Asalam Alaykum Brethren.

As Ramadan is at our doorstep. Kindly adhere to government measures on social distancing and keeping safe. You can also pray Taraweeh at home with your family or alone.

Find below some useful tips for Ramadan during this pandemic.

Get the whole family together to plan

Fasting is a personal act of worship but Ramadan is a great opportunity for regular social get together as well. So let the family come together to plan for this unique Ramadan(because of this pandemic). It is not too late to plan. Make sure everyone in the family participates.

Welcoming Ramadan

Put a “Countdown to Ramadan'' notice on the fridge. It is most likely that April 23 will be the beginning of Ramadan this year. Let’s bring it to our home. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and in the days preceding Ramadan, he would fast more. It is not required for us to do so, but it may help bring Ramadan to our hearts.

Designate a Ramadan home Masjid

Many Muslims already have a small area in their homes designated as a Masjid or prayer area. If you don’t, this is one thing to decide in your meeting. Where will it be and who will be responsible for it? In my case, our home does not have a separate space, so we use part of the sitting room for that. My younger brother would be responsible for this.

Call the Adhan at home

In preparation for Ramadan, please put up your area’s Salat timings where everyone can see it For each of the five daily prayers, someone should be designated to call the Adhan and to lead salat. Please pray together.

Decoration

With everyone at home, and some getting bored, others getting worried, why not engage children to start decorating the home for Ramadan. I remembered when I was teaching in a Muslim primary school, we always decorate the school in preparations for Ramadan.

Read and Ponder

Ramadan is when the Quran was first revealed. As we welcome the month of the Quran, read and ponder. You can also delegate someone to give lectures.

Time for Dua

Ramadan is when we supplication most to Allah because we are always in act of worshipping during that period. Start asking God to lift this misery of the pandemic from us. so that we can get to our Masjids, and hug and meet each other. We miss all of that time of connection and closeness.

Pray for those who are saving lives in hospitals; pray for those struggling to live; pray for those who cannot get to a hospital. Each Dua should begin by thanking God for all that we have, then thanking the Prophet through Salawat for connecting us to God Almighty.

Then, we must ask God for His forgiveness for our sins and shortcomings. Following that, we can start asking Him for what we want. All sincere duas are accepted. He listens when we talk. But He decides which way He will accept our Dua. So trust Him. Sometimes we don’t understand His reasoning. That is the reason in Surah al Kahf (chapter 18 of the Quran) He provides a window to His mysteries. You don’t have to pray in Arabic. Talk to Allah in the language you know. He knows all languages including the language of tears.

Remember those who are not doing as well as us

In a world where the rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer, misery is increasing for a whole lot of people. We will not be good Muslims if we don’t carry these people in our hearts, in our Duas, and in our resolve to change the world. Pray for the poor and masses.

Consume less and share more

Ramadan is not about food. It's about consuming less and sharing more. We must feel the hunger. So plan a healthy menu. Don't overeat. Fill your plate with less than what you used to eat before Ramadan. Plan on spending less on groceries. And send what you save early enough for those who are hungry. What is your monthly budget for groceries? Can you reduce it by half?
While at home this Ramadan, we might be moving less, so let’s rely on low calorie intake.

The Prophet’s mission: Living a purposeful life

While planning for Ramadan, remember his mission. He was one of the most successful people in the world. His mission and the mission of all of the Prophets sent by God Almighty is mentioned by God in the Quran: to help people establish Qist - peace, justice, fairness, and equity in the society (Quran 57:25). He was successful in doing that. In his last sermon, he assigned that duty to all of us. So while preparing for Ramadan, remember that Salat, Zakat, fasting, and Hajj, are all spiritual tools that connect us to God and prepare us to fulfill the Prophetic mission of making this world a just place for all.

May Allah accept it as an act of Ibadah.

Ramadan Mubarak.

Culled from https://www.soundvision.com/article/planning-for-ramadan-during-the-pandemic-10-tips

Amen y Allah, jazakillahu bikhairan sister

Jazakkallahu

Jazakhumullahu khaeran

Jazaakhumullahu khairan