As everyone slogs themselves through the daily rituals of Ramzan, fasting in the heat especially with electricity blackouts can get very tough. However, there are always way to make life easier and the most important part is to have a positive attitude towards yourself and your environment. Think about what is your priority for this month, and what you want to achieve by the end of it. At Karachista, we go through what you can do to make your Ramzan more spiritually enlightening rather than physically gruelling!
Get out of the kitchen
A lot of times people end up wasting a lot of time in the kitchen making things for themselves and other people in the anticipation that you are gonna eat it at all at iftari. Yes we all have those hunger pangs during the roza, and all those delicious iftari deals don’t help either. The truth is that is one ends up eating much less that you think you will, and as result lots of food is wasted. This month you need to apply the JHAT PHAT philosophy to your life! Take advantage of what is available in the market, for example, why not use the ready made chutneys instead of slogging yourself at home and this is a great time to check out home chefs who are offering prepackaged samosas, rolls, and patties. Even local chaat shops are very reasonable and you gets loads of delicious varieties of chaats, bhel puri and dahi bareys! I love the pre-packaged chaat material you get from nimco, just open the packet and whip it together and you have a delicious mouth-watering chaat in 2 minutes.
Plan out your day early
When you wake up in the morning that is the time that you feel the freshest. So sit down with a pen and paper and write down your to-do-list and the menu for the iftari. Organise as much as you can in the morning: For example, make your sherbet, boil the potatos or chilly etc ( This month why not use the canned boiled chickpeas). Do as many things as you can in the morning, so that you only have basic things to do at iftari time. The earlier part of the day is less hotter, and if you need to get out to grab a few things it’s most efficiently done in the morning. There is less traffic, and not as hot as the mid-afternoon.
Make the most of ibaadat in the shortest period of time
As Ramzan is the month of numerous blessings, you need to make the most ibaadat in the shortest period of time. Every person indulges in religion in different ways, and everyone has their own personal approach. Nevertheless, there are ways that one can make more efficient use of our time when we have chores to do. Make the most technology, and listen to Islamic lectures and quranic recitation on Youtube, while one is in the car or waiting. Many organisations are running live Islamic programs that go through the holy Quran with transalation, which is also a great learning forum. Bear in mind, when it comes to spirituality, even the smallest inner change or realization can make a big difference, so try to concentrate on the quality of your Ibaadat rather than setting yourself in a race to try and get done as much as possible.
Divide up tasks and errands with family members
Lets face it, one person’s ibaadat is not more important than the others. Lots of times in our society, people expect the women to be doing all the work in the house, doing the shopping, making the iftari, taking care of the kids as well as everyday household chores. This is definitely not the right attitude, the menfolk should also help out, whether that means doing outside errands or doing small chores around the house. Even helping each other out has a lot of blessings, and this way everyone gets their time to rest or perform ibaadat. Just because a woman has been at home all day, does not mean that she doesn’t need help. Ramzan is a time to be empathetic towards each other, and the best place to start is at home!
Giving alms and charity is practiced widely during Ramzan.
This is a great way to help those that are less unfortunate and while fasting one comes to realize the hardships of others. Charity can be done in many ways its not only giving out a large amount of money, food or clothes. Even smiling to someone in a time of hardship, or giving them words of encouragement is a form of charity. Try and think about small gestures that you can do every day to help others. For example, handing out water bottles and juice bottles to people on the street, planting a tree, or even counselling your household help in their personal matters is a form of charity. Don’t think that any gesture is big or small, think deeply about your thought process and how you are treating people and see how you change it in a way that may help others.
Do not waste too much time, running around for your Eid outfits.
Although a new jorra is the highlight for most people on Eid, there are ways to do it efficiently. With so many high-street brands and designers having a strong online presence take advantage of this. One can easily order clothes online and have them delivered cash on delivery. Many brands even offer stitching services, which is great because not only will you save on time, you won’t have to waste your time, petrol and energy making those horrid trips to the darzi. It’s a well known fact that during Ramzan, no darzi, kaam-wallah or dye wallah will give you anything on time. So why go through the headache?
Reflect on yourself
Last of all, Ramzan is a great time to reflect on yourself, how you have spent the past year and what changes you would like to bring within yourself to become a better human being. Nobody is perfect in the world, but a stronger sense of spirituality within our hearts and actions can make a difference to the world around us. Not everyone is meant to bring big changes, but even the smallest changes can make a world of a difference to the way you feel about yourself. Think deeply about your life and how you can build up patience and how you can help others physically, mentally and emotionally.
