What is the Main purpose of Ramadan? This question is usually answered with Fasting, drawing close to Allah, feeling the pangs of hunger and thirst so that you can appreciate the plight of the needy and what they are going through.
All of the above is true in so far as Ramadan either teaches you these things or causes you to become more religious, more pious and spiritual. In fact, most people use it as a kind of Iman BOOST, where it recharges them and gives them a head start for the coming year.
All of the Above is true but it’s not the amazing lesson that changed my Ramadan forever. Allah tells us the Purpose of Ramadan so clearly. He, the Most Compassionate wants you to become of the Mutaqun.
So let’s just look at the Ayah:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
Allah, the Most High says, “Oh you who Believe, Fasting was prescribed upon you as it was upon those who came before you so that you may become of the Mutaqun”.
Surah Al Baqarah, 183.
So it’s not about fasting…
It’s actually more about this word ‘Mutaqun’. Watch this short video where I give you a full explanation.
The Mutaqun are the highest level of a believer. Allah has set this as your position to reach in life.
It’s important to understand, NO ONE is born the best, or the final version of themselves.
Allah has given you the opportunity to become the best.
But what’s Ramadan got to do with it?
In short, Allah teaches us through the lessons we learn from the explanation of this verse, HOW we can grow and become the very best.
This short lesson has been one of the Most Amazing and impactful lessons I’ve ever learnt from the Ayah of Ramadan.
Yes, the Lesson is from the verse about fasting, but it’s nothing to do with fasting itself. It’s more about the lessons Allah, the Most high teaches us about Habit building, creating easy simple steps to the biggest results in our lives.
Allah gives us a System for Success building
Allah, the Most High gives us simple but effective strategy of gaining self-control, and belief in our own abilities. And then gives you 30 days to prove to yourself it actually works and you can do it.
And this doesn’t just apply to Ramadan, the Habit building lesson is so powerful it affects all 12 months of the year.
Don’t take this lightly, this Quranic lesson changed my Ramadan forever, and the 11 months between each Ramadan.
Let’s just look at the example of Brushing your teeth, you’ve been doing it for most of your life, automatically. Right?
There’s no huge struggle, where you try to force yourself, or trick yourself into brushing your teeth. It’s because brushing your teeth is now a habit. A lifelong one.
Allah wants you to become of the Mutaqun, and shows you that through small, insignificant daily actions, you can actually become the greatest version of yourself.
Why does Allah want you to become from the Mutaqun?
Because he wants you to go to Paradise in the end.
But very importantly He, the Most Compassionate, the Most Loving wants you to have the best life in the Dunya.
So, you might be wondering still what’s Fasting or Ramadan got to do with it?
This is the most important question, because in Ramadan Allah gives you how many days? 30 right, or maybe 29 sometimes.
But with that 30 days you practice self-restraint from the basic necessities of life, food and drink, and marital relations.
That practice of abstaining from your essential needs for survival teaches you:
1) Strength of Will Power
2) Self Control
3) Ability to overcome your own desires
4) Ability to be consistent
5) Ability to be persistent even in the face of hardship
6) Above all it gives you the confidence that if you put your mind to it, you can do whatever you want.
Allah teaches you this in 30 days.
So now onto becoming of the Mutaqun..
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How to Use this Skill:
What if you can pick two or three Habits to install into your daily life. Let’s take reading and reflecting on the Quran for example.
I’ll use this example because this habit will have the greatest life enhancing affect you could ever want. Because it will guide you through your days, weeks and months. It’s like having Allah tell you which direction to take when your driving and you get to a junction in life. ‘Take a RIGHT, it will take you to Jannah’.
Ok so let’s say you spend 15 to 20 minutes every morning Reading the Quran, you reflect on the verses through out the day. Do you think this might have an affect on your level of Sin, or your level of Good deeds? Of course.
If you do this for 30 days straight, it will make you constantly aware of Allah.
If you do this for 60 days, it will bring you much closer to Allah, as though he is in your life all the time.
If you continue after that, it will become habit insha’Allah and soon enough take no effort. If you miss a day, you’ll feel like you day is incomplete, just like if you go out to work without brushing your teeth… ?
Now it’s SUPER IMPORTANT, that you understand that this is just one example, you can take this and apply it to any habit that you want to create in your daily life.
If you procrastinate, or you always think negative, or you don’t take action, whatever the problem is. You can take positive steps to create habits that will absolutely change your life and get rid of these problems insha’Allah.
With this new habit building skill, you can transform your life and it will help you achieve your dreams both in the Dunya and Akhira insha’Allah.
But the key is that you have to begin taking steps.
So how do you get started?
1) Think of three things you would like to achieve in your life.
2) Break it down to a manageable action that you can do daily, something so small you think it’s not worth it.
3) Then begin doing this daily for 30 days. When you achieve 30 days celebrate and reward yourself. Then keep going for the next 30 days. At the end of the 30 days, reward yourself again and the keep going to the next 30.
Follow this pattern of behaviour and insha’Allah you will make it a permanent habit.
The Key is that you’ve got to keep it small, and daily.
Possible Challenges You’ll Face:
The number one obstacle is excuses and making your action steps too big to actually do daily. Make it super small, so small that you have no problem doing it.
The number two obstacle will be your mind. You will keep trying to talk yourself out of it. Look, they are just thoughts and you can just ignore them. Seek refuge in Allah and believe in yourself because Allah wants for you Success in both Dunya and Akhira.
Don’t let your thoughts ruin your life. They’re not real. Action is real, take action, small action step and daily. That will have the compound affect that you never ever imagined.
Do you have to do this in Ramadan?
After all we are extracting this lesson from the Ayah of Surah Al Baqarah, which is about fasting and Ramadan. The answer is a resounding NO.
Allah teaches us through the Ramadan period because it is the Perfect opportunity to get started, because others you know are also fasting.
But my suggestion to you is getting your habits kick started in Ramadan or any other month. You are living for you. Yes it’s nice to do it with others, but we all came into this world by ourselves and we will return to Allah, The Almighty by ourselves.
Just think it through and get started no matter when you’re reading this.
My advice to you is of course, create your Quran habit, because that will have the greatest affect on your life. More than any other habit can.
Read the Quran, and if you’re already reading it, then go to the next level and actually begin to study the Quran.
I’m speaking from a place of experience, I did exactly what I’m talking about and here I am, years later after practicing what I’m preaching (albeit imperfectly), I’m now sharing these lessons through these articles, videos, and through the Quranic courses I run both English and Arabic.
I never ever imagined I would be teaching Quran and Arabic, but those small steps I took to understand the Quran led me to this. That’s not to say we all have to do that, but we ALL need to take steps to create a Quran Habit. It will take you to Jannah insha’Allah.
I Pray you found this beneficial, please share with others so we can all actualise our potential that Allah intended for us all insha’Allah.
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