Ramadan Prep Part 3 – Self

Asalam alaykum wa rahmatulahi wa barakatu

I’ve left what is probably the most important post in Ramadan prep for last.  The thing is, this is what *I* do to prep myself for Ramadan, which may be very different from what you do…and I don’t want to imply that if you do something differently, that you’re wrong…that’s not the case at all.  I want that to be abundantly clear.

I divide my “self prep” into 3 categories.  First is my physical self; I ensure that I have all my vitamins, medications, and any other problems in order.  This means that I’ll make that trip to the doctor’s, if need be…or perhaps get a few wisdom teeth yanked.  ;o)  I always try to be in good physical health, and this includes exercise.  Normally, I would continue with my exercise routine in Ramadan, but with the hours that I’ll be fasting where I live, I just don’t see how it will be probable this year.  Insha-Allah, I’ll get back into the swing of it after the end of the month.

The second category is my emotional self.  Is there something bothering me that I need to deal with before Ramadan starts?  I don’t want to head into Ramadan with anger, hurt or resentment festering away inside of me.  Sometimes this means that I may need to confront the issue and deal with it, other times it means I need to reassess my reactions to what’s going on.  In the end, I want to be able to be free from anything that will drag me down in the month.  This doesn’t always happen, but it is the ideal that I strive towards.

The final category is my Spiritual Self.  I try to think about what areas of my iman (faith) that I need to improve in.  I think about what I’m doing well, what I could improve on, and what areas need attention.  I always set myself a goal of reading the entire Quran in the month (I haven’t for the last few years due to school work…but this year, I’m school free!!)  I try to keep to the 1 juz (part) per day or even more if I can.  For information on where each juz starts and ends, you can click here.  I also highly recommend that new Muslims read their Qurans from back to front.  The suras (chapters) are smaller and a little easier to digest, plus it gives you such a feeling of accomplishment.  I’ve been a Muslim for 14 years, and I still read my Quran this way!

I hope that you have found these Ramadan Prep Posts helpful!  Let me know if there are any other areas you think I should touch on, or if you have some great advice, why not submit it as an article!

Peace and Love!

Tags: Advice, Allah, arabic prayer, english prayer, IHIP, International Hijabi Posse, Islam, Muslim, muslimah, prayer, quran, Ramadan, Ramadan Plans