Keeping Up The Ramadan YOU
The post-Ramadan blues hit hard for many of us. After a month of worship, community and self-reflection, it’s sad to say goodbye to the days and nights when our lives seem to be in perfect balance. Although we are grateful to be back to drinking water throughout the day, and have some semblance of a sleep schedule back, we all wish it didn’t ever have to end.
But why does it?
Ramadan isn’t meant to just be a seasonal change of our schedules, our appetite, or the increased frequency of visits to the masjid. Why do we think we have to let it all go? Why not continue?
Here are 5 easy ways you can keep the Ramadan YOU going strong over the next 11 months:
Set your intention - As always, before we act, we must set an objective. Not only with ourselves but more importantly with Allah SWT. By setting your intention, every thought or action made with the purpose of maintaining and increasing your good habits in the name of Allah will become good deeds packed with reward! Subhanallah, it’s the perfect motivation to keep going!
Challenge yourself to plan your days around Salat - One of the reasons we feel a sense of satisfaction and balance during the month of Ramadan, is because our schedules revolve around worship. Not only do we aim to pray on time, but we also make the time to recite the Quran, do dhikr, attend community prayers, all in between juggling regular life. Ramadan is definitely heavy on the daily worship, but a great place to start incorporating some of those values would be by working around salat.
Pro Tip: Block it in your calendar!Engage in good deeds more often - During Ramadan we seek ways to do more - to involve our families, to teach our kids, to serve our communities - and alhamdulillah it seems like the opportunities to do so during the month are endless! Commit to a cause you believe in and keep it going as a household. A great way to do this is by participating in a monthly charity initiative in your community. A great example of this is Sakeenah Canada’s monthly drive for The People’s Market, where you can help collect staple grocery items for low-income families in the GTA! You can also involve friends and family members, your local mosque, and more, to donate every month. The best part is, that you can even come in person to stock our shelves and get the full end-to-end experience of donating!
Give regular charity - Sometimes big change can come from a small place, like an effortless act of giving or donating to those in need! The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Allah, the Exalted, says, ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.’” – (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
Give in His name and surely your efforts in evolving post-Ramadan will be made easy. A convenient and easy way to do so is by becoming a monthly donor at Sakeenah Canada!Keep good company - last but not least, the people you surround yourself with will determine your progress. Find like-minded people who have the same goals, values, and priorities as you! Being around those who can help pull you up when you’re feeling lost, or unmotivated can be a game changer. Sakeenah Canada hosts events year-round, where people just like you are reading this blog, and hoping to continue the Ramadan high all year long. We encourage you to come out and meet up with our amazing community - stay posted on our events by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on socials!
We hope this blog helps set you up for success in the next few months, and we pray that Allah SWT accepts all of the efforts you put into striving to find your best self, no matter how big or small they may be.
Written by Saima Zaidi - Social Media & Content Coordinator at Sakeenah Canada. I love to write and create content that prompts deep thinking. My beige flag is that I eat pizza backwards, crust first.
About Sakeenah
Sakeenah Canada, a national charitable organization, was founded in 2018 in response to a gap in culturally and religiously sensitive services available for women and children facing domestic violence and homelessness. Since then, our services have expanded to include mental health therapy and counseling. Sakeenah has also started The People’s Market, a food program that helps combat food insecurity, and has become the first licensed foster care agency for Muslim children in all of North America. We currently operate 8 transitional homes across Canada: Toronto, Brampton, Milton, London, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Regina, in addition to the first long-term housing program for Muslim women and children in Canada, in Windsor.
