Ramadan has looked different for so many of us in the past few years due to the pandemic. We moved from community gatherings and prayer to more private worship.
In Ramadan 2023, many of us have the chance to head back to the mosque to break our fasts together and attend nightly congregational prayers, or qiyam, in addition to committing ourselves to worship at home.
With all of these new options, it’s important for us to plan strategically so that we can can have an optimal Ramadan experience which resonates with us on a personal level.
Check out these tips to prepare for Ramadan 2023:
Tip #1 - Set Powerful Intentions
Behind any good deed a Muslim does is a pure niyyah (also spelled niyah), or intention, that one makes to ensure they are fulfilling a duty for the right reasons and maximizing the blessings they will receive from doing so.
You can set intentions for each deed you wish to perform or even set major intentions for the month of Ramadan as a whole. Examples include intending to purify your soul through charity, work on bad habits or simply bring joy to those you care about. Keeping a niyyah journal can be a fun and creative way to keep these intentions in mind and help you reflect on your progress during and after Ramadan.
Make the intention that this Ramadan 2023 will be the month that you dedicate more than just yourself and perform actions which will greatly benefit those around you.
Tip #2 - Plan Your Worship
After setting your intentions for what you plan on achieving for Ramadan 2023, you can begin to plan your worship for the month.
This planning can include goals for making regular important duas, reading certain portions of the Quran, praying a certain amount of extra prayers and donating your yearly zakat to causes that matter most to you. Be sure to include important occasions like the weekly Friday prayer, the last 10 auspicious nights of the month and the Night of Power, or Laylatul Qadr.
Similar to the idea behind keeping a niyyah journal, you can also make your own Ramadan 2023 worship schedule or journal to keep things organized.
Tip #3 - Practice Your Worship
With just a few weeks left until the start of Ramadan 2023, there is room to practice adjusting our habits and schedules to meet the unique demands of the month. Thankfully, we are in the blessed month of Shaban , in which our practice will gain even more blessings.
Depending on the worship you intend to commit for the month, you can start fasting for a few days or every other day in the coming weeks, reading larger portions of the Quran than you’re used to, take time to think before responding impulsively to triggering situations and more.
Ramadan 2023 is our chance to be intentional with our worship and kindle the special spirit of the month within ourselves and those we care about. Let’s make Ramadan 2023 our month to rejuvenate our souls.
Tip #4 - Plan Out How You Want to Give
Whether you are planning your annual Zakat giving, or just want to ensure you reap the extra blessings that Ramadan provides, it helps to map it out ahead of time. For Zakat, make sure you gather all of your financial information and use this helpful Zakat calculator to calculate the Zakat that you need to pay. Set aside a consistent daily budget to spend on giving so that you can make it a daily consistent good deed. If you miss a fast or break a fast, you can even pay your Fidya and Kaffara.