بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained." [Bukhari, Muslim]. Ramadan is not just a month of fasting. It is 30 days of exceptional conditions to change one's life.
But Ramadan without preparation often yields the same result each year: fatigue, distraction, and regret on Eid night. Here's how to make it a real accelerator.
Before Ramadan: The 2 weeks of Sha'ban
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast a lot in Sha'ban. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: "I have not seen him fast as much in any other month as he did in Sha'ban." [Bukhari, Muslim]. Sha'ban is the warm-up.
- Decide on 3 spiritual goals for your Ramadan (not 10 — 3)
- Quran reading plan: how many pages/day?
- Zakat budget calculated in advance
- List of du'as to make during times of answered prayers
- Prepare your work/study schedule to free up the nights
Structuring each day of Ramadan
| Time | Priority |
|---|---|
| Suhoor (before Fajr) | Eat light · Morning Adhkar · Intention for fasting |
| After Fajr | Quran reading (1–2 pages) · Morning Du'a · Dhikr |
| Morning | Work/study · Priority tasks (fresh mind) |
| Afternoon | Secondary tasks · Avoid unnecessary fatigue |
| 1 hour before Maghrib | Du'a — time of guaranteed answer by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) |
| Iftar | Dates + water · Du'a · Pray Maghrib BEFORE eating much |
| After Isha / Tarawih | Quran reading · Muhasaba · Evening Adhkar |
The 5 mistakes that spoil Ramadan
- Eating too much at Iftar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) broke his fast with dates and water. Simple. Effective.
- Sleeping between Fajr and Dhuhr. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised against sleeping after Fajr. It's a time of blessings (barakah).
- Too much screen time. Series, social media, and Netflix steal the most precious minutes of Ramadan.
- No Quran plan. Without a plan, reading becomes sporadic and khatm (completion of the Quran) impossible.
- Neglecting the night of the 27th. But Laylat al-Qadr can be any odd night of the last 10. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in i'tikaf (seclusion for worship) all those nights.
Our tool for this Ramadan
Our planner AL-MOUNIR 1448 H includes dedicated sections for Ramadan: Quran reading trackers, fasting trackers, daily muhasaba (self-accountability), and reminders for the nights of the last 10 days. The objective is clear: for you to emerge from Ramadan better than you entered it.
"Allahumma ballighna Ramadan." — Du'a of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)