I must admit that I am at my most peaceful during Ramazan. I get spiritual satisfaction while following the spirit of fasting and Ramazan. I also find it most comfortable to stay indoors and read books during the time so as not to tire myself unnecessarily, especially since it is also very hot these days.

It has been a good thing that Ramazan had been falling during summer vacation since the last few years now so no one expects me to go out while fasting and hardly anyone orders me to go out to do any chore. So its cheers all around from me!

I try to get the best out of Ramazan at a personal and spiritual level. Therefore, based on my experiences during Ramazan, I would like to share things that might be suitable for you as well. So what you will get to read here is essentially a combination of my experiences and advice that I would like to give out.

Let us start with sehr. For that my father insists that we have a good and balanced meal. According to him, it is the meal that is supposed to not only provide energy all through the day, but also make up for the lack of intake of food and water while fasting. Thus, my family’s sehr consists of high fibre foods and complex carbohydrates. These are the foods which our body takes longer to break down and digest, such as grain and pulses. Other ideal foods for sehr (that my father recommends) are eggs, dairy products, meat, fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, whole grain bread, rice, fruit juice and nuts. We avoid tea, chocolates, candies, oily and fried food and drinking too much water as they lead to loss of energy levels or lack of proper digestion.

For some people like me, this particular Ramazan would require making some hard decisions. And one would need our parents’ help to stick to these decisions. This is because this Ramazan calls for handling fasts in the middle of not only the summer heat, but also the final exams in school.

Ramazan and fasting offer a chance to relax, reflect and get in touch with our spiritual side

Logic and common sense would suggest sleeping earlier than the normal bedtime and revising for exams after Sehr. That is something that I would do, but you are free to make your own decisions.

For those lucky enough to have exams over before the start of Ramazan, it is best to avoid playing outdoor games in the summer heat while fasting. I certainly would not let my younger siblings do that.

Coming to preparing for Eid, I enjoy shopping for new clothes and shoes for Eid. I always prefer to get the clothes stitched for a better fit. Bright colours look good and give one more chances to experiment with cuts and designs.

I am also among those who have to take the females and children of the house for Eid shopping and visits to tailors. It is a tiresome task but worth it if you consider that you are helping others to celebrate Eid in a better way. But generally we try to do most of our Eid clothes shopping before Ramazan because it is too hot during the day to shop while fasting, and after iftar there is Taraweeh too, that leaves one with little time to waste in the markets.

For many people, the routine casual activities start after Iftar. I am no different in this regard. Hanging out and playing night cricket are the activities that I engage in only after Isha and Taraweeh in summers. For it is only after breaking the fast and restoring my energy that I feel comfortable enough to do these activities.

At iftar — the time for all the samosas, pakoras and other such junk food — though our craving for such food is high, it is not advisable to eat such foods on an empty stomach. Consuming fried food, high sugar stuff and soft drinks should all be avoided at iftar time. Go for stuff like dates, fruits, light sandwiches, yoghurt-based items, etc. Make sure to drink enough water, milk or juices to get adequately hydrated.

Ramazan is also a time for socialising through all the iftar parties that are arranged. Apart from family gatherings of such type, I invite my friends over for Iftar at least once during Ramazan. Eating together on an occasion of spiritual significance with friends or family helps to create new bonds and renew old ones. And whenever we arrange such a gathering, we make sure to distribute some food to the poor and the needy too. In fact, Ramazan is a time to give away as much as we can in the form of alms and charity.

My educational institute also encourages social work and activities. Last year, we collected money and bought gifts and clothes for an orphanage so that the children there could celebrate Eid with joy. Distributing all those items to the orphans was an experience beyond words. The children of the orphanage were simply ecstatic to receive all those gifts. It was one of the best feelings that I ever had in my life.

While fasting, as you cut down on your activities and take rest, it is a good time for self-reflection and self-analysis. I like to reflect on how I can make myself better by adopting healthy and spiritual activities. Fasting is also the time to curb not only our negative thoughts and ideas, but also to develop self-control by staying away from all the negative activities.

In nutshell, all the positive activities that we usually only indulge in during Ramazan can go side by side in our daily lives the rest of the year too. With our positive activities and experiences during Ramazan, we can all learn to be better persons and live our lives in a better way.

Have a blessed Ramazan!

Tips to remember

Ramazan is the month when we pray the most and feel closer to Allah. A well-known saying of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), “Dua (supplication to Allah) is the essence of Ibadah (worship)”. Another Hadith from Tirmizi states, “There is nothing more dear to Allah than a servant making Dua to him”.

Many sayings of our dear Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) state that Allah accepts the supplications of a fasting person.

Here is a quick guideline for you to make the most of this blessed month:

• Prepare your list of duas on a daily basis. Note down everything you want for yourself, your family or your friends, significant or trivial. Remember that nothing is too big or too small to ask from Allah, the merciful.

• Memorise Masnoon Duas with their meanings during this month. This will help you to supplicate with more intensity as you can understand your prayers.

• The more creative amongst you can make dua cards for your family and friends. Hang these cards in common areas of your house (and advice your friends to do so). This will help you all to recite these duas often and memorise them more easily.

—Y. E.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 19th, 2018