Ramadan: How we Prepare for Ramadan at Ẹ̀BÙN?
Pre Ramadan:
My sisters and I create lists of things we want to achieve during ramadan and share it with each other for feedback. I like to categorise into different headings i.e. Quran, Sadaqah and salah and put one or two achievable goals in each i.e. read Quran everyday. We also discuss how achievable the goals are in the time frame and whether it needs to be adjusted.
We start practising habits such as fasting once a week, or cutting back on things we indulge in a little too much. I have found that by doing some of these actions, it helps when the month comes by. I remember a lecture that said before doing any exercise, they advise you to warm up so you don't injure or break anything. I think this can also be related to ramadan in terms of warming up our bodies and souls to start getting used to fasting.
One thing I like to do is think about one action I want to continue after Ramadan and by the time the next Ramadan comes along insha Allah, I commit myself to still doing that action.
We also decorate our living room and hallway with verses and rules of observing fasts, getting involved in the paintings and buntings. This can be done on a budget through many YouTube videos.
During Ramadan:
During ramadan, my sisters and I meet once a week or at the half way point to see how our goals are going if there are things we need to drop or pick up. It is important to remember that the goal is not too criticise each other for doing less than what you think is acceptable, the goal is to uplift one another to the finish line and, help break things down if needed, so we can all take away the benefits of the blessed month.
Post Ramadan:
Apart from being stuffed from all the delicious foods on Eid, my sisters and I come back together to do a mini reflection of what went well, what didn’t and why and what we have taken away from this year. Like I mentioned earlier, this is where I renew my intentions to keep an action going. Last year I promised myself to read Qur'an everyday. Apart from a couple of slip ups here and there, so far so good!
image from: healthline