The Best of Amaliah Straight to Your Inbox

Balancing Ramadan as a Student

by in Ramadan on 29th May, 2018

Study

For most people, the end of exams means the start of summer! Whilst this was true, it also meant the arrival of the month of Ramadan. Although many would say it’s unfortunate that I’ve had to throw myself straight into Ramadan mode after my exams, I would rather look at it more as a blessing, and an opportunity to re-evaluate and reflect. Reflecting is something I haven’t done properly for a while. There was always something I needed to do, an assignment I needed to complete, books I had to read and essays to write. I found myself simply living for the weekends, telling myself to hang in and that ‘It will all be worth it in the long run’. But it’s only these past few days that I’ve been able to ponder and reflect (as cheesy as that sounds) and take a break from all the other things I had been consumed by throughout the year. I see this month as one of change, an opportunity to leave behind bad habits and sins; striving to better myself.

“Although many would say it’s unfortunate that I’ve had to throw myself straight into Ramadan mode after my exams, I would rather look at it more as a blessing, and an opportunity to re-evaluate and reflect.”

One month. One whole month, I tell myself. A month where the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) once said,

“On the first night of Ramadan, the devils and rebellious jinn are bound in chains; the gates of Paradise are opened until not a single gate remains closed”.

In this month, Allah has made it so easy for us to attain His pleasure and seek His rewards that I feel so grateful to have been blessed to see another Ramadan, and get another chance to endeavour to change and make improvements. Iman (faith) however is rarely constant, many of us going through occasional dips – there being times where we are closer to our deen than others. I’d often viewed this as a sign of a weak believer, that I somehow was a ‘bad’ Muslim because my prayer wasn’t up to scratch or because I wasn’t engaging in as much worship as I should be. These dips, however, are normal; no one is perfect, all of us are on our own journey. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) even said of his companions,

“If your hearts were always in the state that they are in during dhikr, the angels would come to see you to the point that they would greet you in the middle of the road.”

Implying that the Prophet did not even expect his own companions to constantly be at the same level of Iman – so who are we to not experience this too? I guess what matters is having a sincere intention to keep trying, to pick yourself when you realise you’re down and to want to be the best version of yourself.

“These dips however are normal. No one is perfect, all of us are on our own journey.”

At the start of Ramadan, I’ve always noticed that everyone’s initial excitement sees them at the peak of faith. The rows at Taraweeh are full and the Qur’an is as used and tightly held as our mobile phones. But just as our Iman tends to dip, so too have I noticed of my productivity – it being all too easy to pass the time in the day busying myself with, quite frankly, pointless things. For me, the key is focus. Setting goals and renewing our intentions every now and then so we don’t forget about the importance of the month!

So, what have I reflected on in the first week of Ramadan?

Sleeping

I have to say I’m much better than I was last year. Most probably because I’ve finally realised the importance of having, or aiming to have, a productive day in which I’ve achieved something, be it memorising a verse of the Quran or even helping around the house. Sleeping the whole day, as many of my friends suggested I should do, means you miss out on making the most of this month, and I for one feel like a bit of a cheat when I know many have been at work or school all day!

Being close to the Qur’an

The Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan, and with the increased amount of rewards Allah (SWT) bestows on us in this month, it’s no wonder many of us try and finish it before the end. Whilst this is something to try and do, we should also aim to read the English translation so we know what we’re reading. How can we be affected and be moved to act differently when we aren’t aware of what is being said to us? I often look at those in the Taraweeh prayer who are moved by what the Imam is reciting and wish I could be affected in the same way. Even reading summaries of the Surahs we are reading can help us build a better understanding of the Qur’an.

“How can we be affected and be moved to act differently when we aren’t aware of what is being said to us?”

Renew your Intention

There is so much to do in Ramadan, so many opportunities to do good that sometimes we can fall into a habit of just checking things off a list. Prayed 20 rakats at Taraweeh. Done. Read 20 pages of Quran, gave £10 to charity – the list goes on. No doubt these acts are to be encouraged for they reap great rewards – no deed or act is too small in the eyes of Allah. It might be that you decide to give up music for the month, or maybe you decide to wear the hijab. But make sure you renew your intention before every act and remind yourself of why you are doing it, thus avoiding the trap of carrying out acts without sincerity and ceasing to gain any benefit from them.

Patience

Ramadan is not just about fasting. Ramadan is also abstaining from sins of the tongue, of the body etc. In short, you can’t fast all day and be a rude, obnoxious and selfish human being – because if you are, then you’ve missed the point. Fasting and the pains of hunger tests people’s patience and self-control. I’m not just talking about when it comes to food, but their dealings and interactions with other people. How do they conduct themselves when they’re being wronged or when they face a difficult situation? Having patience is a virtue which we should strive to embody; only a patient believer realises the importance of keeping good relations and harmony between people.

“You can’t fast all day and be a rude, obnoxious and selfish human being – because if you are, then you’ve missed the point.”

As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “I guarantee a house in Jannah (Paradise) for the one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right”. So as this special month continues, I pray we are all able to reflect, ponder and evaluate our own lives, making the best use of the opportunity we have been given.

I’ll leave you with this…

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said:

“Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”


Related

Its ok to be a Ramadan Muslim

Empty Deeds- The importance of sincere intentions

Could a change in perspective get you to Jannah?


Amaliah Team

Amaliah Team

This article was written by a member of the Amaliah team or a collective team effort. You can follow us on @amaliah_tweets for the latest or head over to our Instagram @amaliah_com. If you're reading this and are thinking about contributing an article then send us an email with a brief or a full article to contribute@amaliah.com