Did I forget anything on the list for Iftar? What am I going to cook for Suhoor? I’m hungry, irritable, and my kids are stressing me out!
Ramadan! One of the most blessed and enjoyable months of the year. But for Muslim sisters, it can also be a month of pressure, extra demands, and anxiety.
Many sisters have the added pressure of preparing Iftar, taking care of the children, as well as trying to find extra time to read Qur’an and perform nawafil acts. Of course, the stress can pile up, so begin early and prepare for Ramadan stresses with these 10 helpful tips and ensure a peaceful and serene Ramadan, insha'Allah.
1. Read or listen to inspiring stories from the Qur’an.
The Qur’an has stories of righteous women who had difficulties but remained patient and received Allah’s reward as a result. Maryam mother of Isa was accused of immoral acts – she was blessed with a virtuous son who became a noble prophet. Asiya the wife of Pharoah was tortured viciously by her husband. Allah informed her of her place in Paradise. The mother of Musa gave up her son for a period of time. Allah returned him to her and blessed him to become a righteous prophet. Through their patience, Allah blessed these women with something better than what their trials presented to them.
Stories such as these found in Qur’an are not merely for our reading pleasure. They are words of inspiration to help us through our most difficult challenges in life.
In preparation for Ramadan, take 15 minutes each day to read or listen to inspiring stories from Islam. When the stressful moments of Ramadan arise, your mind will be set with a positive outlook so you can tackle the busyness with courage and patience learned from these role models, insha'Allah.
2. Make extra du’a and memorize them.
Remember to ask Allah to solve your problems and relieve your stressors. He is the One who is in control of everything. In Surah Mujadilah, Allah lets one of the female companions of the Prophet know that He hears and knows of her complaints, and He responds to her worries and concerns, as well.
"Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you, [O Muhammad], concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue; indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing." [Surah 58, Verse 1]
We must remember that Allah can make the difficult easy. So recite du’a more frequently to prepare for this month, and while you’re at it, try memorizing them, as well. According to hadith, the Prophet (saw) prescribed the following du’a for stress:
"O Allah, I hope for Your Mercy. Leave me not to myself for even a wink of an eye, and set right all my affairs. There is no god but You.” [Abu Daw’ud]
Allah wants us to seek His help and to plead to Him, so ask Him often for His assistance, especially to help you deal with the coming stresses of Ramadan.
3. Work on becoming more patient.
Make a special effort this Ramadan to intentionally work on becoming more patient and start this now. When we try to be patient, Allah will make it easier for us to continue being patient, insha'Allah.
The Prophet Muhammad said, “…and whoever remains patient, Allah will make him patient…” [Bukhari].
We should use the difficulties of this blessed month as an opportunity to build our patience.Here is a du’a from Quran we can make asking Allah to help us to become more patient: “… Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You].” [Surah 7, Verse 126]
We all need and want Allah to aid us and be with us. Being patient is one way of achieving this great blessing, inshaAllah. Unfortunately, patience is not always a natural character trait and the difficulty in practicing it is why it is so rewardable. This month, make a quick note in a private diary/phone app (for example, Notes on iPhone) of the situations in which you did not exercise patience or situations you could have handled better. Having our weaknesses spelled out to us is an effective way for us to actively practice Sabr when similar things happen again.
4. Appreciate an empty stomach.
No doubt, being hungry can make us grumpy and more easily irritated, but having an empty stomach can also, in some respects, make us more calm and subdued. Hunger slows us down and makes us less worldly. People are more contemplative when fasting. Although the lack of eating can make us irritable, we’re also less energetic and we become more restrained. We should take advantage of this unique aspect of fasting during our difficult moments. Why not fast Mondays and/or Thursdays until Ramadan begins to prepare for the physical difficulties of Ramadan.
5. Spend extra time with our kids.
One of the greatest stresses we mothers experience is the misbehavior of our children. One of the most effective ways of managing misbehavior is by being proactive and spending quality time with our kids. During the first few days of Ramadan, we often wonder what to do with the extra time we have from not eating. Some of this extra time can be spent playing with our children.We can read Islamic stories to them or even recite them from memory. How about playing Scrabble or Score Four or some other entertaining game? Or, better yet, we can search online for Islamic stores that sell children’s Islamic games and play fun and entertaining games that teach about our religion. What about working together with the kids to design Ramadan posters to place throughout the house? Search online for creative and fun games that cost nothing at all, such as guessing games? Switch your stress from frustration to fun. (continue at top)
6. Make gifts for others.
One of the best ways for us to feel good about ourselves is to become creative. Creating usable items that we have produced from our hard work makes us feel valuable. We can work on a quilt or make pot pourri with flowers from outside of the home. We can even crochet a kufi or knit a shawl for Eid. These are things that can distract our mind from irritated feelings and make us feel more composed. It is also a great way to engage the kids.
7. Give to others.
It is becoming more and more apparent to psychologists and those who work with people who have depression, that one of the best ways for people to feel content is for them to help others less well off than themselves. Women generally have the task of cooking, so it is easy to make a small extra portion to give to an elderly neighbor.
If you know a family that is not doing so well financially, prepare a delicious meal for them and send it over for them to enjoy.
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Stop by a needy neighbor's house and help clean their home for them. Shop for them, or fulfill some other need they may have. The list of charitable deeds is endless and generally doesn’t take a lot of time to do, maybe once or twice a week. If you start these deeds now, they will become second nature by the time Ramadan arrives, and your rewards will be multiplied, insha'Allah!
8. Remind yourself that this is a special and fleeting month.
Ramadan will only be here for 29 or 30 days. Realize what an enormous blessing you have for increasing your good deeds, growing closer to Allah, and hopefully attaining a spot in Paradise. The thought of entering paradise someday with endless pleasures that only increase in their joy and have no stresses or difficulties is likely more than enough to get you through the most stressful moments of Ramadan. I wish all sisters a peaceful and serene Ramadan!
About the Author:
Grandma Jeddah is the author of Discipline without Disrespecting: Discover the Hidden Secrets of How to Effectively Discipline Your Muslim Child –And Keep Your Peace of Mind while at It. Let her show you how respectful discipline methods which encourage calmness, advising, gentleness and non-corporal consequences, can be a successful means of training your children to be Allah fearing Muslims. She is also the founder of Successful Muslim Marriage which provides Muslim wives with the wisdom and ways to stay married…through the difficult times, Bi’ithnilah. Visit her website for more helpful tips and to subscribe to her FREE newsletter:
Link to Productive Musllim Article http://productivemuslim.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-prepare-for-ramadan-stress/#ixzz34DPlvU6l
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