By Nahla
The month of Ramadan will leave us soon. I am sure many of us are really sad to part with this amazing month, but the essence of Ramadan is to leave us stronger for the next 11 months. And the day of Eid and after besides it being the day we celebrate the month of Ramadan and all that it has taught us, it will also be the first few days we will be tested. Here are some notes to prepare for Eid.
- Spiritually: Revise what your Ramadan taught you
The night of takbeer is a magical night. As we continuously proclaim takbeer, we know that we have arrived at the last moment of Ramadan. It is a good time to revise again what your Ramadan has taught you. For some, it is the harsh realization that the laziness in ibadaah and the strength of our nafs are not just shaytan’s work but that it has been very well built-in our own selves. It is time for the next 11 months to work on this homework: how to better train our nafs and build a stronger appetite for consistent worship. For others, it is the discovery that worships can bring so much joy and emotional serenity, and it brought them a renewed commitment to obey Allah in ways that they have never done before. And for the rest, maybe the realization that they keep on piling sins even during the month where people race for good deeds. As we revised these lessons, make sure we also prepared a list of prayers of all the good things that we want to do and achieve for the next 11 months. Beg Allah for His Favours and Help, because He will always ease what is good for you. Beg Allah for His Forgiveness.
- Practically/physically: Prepare everything for Eid Day beforehand (one day before)
At least one day before Eid, make a checklist for everything that you need during Eid days: your Eid outfits, the layout of the table, the food and the cakes that will be served to everyone who will come to our house, the money for charity, make sure that you have paid your due Zakah, and the spiritual cleanliness to forgive other people, ask forgiveness from other people, and make a commitment to yourself and Allah to start anew. Whatever wrongs you have done in the past, acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness to Allah. Ask Allah to give you the strength of faith and a strong commitment to your Deen.
- Mentally: Plan your action steps for the next 11 months
While the realization and the lessons are still raw at the end of Ramadan and after Eid days, save some space to plan your action steps for the next 11 months. Don’t let this Ramadan goes by without you making some improvement in your relationship with Allah and commitment to live life in an Islamic way. First, decide what are your goals and takeaways from the lessons. Revising the lessons, you will know what you need to work on. Have some sense of what you should definitely prioritize in your life. What kind of new ibadaah habits can you commit? What kind of Quranic goals that you can achieve? What is some important weaknesses in your personality and ibadaah that you can really work on for the next 11 months? Once you decide, making an action step is the easy part. Focus on one small change over a long time, so it can really create visible change in yourself. But the hardest part is keeping you motivated. To deal with this, you also need to plan an action step on how you will keep yourself motivated.
What are some other ways you can think of to make this Eid count? Hopefully, some of the ideas mentioned in this article can help you spiritually, practically, and mentally prepare to separate from Ramadan on very good terms. Eid Mubarak to you all!
