بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
For the special month of Ramadhan, it’s natural that we want to honor it with special goals of our own.
With the purpose of Ramadhan in mind, here are 18 goals that you can pick and choose from to make this year’s Ramadhan an unforgettable one.
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa.(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:183)
From this ayat, Allah is telling us that the purpose of fasting during Ramadhan is to develop taqwa. The consciousness of God. The remembrance of God. The feeling of knowing that God is watching, resulting in that feeling of fear and carefulness in our thoughts and actions, knowing that He knows.
So when setting goals in Ramadhan, it’s important to have that end goal in mind. We want to develop habits that increase our taqwa in Allah. And insyaAllah the habits we start this holy month will remain till after it. So that we can meet the next Ramadhan as a better person than we are now.
Life is a marathon to Allah, and Ramadan is a small opportunity to speed up just a little. With that said, I’ve categorised these “mini” goals into 3 main categories – With Allah, With Yourself and With Other People.
With Allah
Indeed, Allah loves the Muttaqeen (People of Taqwa). (Surah Ali’-Imran, 3:76)
- Pray 5 times a day and on time
What do you do if you want to be close to someone? Well, for starters, you can just simply go and meet them. So think of solat as your appointments with Allah. That He loves you so much that He wants to hear from you 5 times in a single day. So think about what you’re saying to Him. And of course, you wouldn’t want to be late to meet someone you love. - Study a number of surahs. Taddabur. Go deep.
It doesn’t have to be the big surahs. You can always start from the foundation. Like what does Allah want to tell us in al-Fatihah? Why is it called the Opener? And what about al-Ikhlas? What does Samad mean? What does Ahad mean? - Read 2 Islamic books
Books are a great way to expand our minds. There are loads of book recommendations out there – both Malay and English. In Malaysia, for Malay books, you can get a lot of good ones from Iman Shoppe. And for English, my favourites are from the Dakwah Corner Bookshop. - Recite Quran daily (also read the meaning)
Have a healthy routine of reading the Quran and enjoying the Quran. The Quran is a gift that Allah gave us to navigate this confusing and noisy world. It’s something that we should ponder and marvel upon. Don’t focus on rushing to finish the whole Quran in 30 days. - Do morning and evening dhikir
O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify Him morning and evening. (33:41-42)
And remember your Lord within yourself with humility and awe, without raising your voice, in the morning and evening, and do not be of those who are heedless. (7:205)
Azkars or fortress of a Muslim are just magical. Please try it. It’s a compilation of duas for different circumstances in life. And it’s so essential to our emotional, physical, spiritual and all kinds of other healths. Or you can also do Mathurat, though they’re a little bit longer. But choose something you can spend 10-15 minutes everyday on and really internalise the meaning, during fajr and asar.
Click here for an awesome Daily Adhkar PDF - Memorise a surah that you love
Or a surah that you want to read often like Surah al-Mulk before bed, or short surahs in Juz Amma during solat. When we have a piece of the Quran in us, InsyaAllah it can serve as a reminder for us whenever we need it. - Ask Allah for forgiveness
Talk to Him every night in Qiam about anything that is bothering you or making you anxious. Maybe it’s your past, your present or your future. He knows everything in minute detail so ask everything you need from Him. Cry, beg for forgiveness and love. Because the doors to forgiveness are wide open this month.
And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those mindful of Allah (people of taqwa). (3:133) - Pray tarawih every night
Tarawih is one of those special prayers in Ramadan that should help us reconnect with Allah. And it’s more fun with family or friends.
Get to know the story behind Taraweeh here
Watch a tutorial for Taraweeh at home here - Have 1-to-1 time with Allah at night
Or in other words, qiamullail. There are various night prayers you can do – taubat, tahajjud, hajat etc. I know qiam may feel daunting at first but really it’s just you waking up in the middle of the night to do a couple of rakaat prayers and have some alone undivided time with Allah. Ask anything you wish and most importantly, ask so you could meet Lailatul Qadar – the most special night in Ramadhan.
With Yourself
As for he who gives and fears Allah. And believes in the best [reward], We will ease him toward ease. (92:5-7)
- Social media fasting
Ahh yes, social media. The place where many people fall into the trap of jealousy, showing off and wasting hours and hours of their life away. It’s a dark hole if you’re not careful. So to make the most out of our Ramadhan, it’s good if we can wholly dedicate this month for only Allah, and not His creations. - Music & KPOP fasting
This was one of my goals for last Ramadhan. Nasheeds are a great way to ease the transition. We may not realise it but lyrics that don’t remind you of Allah will essentially pull you towards something else. So free up that space in your mind for Allah. - No gossipping/ backbiting or dumb conversations
We’ve all had one of those conversations that went nowhere. Just a whole lot of giggles and temporary highs. Allah said…
(In Paradise) They will not hear any vain talk therein, nor lies. (78:35)
Imagine that. The absence of useless conversations is a trait of jannah. So we should try to imitate it starting from now. - Don’t overeat or waste food
In Malaysia, it’s the month of Ramadan that hotels thrive with their eat-all-you-can buffets. It’s tempting to buy everything you see at the bazaar with their mango donuts and ice blue drinks. A tip I did was to have only a small amount of food for iftar. A chug of water and a date. Then pray maghrib. Only afterwards, have the proper meal. By that time, our stomach demons aren’t screaming for us to inhale everything on the table. - Lower your gaze – entertainment fasting (and perhaps other things)
It could be dystopian novels, netflix series, Avengers, Run BTS! episodes or le boyfriend. Whatever that does not develop taqwa in you is going to develop something else in you. So since the shaitans are all gone now, take this opportunity to just run to Allah. It’s still hard, I know. But try to empty it out of you and see your life change.
With Other People
Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good. (Surah Ali-Imran 3:134)
- Donate a little everyday
Whether we’re broke or wealthy, give. It’s scary to see the number in your account dwindling but know that Allah will return it in many other forms like health, contentment, ease in affairs, a happy family and so much more.
Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned Allah a goodly loan – it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward. (3:133)
They ask you, O Prophet, in what way they should donate. Say, “Whatever donations you give are for parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, and needy travellers. Whatever good you do is certainly well known to Allah.” (2:215) - Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (24:22) - Help your family prepare sahur or iftar everyday
This is especially a good deed for girls who are on their menses and still want to get rewards just like a fasting person. hehe
“Whoever feeds a fasting person will have his sins forgiven and will be saved from the hell-fire. He will earn the same reward as the one who has fasted without diminishing the latter’s reward in the slightest.”
(at-Tirmidhi 807) - Be nice to your family (and everyone in general)
Serve Allah and ascribe no partner to Him. Do good to your parents, to next of kin, to orphans, and to the needy, and to the neighbour who is near and to the neighbour who is a stranger, and to the companion by your side, and to the traveler, and to those whom your right hands possess. Allah does not love the arrogant and the boastful. (4:36)
Conclusion
I hope this post helped give you some ideas on what habits you want to pick up this Ramadan to increase taqwa in Allah. From personal experience, I find that the success rate is higher when you can focus on 5 to 7 things. Remember this is a marathon, not a sprint. And Ramadhan is one of the important milestones in it. With that said, may Allah bless us with an unforgettable Ramadhan and may He ease our journey back to Him.
Have an amazing Ramadhan ahead!
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