Even though there are few months to Ramadan, going ahead of time is always availing. Given the sacredness and importance of this month, it is pertinent to start the preparations earlier. Ramadan, as it is perceived by those who do not know much about Islam, is not just the time to fast and pray for Muslims. Still, also it is the time for polishing their spiritual sides, refreshing their minds, enlightening their souls, and participating in charitable deeds more than ever. Mostly in Muslim countries, the working hours are short and less burdensome and people get more time to spend with their families and near ones. Traditionally, people would hold iftar parties to break the fast but now given the Coronavirus SOPs, people will have to abstain from larger gatherings and spend most of the time at home.
Every Muslim has their own way of welcoming this month, but what we would prefer doing is to clean your space thoroughly, spruce it up and create an inviting ambiance that goes till Eid ul Fitr and beyond. Let’s explore more about how to make our homes Ramadan-ready in 2024.
Cleanliness and Organization
Hadith goes, “Purification is half of faith.” Not only does this refer to personal hygiene but it includes surroundings and the whole area you line in as a clean place giving you peace of mind and relaxation. For most of us (Muslims) who are a bit lazy in other occasions, Ramadan is a good time to manage the clutter and get your home tidied up. A deeply cleaned house along with much-needed cleanliness also allows you to focus on your prayers.
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Make it Ramadan Themed
For kids at home, it is essential to make them feel that Ramadan is a special month from their early childhood. The Ramadan theme, a visual reminder, will not just help them understand the importance of this month but also raise their anticipation level, too. Since it is a festive month that brings happiness and joy, so it must be welcomed in a special manner by putting on Ramadan special decorating items such as lanterns, candles, tea lights or electric candles to welcome this month.
You can also make a customized banner for the kids that interests them – a Ramadan calendar or a mosque for them using cardboard. Additionally, you can decorate your home accordingly or dedicate a corner for this purpose. In order to inculcate good habits like giving charity, have a charity jar in your house so that the kids emulate.
Have a Pre-decided Menu
The hardest part of this holy month is deciding what to cook on daily basis both for Sehri and Iftar. Given the context we live in, a joint family system, every family member has a different choice and it becomes tough to keep a balance between healthy food items and tasty fried items on daily basis. How great it would be if you prepare the menu in advance with mutual consultation? Sit down with your family, listen to who wants what, and pick the dishes that can easily be prepared incorporating everyone’s wishes. Preparing in advance will not only help you decide what should be cooked but also how to maintain the balance between healthy and light meals with junk items on the table. Seeking the hand of every member of the house will help you do it without much burden.
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Home Decoration Ideas for Eid
Choose What to Read
Since it is an Islamic month with great significance, so try to have Islamic literature on your reading list. Select Islamic reading material and books according to the age bracket of every member of the family. Younger kids enjoy reading Islamic storybooks. For kids, pictorial books that are about Islam, are fun to read and are also equally informative for their age. Create a spiritual ambiance like you can play Quranic recitation on your TV, daily dua or a small lecture depicting Islamic values.
Have Dedicated Space for Prayers
Since kids do not accompany you to the Mosque, so how about preparing a mosque model with your kids in a corner and letting it stay there for the entire month? Dedicate that corner of the house as a place of worship where you too join the kids sometimes because it is their learning time and it is always better to teach them young. It will inculcate in them the habit of taking time out from daily chores for ibadat (worship) and keep this corner tidy.
Stock up on Your Grocery Essentials
As we talked earlier about deciding the menu, likewise it is also advisable to stock up your inventory, your fridge, and freezer with the items of your choice for the entire month. This will help you spend a stress-free month and keep most of your time for Ibadat. You will not need to go shopping while you fast.
Change Your Routine
In this materialistic world, we always find ourselves busy with a lot on our plates and it becomes hard to take out time for ibadat. But, in Ramadan, you will have to take out time for Farz ibadat (compulsory, five times a day prayers) along with making a room for additional prayers such as Taraweeh, Quran recitation, and learning something new about Islam by tweaking your schedule. Given the prevailing Corona and our spoiled habits, let’s pledge this Ramadan to ditch social media activities, extra projects at the office, socializing with friends and relatives, and live a SOPs-binding life so that we could not be the cause of Corona contraction. Importantly, by doing so we can focus on what this sacred month demands from us – to enlighten ourselves with the real and genuine essence of this month.
Even though there are a few months to go, yet we deemed it fit to make you aware of these ideas much prior. These ideas would help you make your Ramadan a joy-filled one with much spiritual enlightenment. May our all wishes come true in this Ramadan, Amen!
