Naziba Basher: The blessed month of Ramadan is fast approaching, and while some of us are very excited, some others are little tensed about how to get through it. Abiding by the rules and virtues of this month can be quite the task, but if done with faith and the spirit of the month, is one of the most rewarding feelings one could ever experience.
To face the month of Ramadan, some preparation is needed- for both body and mind. Here are five tips for you to spend Ramadan in complete peace, without the turmoils of the ‘daily life’ hampering your spirit.
1. Create a Ramadan Countdown: Whether it is done mentally or by keeping physical signs around the home or office, this will help create hype and buzz in your mind and amongst the people around you. When you, your friends and family are counting down to the same event, it becomes part of regular conversation and spreads excitement, livens the spirit of the month. This month, along with The Daily Star’s annual Eid Fashion Magazine, we will have a Ramadan Planner as well to help our readers plan the month our better.
2. Learn About Ramadan: There is a lot to know and learn, no matter how much we think we already know. Do some browsing, read some books- this will help you ensure you will do things correctly and perfectly for Ramadan. The more you know about Ramadan the more you can apply.
3. Prepare Spiritually: The point of Ramadan is one we all know- to understand the sufferings of the underprivileged, to learn about our own faith, to learn to help those in need, and value what we have been blessed with. To grasp all of that, we are to Fast, Pray, Read the Quran and give charity. Start these worships early; don’t expect to just click into it as soon as the first day of Ramadan starts. Start doing extra prayers from now, start revising and regularly reading the Quran now, get used to being generous and kind- not only will these habits help you during Ramadan, but also your whole life.
4. Prepare your Mind: The mind is a whole other story. While we just let our ‘minds wander’ on a normal day, Ramadan teaches us how to control it and ourselves. Fasting is to refrain from more than just what we consume in our mouth. Start working on your patience; be extra vigilant with your conversations: ensure you are not backbiting, slandering or talking about things that may hurt others.
5. Say Goodbye to bad-habits: This is probably my favourite part about Ramadan. I get the opportunity to reform myself and learn to love myself better. It is the best time for resolutions! Know what bad habits you have and stop them from now, don’t wait until Ramadan begins. If you sleep late, start sleeping early, if you are a Facebook junky start cutting down, if you are a caffeine addict, slow down, etc, if you are a smoker, what better time to quit than now? It might sound much easier said then done, but once you’ve committed yourself, purified your intentions- aren’t so difficult.
This Ramadan, take it all in- the spirit, the buzz, the faith. Learn to love others and yourself, and there is no better time to start that this Holy month.