"My exams are coming up, I need to study, I need to focus, I need to make a time-table, I need to set a routine," you say to yourself before final exams week. Before any major event in our lives, we prepare and try to make everything the best of the best, aiming high and still wanting to do better next time. Approximately 14 days are left until Ramadan. If you think it's still far off and there's no need to think about Ramadan yet, think again. Time never waits and Ramadan will come to you in no time. Ramadan is an opportunity for Muslims to boost their faith, to attain the highest levels of Paradise by doing good deeds which are multiplied several times. Islam teaches us a way of life. Most of our life is full of dealing with ourselves and dealing with the people around us. So, it is important to have good character which implies we need to be a person with the best character in Ramadan. Many of us probably know of someone who was with us last Ramadan, but has passed away before the next Ramadan will come. We have this great chance for all of us who are alive and healthy to work hard this Ramadan. We may never get the chance again. Think about those people who were very good in character and had good relations with others around them, they are remembered frequently in our prayers. So, think about in which group of people you would want to be a part of, after your death. What many of us do is try to get energized when Ramadan starts. We start our engines to correct ourselves, increase our worship, and by mid-Ramadan we are charged. However, that means we have lost the first week of Ramadan adjusting to our new selves and new routine. Lost time is never given back to us. So in order to get the best and utilize every day and every minute of Ramadan, we need to train ourselves beforehand. Practice will make us perfectly fit for the new routine. First, let us work on our inner selves. Look inwards and identify the areas of your character you want to improve. It could be anger management, attitude, making rude comments and remarks, or ungratefulness. Get rid of all these bad traits. Reduce the number of times you sin every passing day. For example; if you get angry four times a day, the next day try to reduce it to three, and so on. This will require lots of patience; which is also needed for fasting, so this is a great way to gain patience. Mending your character in advance and ridding yourself of bad habits will help you to gain the patience needed in Ramadan to get through a long day without the necessities of nutrition and water. Hence, whilst fasting, you will be able to smile, spread happiness, and gain more good deeds. Helping out your mother, family, neighbors, and community will help you gain characteristics of patience and kindness, and will build a better neighborhood. Remember to be the change you want to see in the world. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever does not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil deeds, and speaking bad words to others, Allah is not in need of his (fasting) leaving his food and drink." (Sahih Bukhari) As we can conclude from this Hadith, it is very important to stay away from bad deeds, and to be very cautious about our character. Once you have identified problem areas in your character, begin immediate work on them. Next, set a list of good deeds you would like to implement in your life. Ramadan is not a one month boot camp. It is the beginning of a new lifestyle; an opportunity to integrate more rewarding good deeds into our lives. Start finding your lost time. That means time management; assigning time periods and daily tasks for ourselves. You will find that you have lots of spare time even if you take 5 minute breaks frequently throughout your day. In the spare time you need to do worship of any kind, whether it is reading Qur'an, praying, or remembering Allah. So, organize your time now and you will see that in Ramadan it will not be very hard to balance work and worship. Maintaining a schedule and organizing time is an important part of character as this will make you a punctual person which is highly appreciated in Islam and is respected in all cultures. Organize your home and work place. Women should try to make the break of the fast meal in Ramadan simple so that dishes and meal prepping does not take most of their time. Remember, Ramadan is not about feasting; it's about eating just enough to be healthy enough to do worship. Try completing your shopping beforehand, so that you do not miss the blessed nights of Ramadan. Start preparing your character and your body for Ramadan and you will see that this Ramadan will be different; it will be easier for you to do good deeds, stay away from the bad, control yourself and be in the best of faith and character.
