For me, last year’s Ramadan was my best.  Being a teacher, I am back at work for this year’s Ramadan and will not have that same experience again. I will be back to the juggling act between work and home, while fasting and praying with those other “distractions”.  

My hopes for this Ramadan are to try to maintain as much of last year’s unique experience, to strengthen my spiritual communication and connection, to physically and spiritually detox and put priorities into perspective, to uphold the community spirit both virtually and socially distanced, to support more charity work, and to share positivity.  Ramadan Kareem, everyone!

Dr. Raheel:

As I have been working from home for over 7 years, fasting from home wouldn’t be much different during the Pandemic than not. I still hope to “cleanse” myself both spiritually and physically. It is also a great opportunity to focus on teaching Islam to a now-5 year old who is rapidly learning all about how the world functions.

Since we have been doing some homeschooling for a while, there’s a transferable structure we can apply on a more religious/spiritual education. These are critical learning years for our child, so our focus this year will be on a highly impressionable young boy.

📚 Read Also: Spiritually Gearing Up For Ramadan

Life coach Ammna:

Mine is a positive one to be honest. Because we are not going anywhere and the days are long we get to focus on our ibadaah, on our own spiritual development. Most years are about togetherness, solidarity and feeling that we are part of a community in the physical sense.

This year, we get to bypass spending ages cleaning our homes because iftars are virtual. We bypass making elaborate dishes because it’s just us eating. We get to wonder about our own development rather than where we need to be and when by.

There is no rushing between iftar and sehri because we are at home. We don’t have to rush to work (work is just in another room!) so get extra time to focus on our internal jihaad. In many ways, it is a blessing.

Nurse Shabnam:

Thanks for reminding me that it’s the second time in a pandemic. Now you’ve written it in black and white, I have to hold that thought.

Such is the emotional pressure of life under a pandemic, that often the reality of it can still be overwhelming. This should make us pause to reflect that while we should continue to do good deeds and make a positive effort, these alone are not the key to paradise. When asked, the Prophet himself said that his deeds would not guarantee him paradise, and that it is only God’s Mercy that grants any person success in the next life.

So let us not be under pressure to do more than we are able to, or even comfortable to do. Let us be sincere in whatever we do, a lot or a little.

And let us contribute to society and our own lives in a way which enriches our lives such that we too can benefit from the blessings of Ramadan, becoming recipients of God’s mercy and so enter paradise. Happy Ramadan 2021.