With the Olympic fever just recently come to an end, there are some observations that we can make. While, we, the spectators get to follow and enjoy the event every four years, the story of the athletes is completely different. Behind every participant there are years of sweat, tears, struggles and success stories.
For the athletes, it’s something they’ve trained for most of their life and quite rigorously closer to the Olympics. In fact, this is the case with most big sporting events be it Super Bowl, NBA, World Series, FIFA world cup and other World Championships. The athletes, their coaches and trainers, the stadium spectators, the viewers at home have their own individual levels of participation and enthusiasm.
Then there are those who may or may not be interested and so busy in daily lives that by the time it actually registers in their mind that a certain big sporting event is going on, they miss out a lot. They might try and catch the highlights but it’s not the same as the ones who prepared for it, whether as an athlete, trainer or viewer. Now hold this thought, pause and think about Ramadan. Which category do you belong to?
Ramadan is not only a BIG MUSLIM EVENT, but actually an ultimate CHAMPIONSHIP. It is far bigger than any athletic competition. Wouldn’t that mean that one cannot just enter Ramadan but actually start preparation beforehand? Aspiring for a successful and fruitful Ramadan not only requires a well-trained mind and body but also a well trained soul because Allah says –
All actions a human being does are his with the exception of fasting which belongs to Me, and I reward it accordingly. For one abandons his desire and food for My sake.
How wonderfully generous is Allah, and how beautiful is this championship that He invites us to participate every year! Ramadan prep is like climbing the stairs to get Allah’s blessings every step of the way and attain our ultimate goal in this life – to meet our Lord.
He who fasts has two joys: a joy when he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. The change in the breath of the mouth of the one who fasts is sweeter to Allah than the smell of musk.
(Al-Bukhari)
If we really think about it, that’s what Ramadan is…an annual championship that each of us participate at our own levels. Though we are not supposed to be competing against each other in any way, we all are supposed to be competing with ourselves, our bodies, mind, and soul for the sake of Allah. It’s all about an effort to beat ourselves in our own game from last year’s Ramadan or even to up our game from the previous day. The better we prepare and train for the month of blessing ahead of time, the better results we can experience Beidhnillah. It all boils down to how much importance we give to Ramadan in our lives and our intentions.
***
One cannot help but marvel at sport athletes and their dedication, hard work and focus. They are give all of their effort and put in all that they have of their strength, fitness, stamina, agility and resilience. To a large extent, they are required to put everything else in their lives on a hold for the duration of their final training and performance. In many cases, they have a whole support system that helps them stay focused and motivated, and cheer them on. The combination of all these factors helps the well trained and focused athlete to win. On the contrary, the Ramadan athlete is unique and solitary. He/she is supposed to continue the training and eventually perform to the best of his ability along with all the duties and responsibilities of daily life.
Reality check…we all know too well that despite all the desires of encountering and experiencing our dream Ramadan, there are the uncontrollable circumstances we deal with everyday or some just come out of nowhere and catch us off-guard. Our involvement and performance may be affected due to pregnancy, being a busy mom and homemaker, being a working mom who works hard and also takes care of her parents/family. Then there are imaan dips due to monthly cycles and other life demands, and time seems to fly by too fast in Ramadan landing us onto the last ten days of Ramadan. With a little bit of planning now, we can definitely up our game during the month of blessing.
The Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) used to prepare for Ramadan six months in advance. Then, do you really think we can make the best of this Ramadan without planning and preparing for it? As we know, fasting is more than just abstaining from food and drink but from indecent speech and lustful desires as well. Fasting pushes us to be cognizant of our actions, to be patient and to be moral individuals, thereby increasing our taqwa (God-consciousness). Therefore, in order to increase the blessings and mercy, we need to prepare before hand. We don’t ace an exam by studying the night before, so the time is now to get ready before Ramadan starts and plan accordingly that we don’t take too much time away from worship.
Find more tips on how to prepare your mind, body and soul, your family and your home for Ramadan.
Umm Umamah is a Mom of 4 with 15 + years of homeschooling experience. She is also an artist, a teacher and a blogger. She runs two blogs – Umamah Learning Academy on homeschooling and Awaken n Rise about her own self development journey. She loves to share her passion and experiences with others. She is currently working on a few books on self reflection and Islamic books for kids.
Read more of our Ramadan Preparation, Muslim party, Muslim lifestyle, parenting, Islamic home decor, recipes and other blog posts.
Shop Islamic home decor, gifts, books, and more here.
Stay connected by following us on: Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Thank you for visiting With A Spin. We hope you enjoy your stay here! Let us know what you think. Leave a comment or question.