Ramadan 2020

Today I will start off by wishing my readers and your families Ramadan Kareem.

Most likely the first day of fasting will begin tomorrow Insh’Allah (God willing).

Ramadan is not only about fasting. It is about patience, sympathy, humanity, love, kindness and remembrance of Allah (swt).

This Ramadan will certainly be different and one to remember!

So today I’m going to be writing about somethings that I personally will be trying to do in Ramadan as well as some changes I have decided to make.

Unfortunately this year in Dubai, the mosques will be remaining closed (as per the news updates), there will be no famous Ramadan Tents and large home gatherings.

1. Try to keep up with my prayers and read 5-10 pages of Quran after each prayer.
2. No gossiping, backbiting and swearing.
3. Donate to charity and contribute to the iftar meals.
4. Try to change bad habits to good habits.
5. Forgive and forget.
6. Give up Red Bull (this is gonna be a tough one).
7. Keep up with my workouts (also going to be tough).
8. Become a Masterchef.. Well at least try..
9. Might add some more goals throughout the month.

This year I’m going to set a few goals to achieve to improve myself during this holy month, both religiously and personally.

Since this year we won’t be getting dolled up and socializing as much this is a good time to reflect and doll up our personal wellbeing. Take this time to set a few goals (realistic) that you aim to achieve during this holy month and create an action plan of how the goals are going to be achieved.

There’s going to be days when you feel lazy, sleepy, tired, not in the mood and that’s ok, just as long as that isn’t everyday.

There’s going to be days when I skip my workouts and eat ice cream instead.

There’s going to be days when you swear by accident.

There’s going to be days when you don’t read as much Quran as you planned.

But there’s also going to be days when you achieve all your tasks and more that you set out and you will feel content and happy within yourself (make sure you reward yourself – chocolate is always a good option).

I hope that these days will be more frequent and become a change in lifestyle with good habits to take forward even after Ramadan ends.

Rather than going out and socializing with friends and family this year we will mainly be at home spending time with our nearest and dearest, that isn’t such a bad thing.

Of course I’m going to miss the dressing up, excitement of seeing your friends and family and going to the Ramadan tents, but in a positive way I can actually value the true meaning of Ramadan by spending it becoming more spiritual. It also doesn’t mean that you have to stay in your pajamas all day, dress up and have a family or virtual iftar together!

It is a time that we all though think and reflect of the Muslims around the world who are living in poverty. I kindly request all my readers to take into consideration that there are some people who do not even have food or water for suhoor and iftar, try to avoid food wastage. Not only during this month but the whole year round. There are workers, gardeners, security, cleaners etc who you can donate this food to rather than throwing it away.

A humble request to my readers to donate to a trusted charity to support those who are in need. It doesn’t have to be a huge gesture, something is better than nothing. Donations can be in the form of clothes, water, medical supplies, food, educational material etc it doesn’t have to just be money. Thank you in advance.

You will notice that your appetite will change, you wont eat as much especially at iftar and you wont feel that hunger like you will in the first 3-4 days, try to avoid overeating and then pass out sleeping.

During suhoor time try to eat something healthy like oats or cereal with dates and drink plenty of water (stay hydrated it is sooooo important).

At iftar time try to eat something light to break your fast (soup, dates, salad) and have something heavier a bit later on. I know we all love Ramadan desserts, that’s what we have been waiting for all year, but try to eat it in moderation.

Try to make the most of your day and be productive, rather than sleeping till it’s time to eat. I know its hard, we all get tired, dehydrated, headaches, lazy but try to discipline yourself to nap for a certain time (1-2 hours not 5-6 hours). Try to stick to your normal routine and daily life as best as you can.

Throughout Ramadan I will be blogging about certain topics in more detail starting with forgive and forget. The forgiving part is one thing, but the forgetting is even harder, I will give you some well being tips on why it is important to forget and move on.

I urge all my readers to make a few goals (maybe 2-3) it doesn’t have to be 100’s (that’s definitely not going to happen), you want it to be realistic and achievable, something which you can carry forward after Ramadan. Once you feel like you have achieved some of them you can start adding some more goals.

In order to reach the end goal you need to take each step one by one.

“Don’t run before you can walk or you will fall on your face” a famous quote from my darling parents which in fact is so true and it makes more sense each time you take a step.

We all try to reach the end goal in the fastest and easiest way possible, this is human nature but unfortunately life doesn’t work like that.

Anything that comes fast will go fast, and if it comes easy you don’t value it. The harder you work and at a good pace, you will appreciate each and every step that you take along you way to success.

Don’t forget virtual iftars and suhoors with your loved ones is an amazing way to practice social distancing but still have the feeling as though you are together.. Family and Girl Squad get ready..

May the holy month of Ramadan bring peace and prosperity to you and your family.
Leesh x