4 Goals to Focus on This Ramadan with 28 Questions for Reflection – Ramadan 2020 Day 1

Ramadan is the blessed month of reflection. It’s that time of the year when you dig deep within and find the voice of your heart without shaitaan whispering into it. So, it’s an ideal time to reflect and plan accordingly. No matter what goals you want to achieve this Ramadan, it’s important to know your whys and hows before you reach your destination in shaa Allah. 

As a student of Islamic psychology for the past 7 years, I’m passionate about helping people find themselves and their true purpose through the power of reflection and journaling. And that’s the reason why we make Islamic journals for Muslim kids and adults – ranging from barakah planner to productivity journal (for adults) and gratitude journal to imagination journal (for kids) – with upcoming art journal for adults and mindset journal for kids (based on emotions from an Islamic perspective). 

Following is the layout of the productivity journal I made with my sister after the death of my son – to help myself get back up and continue with my life with a sense of purpose. So, take your pen out and jot down the answers to following questions with me:

1) Spiritual development

For the first week of Ramadan, I want you to reflect on your spirituality since you might be on an imaan high in this period. I want you to focus on 5 pillars of Islam that hold your soul together.

1. Tawheed – Who is my Rabb and how can I deepen my love for Him?
2. Salah – Why am I praying 5 times a day and how can I improve the quality of my prayers?
3. Sawm – How am I fasting beyond my stomach and what changes it brings in me?
4. Zakat – How to bring more barakah in my wealth and what more to give than the obligatory zakat?
5. Hajj – How can I save money for hajj and why do I expect from my journey to Makkah?

2) Personal growth

Second week of Ramadan is probably the one when you hit the rock bottom because you may feel exhausted from that imaan high (if it wasn’t a part of your daily routine and you tried to add a lot of things in one go), so it’s time to focus on yourself because if you do it right, it’s also the part of ibaadah. There are 4 walls that hold your body together:

1. Self love – ask yourself: Do I accept myself the way Allah made me? What are the things that I love about myself?
2. Self care – Do I expect others to take care of me while I ignore my own basic needs? How can I turn the volume of my inner voice louder so I can hear what it yearns for and why?
3. Self awareness – what are my strengths and how can I utilise them to benefit me? What are my weaknesses and how can I turn them into my strengths?
4. Self management – How much time do I give to my physical health so it can stay active till the time I’m alive? How much effort do I put in for my mental health so I can be the best version of myself? 

3) Strengthening relationships

3rd week of Ramadan is probably when you pick your pace because you don’t want to waste your last ten blessed days. But you want support of your loved ones to help you achieve your goals. There are 3 doors to your heart:

1. Relationship with role models from the past (the love of whom completes our deen – the love of rasool Allah saws) – Ask yourself: How much of the sunnah (way of the Prophet (saws)) do I see in myself? What can I do more to follow his ways and deepen my love for him along the way? 
2. Relationship with family and relatives – Am I constantly struggling to uphold my ties? What can I leave to spend more time with my loved ones? (Because addition of something more in your life always demands subtraction of something else -whether that’s wasting time or extra work).
3. Relationship with friends and strangers – Do my friends add value to my life (in terms of my spirituality and mental health)? How can I remove negative influences in my life (that only surround me with negative vibes)?

4) Goals and Dreams

4th week of Ramadan is when you buckle up – not only to make most out of the extra blessings, but also to strive for continuity of this passion beyond Ramadan. There are 2 windows to the future that hold your mind together:

1. Vision – Ask yourself: What is the focus and vision of my life right now? And then know your Why! (Why do you have that vision and how will it serve you?)
2. Action – How can I bring my vision to life and what would it require from my end? (How can I facilitate myself in order to achieve those goals).

I hope that these questions bring a deeper understanding of yourself. Because the more you know yourself, the better you’ll be able to connect to your Lord. And the more you reflect, the better clarity you’ll have in your path to spirituality and beyond in shaa Allah. May Allah make this Ramadan a one of reflection and awareness for you

Author Bio:

AYEINA is a multiple award winning Islamic blog ayeina.com which revolves around Islamic psychology, parenting and productivity 🦋 run by two Muslim mums – AYEsha and samINA – who produce novelty Islamic self-help journals and planners for the mental well-being of Muslim adults and kids.