How to manage Ibadah along with daily activities during the month of Ramadan

By Minahil Hasan

When we look around us, all we see is people who are endlessly busy; busy in their jobs, busy at school or even busy wasting their time. Time is now a commodity that people are constantly short of. More importantly, when we are so busy in our dunya, where do we find time for our Akhirah?

The blessed month of Ramadan has dawned upon us which is the month in which the Shaytaan is chained, the doors of forgiveness are opened, and the reward for every good deed is tenfold or more. In this month, Muslims try their utmost to perform as many good deeds as possible to gain the pleasure and forgiveness of Allah. Yet people still find it difficult to find time to do their ibadah.

The most important thing to do is to understand the FOCUS of our life. Is it to please Allah, gain his forgiveness and attain Jannah in the hereafter or is it some worldly aim? Having worldly focuses is not forbidden but the foremost focus should always remain gaining the pleasure of Allah. If your focus is clear, then no matter how busy your life gets, you will always manage to do your ibadah. But to make it easier for you, here are some practical tips:

The first thing to do is to keep the correct intention in mind while doing anything. For example, if you are cooking in Ramadan, think about how your efforts will result in an iftar for your family. If you entertain your younger siblings, have the intention of helping your parents, and even when you go to sleep, keep the intention that you are doing this so that you can wake up for Fajr refreshed. The reason for this is that keeping the correct intention can also be rewarded. So even if you are doing worldly things, you can still attain rewards from Allah (SWT).

Secondly, you should prioritize good deeds over others. For example, if you have school work to do, and you still haven’t read the Quran for the day, read the Quran first. You will be doing a good deed and completing a task which will make you feel more productive and motivated to do your school work.

You should make sure that you are never wasting time if you have an opportunity to do a good deed. If you feel like surfing the net, why not surf the net for interesting lectures by Islamic scholars or a Islamic documentary? If you want to read, why not read a biography of a notable Muslim or a book of Seerah? Repurposing your time this way will ensure that you remain connected to Allah (SWT).

You can also multitask so as to make the most of your time. Listening to the Quran or a lecture can be a soothing activity to do while you are cooking, cleaning, or doing something else.

In short, you have to correct your intentions, prioritize your good deeds and do your best to STOP wasting time. This life has been given to us by Allah (SWT) to first and foremost worship Him. To do so, we need to retain a connection with him, regardless of how hectic and busy our lives get.