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A lot of us had goals for Ramadan that we weren’t able to completely fulfill, but what we often don’t realize is that we can still achieve them after the month ends! The fact that we committed ourselves to things that we wouldn’t normally do is something we should be proud of!
We shouldn’t let our disappointment in ourselves take away from what we have achieved OR from continuing our efforts outside Ramadan. Let’s take advantage of our hard work and try to develop habits that we can take with us for the future.
Some advices that I want to try to follow insha’Allah are...
1. Don’t dwell on the things you didn’t do well or couldn’t do. Guilt can be helpful sometimes, but too much can be counterproductive and damaging to your spirit.
A huge part or Islam is intention, so we should strive to do the best we can and insha’Allah we will be rewarded for our intention.
2. Physically write down goals that you did not accomplish, as well as some new goals that you wish to achieve in a journal or on your phone. Just because we didn’t finish what we started in Ramadan, doesn’t mean we should throw away all the progress we’ve already made.
As sad as it is to leave the blessed month of Ramadan, being outside of it also relieves pressure on us to get so much done in a short time period. Having more time to accomplish our goals makes them more attainable and takes away the stress associated with bettering ourselves.
Do whatever YOU need to be successful. For some people it is helpful to voice their goals to someone they trust or to have an “accountability partner”. Others like to keep their goals to themselves and focusing on improvement on their own. Find what’s best for you.
3. Start small and be specific. Start with goals you know you can stay on top of and physically write down exactly how you plan to achieve them.
4. Make explicit duaa for Allah to make your goals easier for you. Many scholars claim that making duaa with specific reasons behind each ask is more beneficial.
Allah (swt) appreciates when His believers are vulnerable and humble themselves before Him. Asking God for what we want in a precise manner and with concrete explanations also allows us to deeply reflect on what what we desire and realize that we can’t achieve anything alone.
5. Try to maintain your relationship with the Quran everyday. All of us are extremely busy and live hectic lives. Reading and listening to Quran forces us to pause our lives to reflect. Too often we underestimate the wisdom and reassurance that the Quran gives us.
Even reviewing surahs that we already know can benefit us so much. Part of the beauty of the Quran is that, despite it never changing, it remains timeless as every time we encounter it we are different people at different points in our lives.
Endless wisdom can be derived from the beautiful words and stories of the Quran. We just have to be willing to listen and condition our hearts to continue coming back to it.
6. Make an effort to understand the words of the Quran. The Quran itself is beautiful in every way, but understanding the message is vital to gaining the most benefit we can.
An easy way to do this is to follow along with a translation as you listen to recitations of the Quran. This increases your focus when reading and eventually allows you to pick up the meaning of several commonly mentioned words and phrases in the Quran.
7. Do something related to deen everyday. This can easily be done by podcasts on your commute to work/school. Apple podcasts and Spotify have countless lectures from so many scholars. Another amazing app that’s actually free is the Qalam app.
The reason why we feel so content and have that “feeling” in our hearts during Ramadan is because we are fulfilling what we were put on this earth to do: to worship and get closer to Allah. SubhanAllah, imagine how much more satisfied we’d be if we fulfill that purpose everyday.
May Allah (swt) allow us to continue to become closer to Him outside Ramadan and remain steadfast always. Ameen.
