student. You must know when you will come back after school/work, pray, read the Quran, cook your meals and so on. This will allow you to manage your time properly.

Tip 5: Plan events after Ramadan

If you are planning to go on a trip or have any major events, I would advise you to save it for after Ramadan. It will help you to not get tired and do any major tasks while fasting. You will have more time to focus on Islam.

Tip 6: Practise sleeping habits

During Ramadan, your sleep schedule will be very different from your daily routine. This is since you will have to wake up for Suhoor. After creating that routine, try following those sleeping habits a few days before Ramadan.

Tip 7: Buy your groceries for your meals

Whether it’s your parents or you doing the shopping for the food you will be eating in Ramadan, do it a few days beforehand to ensure that you have everything ready and you won’t have to go shopping while fasting.

Tip 8: Try to go Eid shopping

If you don’t fancy going to look for your Eid outfits while fasting on a hot day, then you may as well look for it beforehand. Have your Eid outfit ready so it’s there ready for you to wear on Eid day.

Tip 9: Forgive people

We all know that talking bad about others and swearing can break your fast. To prevent having negative thoughts about others, try apologising to the people you have done wrong to and forgive people. It will help you get the full reward in Ramadan and you may also make some new friends.

Tip 10: Practise habits and goals that you want to accomplish in Ramadan

Why wait for Ramadan when you can start praying regularly and accomplishing these habits from now? Your aim is to not only be a good Muslim DURING Ramadan, but you also want to do this AFTER Ramadan.

These were some tips that I have tried to implement. Use these as you like but In Sha Allah, you will be able to implement at least a tip or two.

If you liked this article, comment below and check out my other articles:

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!