Alhamdulillah Ramadan is here, but like all good things, it’s not going to fall in our laps, we actually have to reach out and pluck it’s rewards. The good news is that we’ve all been waiting and counting down the months and days till Ramadan got here. And we’re all willing to put in a little extra effort to milk Ramadan for all it’s worth.

Here are a few things that you can do to make this Ramadan special. And the best part is you can pick one, a few or all of them to become habits that you retain all year round even after Ramadan is gone. Some of them are a bit harder than others, so be realistic, pick something you can maintain throughout this month. don’t plan on reading 20 pages of Quran each day, if you don’t have the time to do it, because you’ll get discouraged and quit all together. Choose something realistic. Here are 9 things you can turn into habits, feel free to replace them with your own.

1. READ THE ENTIRE QURAN
WHY? Whenever you recite a single letter in the Quran you are rewarded for it 10 times. In Ramadan everything you do whether it’s salat or reciting the Quran or acts of Sadaqa, everything is multiplied by seventy. So whatever reward you normally get for reciting one letter of the quran is multiplied by 70. Imagine that applied to the entire Quran. It will be as if you read the entire Quran 700 times! So if you lived to be seventy years old, it will be as if you read the entire Quran ten times each year! Think about that for a moment… What better time to read the whole Quran than in this blessed month?!

Regarding Ramadan, the Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said: “…Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time… ” [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]

Outside of Ramadan there are 10 rewards for reciting each letter of the Qur’an:
Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) says: ”Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e. his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is (considered as) a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter.” [At-Tirmidhi, Ad-Darimi]

HOW? It’s actually a lot easier than it sounds. Simply read 5 pages after each salat and by the end of Ramadan you would have read the entire Quran. You can join me if you’d like. I chose a random page in the Quran and started from there. Right now I’m at Sura-tun-Najm or chapter 53 which I’ll read after salat-ul Zuhr. What are your strategies for reading the entire Quran in Ramadan? Have you tried it before? If you have, please share in the comments section. You can also read this post for 5 ways to read the Quran daily.

2. LEARN A SIMPLE DUA
HOW? Learn a simple dua and incorporate it into your daily routine. For example whenever you come home or to your office enter by saying Bismillahi Walajna wa Bismillahi Kharajna wa ala Rabbana Tawakkalna (which means: In the Name of Allah we enter, and in the Name of Allah we leave, and in our Lord do we trust). Once you get used to saying this, you’ll retain it even after Ramadan is over.

3. EAT LESS
WHY? In Ramadan our bodies show us that we can get by on a lot less food than we normally do. So we can go without the creamy chocolate cheesecake, we can do without the huge calzone and we can most certainly get by without that extra pint of ice cream. In Islam we’re supposed to do all things in moderation, we’re supposed to avoid living luxuriously because that makes us fall in love with the Dunya and forget the Akhira and most importantly we’re supposed to empathize with our fellow Muslims. During the year we indulge a lot especially when it comes to food. We eat lavishly and expensively. And unfortunately in Ramadan we’ve started to do that too. Most people eat like Kings and Queens in Ramadan. They spend hours in the kitchen cooking up fancy treats, like Samosa’s, meat pies, lasagna, all sorts of pastries and goodies. So Rather than identifying and empathizing with the less fortunate they are busy drooling over the delicious morcels they’ll break their fasts with. Ramadan isn’t meant to be a cooking extravaganza, it’s meant to be a spiritual cleanse and it’s hard to cleanse yourself mentally, spiritually and emotionally if you’re not exercising restraint.

HOW? This month you should eat like a pauper. Eat simply. Cook something that’s quick to make and easy to digest. Spend less time in the kitchen and more time in the mosque or in prayer. And if you feel like making a feast, then go ahead cook it, but give it to a pauper, someone who all year round eats like a pauper. Let them in this month eat like you normally would or better.

4. TURN OFF THE RADIO
WHY? Everything we interact with or consume takes up space in our minds. The whole point of Ramadan is to declutter and listening to the radio adds to that clutter. Whether it’s listening or singing along to music, or hearing people talking about useless things on the radio, it’s unnecessary. Turn it off, listen to the thoughts in your head instead.

HOW? Get some Quran CD’s and discover a new reciter. Refresh your memory of the sura’s you do know and possibly learn a new one. Buy Tafsirs or lecture series, listen to people talk about Islam, about the history of Islam, about the rulings in Islam. Use the time you would normally listen brainlessly to music to ask yourself questions about your self, your soul and the purpose of your life. Are you headed in the direction you wish to be going in? Remember Ramadan is a detox and you can’t detox without abstaining from the things that are toxic to you. And sure we could argue till we’re blue about music whether it’s good or bad, which ones are okay which ones aren’t, but ultimately we can all agree that Ramadan is short and fleeting and we want to maximize what we get from it. And time spent listening to music is time not spent on introspection, learning, or reciting. Since we have the whole rest of the year to listen to music (if we’re so inclined) can’t we give our selves just one month that’s music free? Is that too much to ask?

