Don’t fool yourself into thinking Ramadhan isn’t close by. Don’t wait until the first of Ramadhan to detox yourself spiritually. Wouldn’t you rather meet Allah swt in that blessed month with a clean heart in one of the most blessed months?
So here’s some green juice for the soul!
RECONNECT WITH YOUR SALAH
Salah (prayer) is the second pillar of Islam and essential to every Muslims life. We pray five times a day insha Allah but are we really present? I recently went to a prayer course for complete beginnings and it was eye opening. It relit the fire in my heart for salah and corrected many of the bad habits that I’d picked up. It reminded me of how much I needed those 5 meetings every day with Allah swt and how nothing should come before Him. Whatever you’re putting ahead of your salah just ask yourself, who made it? And never forget that!
PICK UP YOUR QURAN
Every felt under pressure to complete the whole Quran cover to cover in one go like you would binge a normal book? Well, the Quran isn’t like any other book! Whether you start in the front, the back or the middle Allah swt has placed guidance everywhere. Whether it’s one ayah or a whole surah, inshaAllah you will benefit from the reminder. An ayah a day keeps the Shaytaan away!
“O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light – Surah An Nisa: 174
Don’t wait until Ramadhan to pick up your Quran and let it collect dust for the rest of the year. Start slowly and I can assure you, you’ll start to feel the spiritual benefits inshaAllah.
SPEND TIME CONTEMPLATING
The Arabic word for contemplation if tadabbur. We live such busy fast paced life it’s easy to forget Allah swt and the favours He has given us. Just taking five minutes out of your day to sit and ponder over the signs of Allah swt everyday will leave you in amazement. How we breathe, doing it without even thinking, your own beating heart, subhanAllah, all miraculous miracles from Allah swt. And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may find tranquility in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.
“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge. And among His Signs is the sleepthat you take by night and by day, and your seeking of His Bounty. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who listen. And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, by way of fear and hope, and He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and therewith revives the earth after its death. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who understand” – Surah Ar-Rum:12- 24
So, will you not stop and reflect?
LOOK AT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU
“A person is on the religion of his companions. Therefore let every one of you carefully consider the company he keeps” – Tirmidhi
Are you striving for Jannah with your friends? Or are you backbiting and engaging in idle talk every time you meet? Do you pray together or do you delay your prayer for earthly means? I love the group of friends Allah swt blessed me with (may Allah swt reunite us in jannatul firdou, Ameen) because they encourage me in deen. When I doubt myself they remind me who my creator is and that He is capable of all things.
Toxic friends = toxic environments
Although it may be hard to remove yourself from them inhaAllah you’ll see the benefits in it. Swap going shopping for going to an Islamic talk or throw your change together at the end of every month and sign up for something like Bayyinah TV and dedicate time to learning together. What better feeling will there be when you reach your house in Jannah inshaAllah, and the friends you loved in this world are your neighbours through the good deeds that you performed together and the mercy of Allah swt?
LOOK AT YOURSELF
“I don’t have time to pray”, “I won’t pray until I learn how to do the whole salah”, “I’ll wear hijab when I’m ready”, “I’ll break up with them when I start practicing” the list goes on and on. We’re experts at making excuses for ourselves but tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. Brothers and sisters in Islam, will we make these excuses in front of Allah swt even though the evidence is right there for us to see? Use the beautiful tool of self reflection to really look at yourself. Strip yourself bare, no compromises and encourage yourself to make a positive change. I like to keep a written reflection of my spiritual reflections as a great way to see where I was and where inshaAllah I’d like to end up.
It’s great to detox your body but health starts from within. Think about detoxing your soul too.
Marina Farook 