Spiritual energy, motivation, and high ambition are very crucial sides of Ramadan for almost every Muslim.
Having that strong will to get over our desires and even our very basic needs for the whole month is something we should use and build on to get the maximum benefits of Ramadan.
Ramadan is an excellent and unprecedented opportunity for Muslims to refrain from bad habits they are used to, and to open the door for better attitudes and life style.
Now, after Ramadan is over, we should consider what we have achieved during the holy month and build on it to make our journey of self-improvement an ongoing one.
No Gossip?
It is very common for some Muslims to avoid gossip in Ramadan as they believe it will spoil their fasting, however, they go back to gossip after Ramadan without feeling any guilt!
Well, Ramadan can be a very good start for attempts to experience life without gossip and surprisingly, you’ll find out that you lose nothing.
But, this should last forever and we should always refrain from gossip that is not only something Islam forbids, but also a very bad and inappropriate behavior.
Try the following tips that might help you to stop gossip
Keep yourself busy.
Get engaged in useful and fruitful activities if your work doesn’t take most of your time.
Focus on your own mistakes and problems and try to solve them rather than looking into people’s flaws that you won’t solve by gossip.
Make a gossip watch, in which you write down your gossip score and how much you’ve improved
Invite your friends.
Your close friends will have a very good impact on you if you all agreed to do it together and encourage each other.
Always keep in mind that no one is perfect and everyone has his/her own defects or mistakes. So, don’t criticize people’s defects while you have your own!.
Depicting others in their absence is neither an honorable nor a courageous thing, if you want real benefit, think of a better way to deliver your message as a polite advice.
Sometimes we tend to criticize behaviors and attitudes of someone, which we might easily replicate if we were in the same situation, or we might act even worse.
Being judgmental is not detrimental for those whom you judge; it’s more detrimental for you.
After all, it’s your deeds that will be presented to God, is that what you want God to see just to have fun for few moments?
Think Economic or Stop over Spending?
Moving to another subject that is always present in Ramadan, how to go more economic in the holy month?
It’s very ironical that some Muslims spend in Ramadan double what they spend in other months and guess what? They spent the excess money on food.
The time that we should learn more about how the poor suffer hunger and need, we eat more and give away the true lesson and spirit of the holy month.
The good news though, that you can change this habit and act as a model for your family and friends. You can start from next Ramadan!
Plan for Ramadan budget beforehand; you can have a good control early enough with a plan that extends to most of the details so you don’t have any surprises.
Include only necessary items that work for both healthy and low budget meals
Reconsider things you think basic, some of them might be not.
Talk with your family and children and discuss with them how you can all cooperate and plan for better choices for more delicious treats with less money spent.
Google economic meals and you’ll find a diversity of choices that will certainly include new things that you didn’t try before
Don’t go to big supermarkets or hypermarkets frequently, make it once a month or so, because it’s more likely that you’ll be attracted by different offers and you might find yourself buying lots of things you don’t really need.
Put a strategy that helps you avoid throwing some of the food into the bin,this can be achieved by cooking adequate quantity of food and quickly pack any remaining food in a suitable container that preserves it without changing its taste for future use.
In case of family or friends gatherings, cook food that can be kept in the fridge for a while, or pack the remaining food and give it right away to the needy people nearby.
Go to more than one place when you buy groceries, clothes, or anything else. It will take you relatively long time at the beginning, but will save you a lot when you learn where you buy what.
Controlling Your Temper or Stop Losing Your Temper?
During Ramadan, we often find it is more common to lose our temper and start a shouting spell that almost always have an adverse effect on the children’s attitudes and manners.
I know how frustrating it might be when you want to have enough time to pray and do the house chores while having nagging or disobedient children.
Nevertheless, you can rather let them help you, but how?
Sit with your children and set them indoor and outdoor activities according to their age in a way that they will be completely occupied by something they like and a goal they want to achieve.
Encourage them to give more time to prayers and Qur’an reciting by arranging competitions between them and their peers.
Look at Ramadan with new eyes; make it a life changing experience rather than a season for more prayers and worship.
Make use of this unique opportunity to have the whole family joining hands and working together to get over their individual mistake and step forward in their interrelations.
Let them pursue their lives with full energy and hope.