5. PRAY!
WHY? Because Salat is one of the pillars of Islam, without Salat we’re all just Muslims by name. Islam is complete submission to the will of Allah. How do we show that submission? By bowing down and prostrating before our Maker 5 times every day. By taking time out of whatever activities we’re engaging in to be thankful and to acknowledge that we are indeed Muslims and we believe in ONE God. Salat is also the one thing that unites Muslims all over the world and puts us on an equal footing. Because during salat a pauper can stand shoulder to shoulder with a King and they both bow down humbly before their Creator and seek His mercy. If we can’t pray, then why fast? They’re both pillars of Islam, they’re both commands from Allah, if we accept that it’s important and necessary to fast, then we must accept that it is important and necessary to pray which is arguably more important than fasting which you are allowed not do in a number of circumstances, but Salat you must do even when you are sick.

HOW? Some people only pray during Ramadan so rather than thinking of Salat as something to only engage in during this month, use this month to train yourself to pray so that even after Eid you continue to pray. For those that do pray regularly (Alhamdulillah) then use this time to make your prayers more timely. During Ramadan perhaps because of our hunger, we’re more aware of the time. And more likely to pray our salats on time because each salat brings us a step closer to breaking our fast. Then there are those of us that pray regularly and on time but have trouble waking up in time for Fajr. Again, use this time to train those waking muscles so that after Eid, you still wake up in time for Fajr. Pretend you’re waking up for iftar if that’s what’s necessary. And for those of us who (SubhanAllah!) pray all our salats on time without difficulty, then aim higher. Start incorporating Nafila’s into your salat. Do all the extra prayers like Shafi and Witr and the nafils after Salats.

6. GO TO THE MASJID
WHY? The mosque is at the heart of Islam. It is our community center, our school, our everything. And during Ramadan it comes alive. We meet daily, we break our fast together, we make friends and gain new knowledge. But after Ramadan it turns into a ghost town in most places.

HOW? Try as much as possible to pray each prayer this month in the mosque and if that fails, at the very least, then plan to break your fast in the Masjid as often as possible. Take food with you, turn it into an Iftar potluck and make your kids and family feel like a part of an Islamic community. And after ramadan, plan halaqa’s or dinners or game nights or Tafsir nights atleast once a week at your local mosque that way even after Ramadan ends, you will know that on Thursday nights or on Saturday evenings you’re going to the mosque.

7. VOLUNTEER
WHY? In Islam we are not considered true believers until we want for our fellow Muslim Sister or Brother what we want for ourselves. So volunteering our time, money or resources is a no brainer. And in Ramadan when we’re all trying to rack up major points volunteering can be a fun way to pass the time and do good.

HOW? There are lots of ways to volunteer but some of the best volunteer opportunities in Ramadan can be found at the Mosque. You can help with the cleaning of the Masjid after Suhoor and Iftar, or help cook the food, or help teach others the Quran, Hadith, Sunna, or Arabic, or even babysit some of the younger kids. If you ask the Imam chances are you’ll find something to do. If you’re good at sewing you can volunteer to make some hijabs for the sisters and leave them at the Mosque. You can organize a book drive and collect gently used religious books to add to the Masjid’s library. Don’t limit yourself to the Masjid, there are volunteer opportunties outside as well. You can help plant trees, pick up trash, help at an orphanage or beautify a park. The options are limited only by your time and imagination. If you’re participating in a volunteer opportunity, please share in the comments and let us know how we can participate.

8. DECLUTTER
WHY? Because Ramadan is a time to let go of the Dunya and latch on to the Akhira. In this month we learn to go by with a lot less. We eat less, drink less, talk less, argue less (well we’re supposed to anyway!) and sleep less. We learn that we can do with less than we did before.

HOW? Pack up all the extras and give them away. Give it to the beggars on the street and outside the mosque (lets debate begging another time!). Give away your clothes, ten thousand pairs of shoes and books you haven’t touched in awhile. While you’re at it, see if there’s anything in your pantry you can give away. You normally budget for eating 3 times a day but since you’re only eating two meals a day in ramadan, give away that extra one meal a day. Make ramadan the time for your annual de-cluttering.

9. KEEP TRACK OF TIME
WHY? Because the Ramadan days are ticking away faster than ever. It’s already day 4 of Ramadan! The countdown started and if we don’t keep a close watch on this time it’ll all be gone in the blink of an eye.

HOW? Plan in advance what you’re going to do. If you didn’t plan before Ramadan, then now is the time to get planning. Plan each day one thing you’ll do that you normally don’t do. And make it a big one reward wise! The other thing to do, is to detox. Detox from your music, from your smoking, from your “dating” etc from all the things you do during the year that you know aren’t halal. Turn off the TV if you can. Avoid facebook if you can’t not spend hours on it. You don’t need to see pictures of cute cats or delicious cupcakes, that’s right stay away from youtube and pinterest! They’ll eat up your day before you know it! All those dramas and series that are made specially for Ramadan make me want to scream! Ramadan isn’t for us to stay up all night at shisha lounges watching tv shows made specifically for this month, eating up a storm and going to bed after Suhoor and sleeping all day. Ramadan is not a month long party it’s a month long spiritual cleanse. It’s a month long opportunity to ask for forgiveness, to get your life back on track and to reconnect to what it means to be a Muslim. Ramadan is a chance to become spiritually reconnected to Allah and to the deen, don’t waste it!

If you have any other suggestions of things I should have included on the list, please let me know in the comments section. Ramadan brings the Umma closer, hopefully this post helps bring us closer to ourselves, to our Creator and to each other. Ramadan Mubarak!!