With the month of Ramadan quickly approaching, it’s time for Muslims to make start making preparations for their arriving special guests. Sometimes, it might be overwhelming to think about all you have to do over the span of the month, and the thought of planning it out may seem daunting. But there’s no need to worry because here is a checklist for 14 things to do to prepare for Ramadan.
1. Make a schedule.
Write out what things you’re planning to do every day and when. It makes the commitment a lot easier. Instead of promising that you’ll read the entire Quran throughout Ramadan, write out how many pages a day you’ll have to read, and devote specific amounts of time for doing it.
According to my schedule, I'm planning on reading the Quran everyday for at least 20 days, so I would plan to read one and a half Juz per day to finish the entire Quran (comprised of 30 juz) during Ramadan.
2. Write down your goals for the month.
Setting goals for what you want to do this Ramadan will make the commitment more real. Having a goal in mind will make it more possible for you to reach it rather than it being you just hoping that you do at some point.
3. Write down your goals for each day.
Write down what you want to do each day, and integrate that into your schedule. Want to learn one new, small Surah a day? Make sure you make space in your schedule to work on it.
4. Make up any missed fasts from previous years.
For those who missed fasts over the past year(s), try to make them up before Ramadan comes again. Otherwise, your make-up fasts may start to pile up.
5. Make a meal plan.
Trying to figure out a meal to eat every morning and evening before and after fasting seems exhausting, so make your plans ahead of time. It’ll make meal time faster and easier when you already know what to eat and don’t have to ponder over it.
6. Deep cleaning
Ramadan is one of the most honorable and respectable periods of the year, so it’s important that we do our best to clean our surroundings beforehand to start working on ourselves. Cleanliness is also another important aspect of Islam, so make sure you wash your clothes and hijabs, vacuum your house and change the bedding before Ramadan.
7. Take a break from social media and other distractions.
During Ramadan, its important to manage and spend as much time as you can being productive. Social media and other distractions (such as Netflix) take away from that. So if you want to make this Ramadan as successful as it can be, make sure that you’re working and not scrolling the hours away on Instagram.
SEE ALSO: I Was Afraid To Join Social Media Because It Would Preoccupy Me From Being A Devout Muslim
8. Plan out your donations.
Whether it be money, food or clothes, donating during Ramadan is one of the most rewarding things you can do (although with depleted energy, it may be hard to sift through everything). Look through your clothes and money now to calculate how much you’ll give, and you’ll thank yourself later.
9. Shop for clothes.
During Ramadan, if you go to the mosque everyday or even pretty often, you may find that you haven’t really updated your wardrobe recently. So go out shopping before Ramadan, and find some nice burqahs and abbayahs if you’d like. Also, make sure to shop for Eid clothes!
10. Shop for Eid gifts.
Speaking of Eid, when you go to the mosque with a group of friends, it may occur to you that you’ll have to get them gifts for Ramadan. Rather than exhausting your already-tired body while fasting by trudging through store after store, just prepare your gusts ahead of time by buying the gifts early (like early Christmas shopping).
SEE ALSO: 7 Last Minute Gifts For Eid
11. Work with friends.
Sharing your goals with friends or family and having everyone work towards a similar one can be a great source of inspiration. Whether you want to memorize Surahs or have a healthy competition on who can read the most Quran in a day, make sure you find some motivated friends who would help you.
12. Read books!
Not only is reading Quran and fasting in Ramadan important, but they're also useful for us to learn more in other areas, like about the history of Islam and its significant figures. Find a nice book or two that seem interesting and informational to you to read over Ramadan.
13. Find online resources.
There are also tons of sources online. You could find and register for online Ramadan classes that teach a variety of topics or look into some YouTube channels that release informational videos often.
14. Intention
Most of all, make sure you start with a clean, pure intention. Everything is based off of your intention, so if you’re planning to get through an entire course about the history of Islam just so you could brag about it, know that you won’t benefit from that.
Take a few moments to sit down and reflect on the importance of Ramadan and all of its benefits, and make it your intention to have a productive Ramadan for the sake of bettering yourself as a person and as a Muslim.
