Ramadan Spirit for Students: Being Spiritually Strong
Muslim youth as students have excellent guidance in our deen. We are taught prayers to ask for good Ilm from Allah swt. We are reminded in Quran that Allah swt blessed us with the faculties of intellect and conscience. And that we are blessed with the abilities of sight, hearing, and speech.
Allah swt mentions book of life (Lawh-e-Mahfooz) and pen (Qalam) in Quran. And tells us this: He taught us and our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him, his family, companions, and followers). In Quran, Allah swt, also reminds us that we have a heart in which Allah swt must live as we recognize our need to be conscious of Him.
For us to be successful in this world on earth and to keep ourselves focused on being successful in the afterlife, we can use the time during Ramadan as a golden opportunity each year for gaining spiritual excellence.
Our faith guides us to be intentional, focused, disciplined, and consistent. If we are good role models, then, we can be impactful in inspiring others to be humble scholars who are blessed with spiritual wellbeing.
We are in the last ten days of Ramadan. Many Muslim students may be studying for exams to sit for in later summer months. Yet, this is the time to be focused on spiritually connection i.e staying connected to Allah swt for divine help and guidance.
Students who are spiritually able to counter all kinds of wasteful temptations – they can benefit greatly by averting wastefulness of time, energy, and resources. They have the personal resolve to invest their energy and time in pursuits which are good for them in a true sense. As such, as spiritually trained individuals, students can have the ability to balance what is right for them to excel in their studies, at work and be a good helping presence at home with families and in the communities.
What can be a greater way to honor faith, family and be beneficial to others, benefiting themselves from the barkaat of Ramadan as students than to have the time and space in Ramadan to focus on becoming spiritually strong. Students can be charitable in their own right – with their time and energy – by teaching other students who may need help in learning school courses related content. benefit from guided practice and teaching of good knowledge.
This is the time to decide and make concrete choices to include spiritually motivating pursuits in day-to-day routines from Ramadan, so that they can continue afterwards throughout the rest of the Islamic year’s months.
In all aspects of their lives, during Ramadan students can gain the rewards, develop a sense for spiritual achievement that is only to please Allah swt and for His sake, alone.
Some Tips for the Last Ashra of Ramadan
Following suggestions can be helpful in, making the most of Ramadan as it approaches Eid ul fitr and the last ten days are here.
- Stay in the wudhu.
- Get up early in later night and offer nafl prayers.
- Recite Quran every morning, afternoon, evening and at nighttime. Even few verses with meaning. Reflect on what Allah swt is stating and commanding in the verses.
- Learn the names of the Surahs. Understand their historic contexts when they were revealed.
- Get a good book on Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah swt be upon him, his family, companions, and followers) and learn to shape own character after Prophet’s blessed and noble character qualities.
- Remember Allah swt with his beautiful names.
- Call on Allah swt for help and guidance in life through making sincere duas. Send special duas for maghfiraat for all the loved ones who are gone back to Allah swt due to covid or ailments, accidents, tragic untimely deaths and/or old age.
- Engage in nighttime prayers – Qiyaam, Isha, Tahajud.
- After Fajr prayer, offer Ishraaq prayer. Make prayers a priority for daily schedule. Anchor daily activities and Quran recitation around each of the five daily prayers.
- Make the inward journey to reconcile oneself spiritually and set goals until next Ramadan to be more proactive in fulfilling rights of Allah swt in being ready for offering sincerely devoted Ibadaat to Allah swt.
- Praise and be grateful to Allah swt for all the blessings that He has given to you as a student.
- Listen to favorite nasheed singers and appreciate the skill of another person to be praising Allah swt and honoring Prophet Muhammad (P.b.u.h) with humility. Listen to Sami Yusef playlist remembrance of Allah swt – his new release, ‘Madad’.
- Reflect on own behaviors and treatment of others. If offering sincere apologies is warranted, do so humbly and compensate by being generous and make peace to have a clear conscience.
- Be kind to non-Muslim fellow citizens and visitors in the country. Be the best role model exemplifying all the good teachings of the deen.
- State positive expectations, assumptions, perspectives, and opinions or stay quiet and not commit errors of tongue use – lying, gossip, creating verbal arguments, and so forth.
- Deeply appreciate the blessings of belonging and having parents, siblings, grandparents, relatives, friends, teachers, plants and animals in nature, seasons, schools, teachers, friends, communities, good in the tradition, native languages, and free country. Be grateful for the purifying, cooling effect of water, and all the good, nourishing tayyib food, after a long fast. Finally, generously share with those who do not have the means to get water and food on their own.
Allah swt make students successful in pursuing life constructive knowledge and be spiritually excelling from one Ramadan to the next. InshaAllah.
Blessed Ramadan to all and Eid-ul-fitr Mubaraak.
