adminThe muslim world has gone through a very special Ramadan with a high percentage of muslims that have been alone this year. In France, due to 100km range restriction, I couldn’t spend my Ramadan and even my Eid with my familiy. Most of my friends are non-practicing. Nontheless, I was eager to get the best of it no matter what. How ? I tell you how to spend a ramadan alone.
How being alone is beneficial for your Ibadah ?
- Reciting Quran: The Quran can be recited out loud. At any moment of your day.
- Learning Quran: The same way, you can recite out loud while doing your chores.
- Listening online lectures endlessly is possible and will not bore your siblings, family, partner around. I’ve noticed that with my mum and sister who were following the same seerah seriesthat I was. My brother would get fed up with my mum watching always the same videos and my sister would not hear them while being with her husband. So I advanced at a much faster pace.
- Prayers 1: Night can be spent at your schedule. You sleep, you wake up, you sleep… you will disturb no one.
- Prayers 2: you can recite out loud.
- Fast 1: Nobody is there to watch you. So if it was only a social fast, it has no need. But if truly you do accomplish the rights of fast when no one is watching you, isn’t this a proof that you love Allah ?
- Fast 2 : By not being around people, you gossip less, you are less challenged by anger, by jealousy, for me I could keep my scarf.
- No one is watching you: I’ve noticed that among young people « the public » has an effect. When you remove that, we truly can connect to Allah. There’s no one to notice when you cry, and to make fun of you.
- It’s only up to you: If you are motivated to stay all night up and have the strength to do so, then do it. If you are super motivated to engage in tasfeer classes and then learn Arabic and then recite Quran, this is your marathon, enjoy !!
How being alone is beneficial for you in terms of food ?
- Less hurdles for suhoor and Aftari: Just make what you can. Simple dishes are fine. Gain time. The bonus was that I could break fast while watching Noman Ali Khan explaining Surah Yousouf. And nobody complained about this.
- Less waste: Just make what you need.
- Make once in a Ramadan dishes you want to: dahi baray, namak paray, pakoray, fruit chat… enjoy, It’s all for you.
How being alone is beneficial on the Eid day ?
- To me it is just the realization that so many people due to visa’s problems, due to politics, wars, oppression cannot see their families. Some of them couldn’t even fast (Ouighours) due to China’s regime. For that, I’m lucky to have been able to fast and do my Eid.
- Even though, I was alone, I imagined through the Imam Omer Suleiman Angels in your presence series, that Angels were everywhere on the earth today.
- Make a dish you enjoy.
How being on menses in Ramadan is cool alone ?
- Because girls are super cautious about not eating in front of fasting people, even while they are not fasting, they still happen to be fasting. So when you are alone, you can go open the packet of chips and eat that Ice cream without hiding while you watch a lecture or do tasbeeh.
Goals for Salah. Made with MuslimShowApp
How competing with yourself is beneficial ?
I remember that once I competed with my beloved friend Sidra for my very first full Ramadan. Competing with siblings and friends in religion can be a good booster if you have the right environment. But separating from the actions, the faith is a journey you walk alone. By making you intentions purified. By progressing step by step from the unsaid, unseen but heartfelt moves in Deen.
It’s sometime harder when your friends see movies, listen to music or tell gossips even in Ramadan to stepback and take position. Being alone, you are saved from that.
Conclusion
I’m not saying that company is bad. Nor that shouldn’t compete with your friends and family in Ibadah. I’ve no benefit in whether you share or not good meals and share these blessed moments with your friends. I’m not saying accomplishing all that I listed above is only possible when alone. If you have company, humans are social animals, Alhamdulillah. But if you can’t, then avail this opportunity that has been handed over to us.
If you want to read how went my preperation for Ramadan : I explain you how I transformed my forced holidays into a spiritual workshop in this article.
