Ramadan is about who you become, not what you do
How many pages should I read every day to complete the Qur’an this Ramadan? How do I make sure I pray taraweeh every night? How do I ensure I do …….? I’m sure you can fill the blanks with several rewardable actions for Ramadan.
Many of us think like this as we plan our schedule for the blessed month.
“We’ve basically turned Ramadan into a 30-day challenge of trying to get as many reward points as we can.” - Mohammed Faris, Productive Muslim
That is out of good intentions, alhamdulillah. However.
Too much focus on what and how much?
I received an email from Productive Muslim which challenged me to think of who we want to be at the end of Ramadan. How do we achieve God-consciousness through transforming our relationship with Allah (swt)?
Ramadan is about gaining taqwa
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become God-conscious [Al-Baqarah 2:183]
Try to picture yourself at the end of Ramadan:
What would you be like as a father - with more taqwa?
What would you be like as a mother - with more taqwa?
What would you be like as a son - with more taqwa?
What would you be like as a worker - with more taqwa?
What would you be like as a dawah carrier - with more taqwa?
Picture that person, that goal, then work backwards and think about what study, actions, and reflection you need to engage in during Ramadan in order to become that person, insha’Allah?
What study of the Qur’an, seerah or fiqh?
What actions at home, work, with family or community, or in the Mosque?
What do you need to reflect on and account yourself about in order to see the faults and areas you need to make changes in?
So seek the reward by doing the many good deeds this blessed month, but focus on making it a month where our relationship with Allah (swt) is transformed in very aspect of our lives.
Taji Mustafa