Habits to continue beyond Ramadan
Simple, easy, achievable, and most importantly, beneficial.
Alhamdullilah, we’re halfway through Ramadan already. How is it going for you?
I’m so grateful to Allah SWT for allowing me to have the best Ramadan since 2021. I’ve been so distant, but finally feel as if I’m back on track.
Truth be told, I don’t think Allah truly let me go. Over the past few years, no matter how distant I became from Islam, I kept hearing those whispers in the back of my mind, nudging me to start praying again. There were even times I could feel myself being tugged back towards Him. Have you ever felt the sensation of being physically pulled back towards Allah too?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the habits I’ve built this month, and how to continue them once Ramadan is over.
Without realising I’ve managed to create a balance between my 9-5 and practicing Islam, proving I have no excuse to neglect my prayers any longer. I’ve become super mindful about how I spend my time, especially when hyper-focused on a task I love, losing track of time altogether.
This Ramadan I’ve realised creating balance and prioritising deen over dunya is possible, and I want to ensure this continues beyond Ramadan. It’s time to pile up those good deeds so we can meet in Jannah, Insha’Allah 🤲🏼
Habits to continue beyond Ramadan
Today I’m sharing a small list of habits and good deeds I’ve started this month. As someone who works full-time, I've found these to be simple, easy, and achievable—which is why I’m recommending them to you, too.
1. Praying five times a day
On the Day of Judgment, the first thing we’ll be held accountable for will be our prayers. Which means out of all the habits to continue beyond Ramadan, our prayers should be prioritised. We need to ensure we perfect our salah, be present, take our time, and try to pray the voluntary prayers too.
However, there is a challenge I’m yet to overcome. Praying five times a day is easy at home, but I’m missing Zuhr at work. There are cameras in every single room, and I don’t feel comfortable being watched by my male colleagues whilst praying. My aim is to ask which room doesn’t have cameras (if any) so I can pray without feeling uncomfortable. I’m hoping I can overcome this easily, since my boss is a Muslim too.
If you live in a western country, it’s likely you have to overcome workplace challenges too. Set the intention to pray five times a day and ask Allah to make it easy for you to overcome anything stopping you from praying at work.
2. Learn Arabic and read Quran daily
Learning to read Arabic and reading Quran daily, even if it’s one page a day, is another highly rewarding habit to continue after Ramadan.
I’m currently learning the basics again from Bayyinah TV, who offer a free Arabic course called Reading Basics. I’m already seeing an improvement, and highly recommend the course if you’re new to learning Arabic.
3. Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)
A simple, everyday habit that can be done in your free time and on the go. Dhikr is a great way to remember Allah as you go about your day, but also helps remain mindful of Him at all times. By keeping your tongue busy with the remembrance of Allah, you’ll hopefully refrain from participating in certain sins that we can so easily fall into around friends, family, and colleagues—backbiting and slander being the most common.
4. Gain knowledge
Like many others I’ve been enjoying The Other Side, a Ramadan series by Yaqeen Institute. A short 10-15 minute video a day can offer so much knowledge, reminders, and benefit for your akhirah (afterlife). You can easily gain knowledge by setting time aside daily to read translations of the Quran and Hadith, watch YouTube videos, and by following Islamic social media accounts.
What habits have you started this month, and which ones do you hope to continue beyond Ramadan? I’d love to know, leave me a comment.
