In Islam there is great emphasis being put on the living a purposeful life in which time is given importance and is utilized in an optimal manner. This care and importance of time rises to its peak during the month of Ramadan, where Muslims try to make the most out of every moment of Ramadan, because they know that once it passes, then no knows whether he or she be able to live till the next year Ramadan comes.
In the month of Ramadan every moment is blessed and precious, therefore, it is imperative that a Muslim takes care of every moment and utilizes it in a way that it leads to gaining of maximum blessings and mercy throughout the month. However, there are Muslims who because of the lack of guidance aren’t able to make the best out of every moment of Ramadan. The lines below discuss some tips that can help you in utilization of every moment of Ramadan optimally.
Before moving on to the ways in which the moments of Ramadan can be utilized to the best, it is imperative that one realizes the emphasis put by Islam on the importance of time that is available to a person. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in His hadith:
“Make the most of five things before five others: life before death, health before sickness, free time before becoming busy, youth before old age, and wealth before poverty.” (Sahih Jami)
From this hadith it is clear that free time is of grave importance and when it is available one needs to spend it wisely. Therefore, besides the regular routine, a Muslim needs to make sure that every moment of it is cherished and thus utilized in the best possible manner.
Be Mindful Of The Purpose:
A Muslim can only try to make use of every moment of Ramadan, only when he or she is aware of the importance of the moments. In this regard, it is imperative that a Muslim is mindful of the purpose. Now, this mindfulness needs to be there pertaining to two types of purposes.
The first purpose that a Muslim needs to be mindful about is the purpose of human life. When a person knows what he or she is supposed to do in life, then he or she gets a clear picture of what life is all about and then the same perspective can be applied to the month of Ramadan. In Quran, Allah Almighty says:
“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).” (51:56)
From the ayah it is imperative that worshiping Allah Almighty is one of the major purpose of the creation of mankind, hence, when a person realizes this purpose, then he or she spends the time in Ramadan in worshiping Allah Almighty as per Islamic code of life. At another place in Quran, Allah Almighty says:
“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” (23:115)
The importance of living a purposeful life is evident from these two verses, which is to worship Allah Almighty and live life in a way that when in the afterlife one is asked about it, then one should be able to answer in good terms.
Secondly, the purpose that one needs to be mindful about is the purpose of Ramadan. In Quran, Allah Almighty has mentioned that the objective of fasting is to help humans practice self-constraint and purify the soul. Thus, when a Muslim is mindful that he or she is in this life for worshipping and praising Allah Almighty and that Ramadan is supposed to help them learn self control and better their soul, then he or she takes advantage of every moment of Ramadan and spends it in an optimal manner.
In addition to those who don’t realize the importance of time during Ramadan, there are others who although realize the importance of the month and its moments, however, there realization is only limited to their words and they don’t put it into action. Thus, whatever resolutions they make of praying in Ramadan, Quran recitation, charity, additional prayers, all are just words and they don’t strive towards materializing those words. For such people, Allah Almighty says in Quran:
“O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do.” (61:2-3)
From this ayah it is imperative that those who only say and don’t act upon what they do are people not liked by Allah Almighty. Thus, when it comes to all the planning about Ramadan way before its arrival, the month is the time when all the planning needs to be put into practice and one needs to do all the things which one plans to do during the month.
Don’t Do Things That Don’t Concern You:
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in one of His hadiths:
“From the perfection of a person’s Islam is that he leaves alone that which does not concern him.” (Tirmidhi)
In Ramadan, most of the times it happens that people waste time in idle activities and try to indulge in everything with which they have no concern or relation, thus these diversions lead to wasting of time and ultimately one loses the important moments of Ramadan. Hence, in order to overcome such idle diversions, it is imperative that a person leaves all those matters that do not concern him and stays focused upon what lies at hand – the pearl moments of Ramadan.
In short, the time in Ramadan is really of essence and for a Muslim it is imperative to spend that time in remembrance of Allah Almighty, living life as per Islamic way, and trying to give as much time to prayers and praise of Allah whenever one has time available after completing the daily chores.