A wave of disappointment overcomes us sisters at certain times during Ramadan when we realise that we can’t fast during the menstrual cycle or post-natal period. It’s almost like we get left out, especially when everyone else gets excited at the last 10 nights – but even if your not fasting, there are ways to ensure you grab those rewards and you don’t miss out!
Firstly, one should never despair at the Mercy of Allah and His Commands for us to abstain from fasting when in a state of impurity; as with all things ordained in Islam there is wisdom. Sisters bear the ‘triple shift’, as I often refer to it, as juggling work,
study, & caring for their family as part of life so being unable to fast is a time to provide your body with a rejuvenated outlook on what you have achieved and what you can accomplish in the remaining days of ramadan.
In the following article we share ideas on how you can stay on a spiritual high this Ramadan and provide tools for using your time effectively.
1. Listen to the recitation of the Qur’an
During the time you can’t fast, stay spiritually uplifted by listening to the recitation of the Qur’an, and listen to those surahs you are trying to committ to memory. You’ll find after having listened to the surah several times you will have memorised it and not wasted any time in this blessed month of the Qur’an.
2. Contribute to a community project
You could volunteer to help out at a local community iftaar, or buy a pack of dates to donate to the local masjid for iftaar – imagine the barakah of feeding about 100 people – you’ll have the reward of 200 fasts inshaAllah. If there are iftars being hosted at the masjid, volunteer to serve and help clean up afterwards. Or buy a jug of Zamzam water and pour it into little bottles and distribute them to everyone at the masjid with dates. Babysit during Taraweeh so that the mothers (and everyone else!) can pray with khushu’ and concentration. Cook iftar for sisters who are expecting, elderly, students away from home, etc. in your community and deliver it to their homes.
3. Help Mum in the Kitchen!
It’s often a blessed opportunity which comes once a year when we all eat together, yet it’ the mothers who concentrate all their energies on the family more than any other time in the year. Take this opportunity to help Mum out as she prepares for iftaar, and offer to help around the house to make fasting easier on her. This one comes with big rewards (and of course ask her to make dua for you).
Do any deep cleaning, laundry, Eid shopping etc. that needs to be done now, so that you can fully focus on extra ibadah when you are fasting and in the last 10 nights. You can also prepare and freeze some food now so that you don’t have to cook iftar on other days when you are fasting and also in preparation for Eid instead of losing out on extra good deeds in the last 10 nights.
4. Make Plentiful Dua
Spend a lot of time in dua in the last third of the night and keep in tune with the routine of ramadan, and memorize the du`a’s for different actions (morning/evening supplication, leaving the home, etc).
Memorize Allah’s Most Beautiful Names – 3 each day and their meanings so you can understand and become closer to Allah, and then call upon Allah with His Names in your dua.
5. Make Goodies!
Make a CD of beautiful Qur’an recitation and duas in MP3 and distribute them to people you know so others can benefit. Make Eid/Ramadan goodie bags for the kids so that they love and feel attached to Ramadan – use your talents and be creative in this time you have.
6. Increase Dhikr
Do the adhkar (rememberance of Allah) for morning and evening narrated from the Prophet (pbuh). Remember to seek out Laylatul Qadr throughout the last 10 nights and do not let even one night go by without making dua. Aisha (ra), out of her excellence, enquired about what she should recite in search of and upon Laylatul Qadr – the Prophet replied she should make this dua: “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee” (‘Say: O Allah, You are Oft-Pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.” [Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi]
You can also find out who is sick in your area or in the hospital and go visit them, these steps you take towards visiting the sick are rewarded greatly. And look for new converts, those who are newly practicing or people who have lost touch with the community and invite them over for iftar.
As seen above, there are multiple ways you can gain reward, with sincere intentions and work in the way of Allah (Subahanahu Wa Ta’la) you can stay spiritually uplifted this ramadan and be productive even if you are not fasting.
Remember those who are unable to fast due to illness in your sincere duas.
