The human being likes building habits. They are reassuring, they help us, they make us feel more comfortable, they give us the impression that something feels familiar. And this is nothing wrong with that – so long as those habits don’t take us away from our Deen and from our Creator.

Ramadan is a month during which many of us follow habits that we have established a long time ago, or maybe that our parents, extended families, spouse, friends, or even communities have established for us. It becomes a problem when those habits make us lose sight of the true essence of Ramadan. In this article, we look at four facts about the blessed month of Ramadan that are often neglected, and most importantly, what we can do to change that so that we can make the most of this special time of year insha’Allah!

b2ap3_large_Blog_4RamadanFacts 4 Ramadan Facts That Are Often Neglected - And How To Fix That! - Blog

 

1. Ramadan is the month of the Quran

Allah SWT says in the Quran:

“The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.

You might wonder, how is it even possible to neglect the Quran during Ramadan when we are so diligent about trying to attend Taraweeh every night? The reality is that very few people are fully focused on the Quran during Taraweeh prayers. For many others, Taraweeh has become a social gathering, something that they do mechanically, out of habit, or something that doesn’t resonate in their hearts because they either can’t focus (too much food, too little sleep) or can’t understand what the imam is reciting (no or little Arabic skills, poor sound system – you name it!). As Ramadan leaves us, the dust continues to accumulate on the Mushaf, sadly sitting on the bookshelf at home.

2. We should eat less during Ramadan, not more
Sometimes influenced by the society we live in, we tend to think that because we don’t eat the whole day, we have to double up on servings when iftar comes around. This leaves us heavy and sleepy for ishaa’ and Taraweeh, and defeats the purpose of the blessed month of Ramadan during which our focus should be on our ‘ibaadah (acts of worship).
3. Ramadan is about doing more, not less

Ramadan can be exhausting, and we need to make sure we get enough sleep to keep up with our daily life and responsibilities. That being said, we very easily fall into oversleeping and lazy mode during Ramadan, blaming our fast and extra acts of worship like Taraweeh for our lack of energy.

4. Eid is NOT during the month of Ramadan

You might wonder, “what does this even mean? Isn’t Eid the day that concludes Ramadan?”
Yes, and no! Eid al-Fitr literally means the celebration of the breaking of the fast, so there is absolutely no denying that it is related to Ramadan and to the fact that we have been fasting during this blessed month. But it’s also good to remember that Eid marks the first day of the Islamic month that comes right after the month of Ramadan, the month of Shawwaal.