It’s been a beautiful month and, despite the increased risk of a heart attack thanks to the Ramadan diet, we’re all running on spiritual highs. I’m not sure about you but personally I’d love to feel this way constantly. So who says the most wonderful time of the year has to come to an end! For those of us who enjoy the spiritual pep in our step, here are a few ways to keep the Ramadan spirit going:
1. Weekly Fasts
Perhaps this is the most basic way to ensure your month of fasting never ends – just keep fasting. It is recommended to fast on Mondays and Thursdays so pick a day to keep your hunger for spirituality alive! And, according to The Treatise on Rights:
“The right of fasting is that you know that it is a veil which God has set up over your tongue, your hearing, your sight, your stomach, and your private parts to protect you from the Fire. If you abandon the fast, you will have torn God’s protective covering away from yourself.”
So not only will your metabolism thank you for this habit but your soul will appreciate the extra help as well! Just remember to make small and stable decisions – don’t commit to another full month of fasting, one day a week is perfectly sustainable.
2. Save the Dates
…don’t allow this useful source of nutrition to stay untapped for the rest of the year.
Whether or not you choose to take on a day of fasting, make sure to keep dates on the table! These fruits are filled with nutrients and vitamins and memories of iftaars past. Whether you’re a Chocodate enthusiast or a fan of the more traditional plain Medjool variety, don’t allow this useful source of nutrition to stay untapped for the rest of the year. Regardless of when you eat dinner, start your meal with a pinch of salt and scrumptious date to keep you energized.
3. Make it a Mosque Night
This one is for those of us who had the privilege to enjoy the mosque on Month of Ramadan nights. If we have already become accustomed to giving up our evenings to visit the house of God why not try to pick one night a week to keep up the practice. Whether it’s Thursday nights for Dua Kumayl or Friday afternoon for congregational prayers, this is a clear way for us to maintain our spiritual gains.
4. DIY Laylatul Qadr
If people can counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags then why not a night of prayer!
Sure the original Night of Power happens in the Month of Ramadan but if people can counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags then why not a night of prayer! Try picking one night a month to have a pseudo-Laylatul-Qadr session. For those of us who don’t normally spend our nights awake in prayer, scheduling one time a month to reap the rewards of a night full of supplication and repentance is a practical way to ensure we remain connected to our Creator. Now I don’t know about y’all but I rarely spend a Saturday night home alone – trust me, I have copious amounts of friends. But despite my incredible and, at times, overwhelming popularity, it is completely manageable to set aside one night every month or so to remind myself which friend I can really count on – God.
5. Call me beep me
Sure it’s important to keep your faith alive but the Month of Ramadan also brings with it a month of social revival. Try to put in the effort to keep in contact with the people you awkwardly hugged at mosque every night for a month. Whether it’s Facebook, WhatsApp, carrier pigeon, or smoke signal – find a way to keep fostering the friendships that bloomed during the month. Especially if you sat with me during dinner. Please. Call me. Seriously. I’m lonelier than Moaning Myrtle.
6. Keeping up with the Qu’ran
I hear if you do this regularly you get a posse of angels who hang out at your house.
We rush through chapters of the Holy Book throughout the Month of Ramadan so why not slow it down and enjoy God’s message. There are loads of ways to personalize the manner in which you include the Qu’ran in your daily life. Whether we are memorizing a chapter, reading translations, understanding tafsir, or reading just two pages a night, let’s try to continue giving attention to this book of wisdom. I hear if you do this regularly you get a posse of angels who hang out at your house. Dibs on Munkar and Nakir to tutor me before I’m 6 feet under.
7. Schedule Check Ins
I think, at the end of the day, the purpose of these tips is to ensure that a little less than a year from now we find ourselves as spiritually invigorated as we are now. It seems every time the Month of Ramadan rolls around I am inevitably frustrated with how much I have let myself slip in the past year. Schedule a check in for yourself every couple of months to privately re-evaluate your progress as a Muslim. Hopefully these mini milestones can help keep us in check until the next Month of Ramadan rolls around.
Everyone has their own way of keeping the Ramadan spirit alive. The only thing to keep in mind is to take it slow. Let us find ways to make small but sustainable changes in our lifestyles as opposed to large but fleeting overhauls in our habits.
