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5 tips on how to fully live the sacred month even in solitude. Experience gained on the field with 2 Ramadan past (unfortunately) far from every believer
· Get used to change quickly
The suffering of the first days of Ramadan will be mainly caused by the change in habits, and this is why adaptation is fundamental: the faster it will be, the less tiring it will be. The advice (not respected by the writer) is to start fasting a week before, so as to gradually get the body and mind used to the new rhythms. Fundamental in these experiments is to remember the greater amount of time that a fast exposes, in order to better manage the inevitable stress.
· Spend more time meditating on yourself
Ramadan is usually one of the months in which more people meet and more dinners are organized, this year, however, does not seem to be possible and consequently it is more useful to fully enjoy our own company. Take this Ramadan as a detox from what is external and try to live with yourself, without being afraid to ask questions. Ask yourself who you are, what you want and where you are going; these answers will be fundamental and will really help you to take advantage of this suspended time.
Furthermore, sincere answers will also help you find the way to your inner peace; all in the moment in which, for us Muslims, Allah listens to us with even greater attention. What better time for a 2-way dialogue with your Lord?
· Growth, not sprinting
Don’t be afraid to struggle, suffer or even fall during the first days of Ramadan. The weakness is absolutely normal and it is even easier to find it in the beginning. The goal of this month, however, is not to make you play the next Iron-man, but to find you better once finished. The only really important thing, then, is the constancy with which you intend to change, the strength that you put not in lifting a boulder, but in changing those small and harmful daily habits of ours.
Precisely for this reason, if you proceed with faith and patience, the hellish the first few days will be, so much you will enjoy them once finished. Do not be afraid to see even the darkest darkness, since then you will be able to marvel even more than the light.
· New and calm hobbies
Being forced to slow down, it can be the right time to finally take back an old passion of ours, perhaps abandoned in a moment of anger. The fundamental thing in this case is the choice of the hobby that must, necessarily, adapt to both the Covid situation and that relating to fasting. Precisely for this reason, strenuous activities such as the gym (which however can be interesting to practice at night) are not particularly recommended, but rather cooking and gardening.
At the first one, one almost automatically becomes fond of the sacred month, also and above all by virtue of the many hours away from food; the second, however, can help you to be reborn both from a spiritual and natural point of view. Observing the slow but constant growth of the plants, letting yourself be enchanted by the scent of the flowers or their thousand colors, is already in itself something that will allow you to loosen your time, with a few precautions it can also turn into something great.
In fact, you could also go and get “harvest plants“, allowing you to fully enjoy the fruit of your work; moreover you can dwell on the beauty and the forms of the latter, going to research their history and the (often) vast artistic and symbolic production behind them. An example: traditionally the rose represents Allah, while the red carnation represents the prophet Muhammad. (Regarding this, further on there should be some news for an “Ottoman Garden” to do together)
· “Iqra!” “Read it!”
Ramadan is the month of the Quran and is therefore, without any shadow of doubt, the most suitable ever for reading the sacred text, even more recommended for these long hours of solitude. Spending nights watching over its pages is undoubtedly one of the most intense experiences you can try, yet it is not the only book worth reading in this period.
Tomorrow, in fact, I will show you 4 books that will allow you to detach yourself a little from his verses, without however losing the mood gained with so much effort.
Do you want to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Ibn Battuta? You will find here how to do it. Follow us on our facebook page, Spotify, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, or on our Telegram channel. Any like, sharing or support is welcome and helps us to devote ourselves more and more to our passion: telling the Middle East.
