Four ways to spend Rajab, Sha’banand Ramadan productively
Four ways to spend Rajab, Sha’banand Ramadan productively
Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan are three months when limitless opportunities for worship are open to every Muslim - about 90 days during which we can grow a Garden of Eden for ourselves and enjoy its fruits for the rest of the year. A time for prayers to be fulfilled, for victory over nafs (ego) and for dreams to come true. A chance to cleanse your heart and start over, spending every day you live with love and gratitude to the Almighty. But we can, with our own hands, deprive ourselves of all these sweet blessings and wake up at the end of the month of Ramadan, realising that from fasting we only were hungry, spending all our days nervously waiting for the evening azan and our nights in the kitchen, trying to fill our stomach to the limit. In order not to find ourselves in such a disastrous situation, we must begin to change ourselves and our lives from the first days of Rajab.
- Tomorrow may not exist.
Which of us never puts off important things until later? There are probably some, but only a few. For the most part, we regularly feed our conscience with promises. Tomorrow I will start learning to read the Koran, I will fast every Monday and Thursday, perform additional prayers, I will ask for forgiveness from everyone I have offended... Or maybe the day after tomorrow, or in a month, or never... Let us clearly understand how likely it is that this notorious “tomorrow” will not happen at all. Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan are the best times to stop putting off good deeds for later. Set an alarm to wake up an hour before the morning azan, and spend this time with benefit for your soul, with a decisive gesture, turn off the TV, lift your body from the sofa, pick up a book that will heal your heart and do it today - do it now!
- Learning to separate the seeds from the chaff.
Another mistake we make is cluttering the space around us. We fill the apartment with unnecessary junk and spend our precious time on trivial matters. As a result, we have nowhere and no time to live. Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan are the best times to understand what we really need and what we need to get rid of once and for all. Take the time to analyse - evaluate everything that surrounds you, write down every hour, every minute - what you spend it on. Carry out a total cleaning. And then you will be sincerely surprised to realise how much time you have for the most important thing - worship.
- Learn to fast correctly.
Perhaps every Muslim who follows the rules of Islam knows how to fast. To do this, it is necessary to abstain from food, drink and marital intimacy from the time of morning azan to evening. None of us would consider ourselves as fasting, while at the same time, quenching our thirst with a couple of sips of cool water or curbing our hunger with a light snack. Everyone knows that this breaks the fast. But at the same time, we completely forget about the other side of this form of worship. We may not eat or drink, but we allow ourselves to gossip, swear, look at forbidden things... and do many, many things that deprive our fast of all grace. Rajab and Sha’ban are the best time to learn how to fast correctly. Understand what situations and places we should avoid if we fast. And enter Ramadan by fasting not only with the body but with our entire being.
- Fill the house with a holiday atmosphere.
Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadan are an amazing, blessed time. This is a series of great, special, sacred nights, each of which is filled with the deepest meaning. Every day of these months is a holiday for Muslims. Let us make sure that when we come home, we are inspired by the festive atmosphere. So that our children wait with trepidation, for example, for the night of Baraat and other special dates for Muslims. Decorate the house, cook delicious, unusual dishes, organize competitions for children, give gifts. Make an effort and use your imagination to make these three months of happiness unforgettable for your family.
May God the Almighty help us spend every minute and second of these blessed months with benefit, in worship and remembrance of the Lord and may He protect us from any manifestation of sin! And may God grant us on the Day of Judgment to be among those who will rejoice and not be ashamed of how they spent their allotted days. Amin.
