Ramadan’s come and gone. The “back to square one” effect starts to seep through the filter Ramadan created. TV’s start turning on, Quran goes back on the shelf…

So what’s next?

It’s planning for next year’s Ramadan.

Ustadha Zaynab Ansari explains the importance of planning ahead in “Ramadan & YOU” course:

1. Motivate ourselves for Ramadan

2. Make the best use of the blessing of Ramadan - to gain the most benefit

3. Get ourself prepared - physically, mentally and emotionally - for Ramadan. And to avoid being caught off-guard.

4. Make plans for Ramadan - set goals

5. Learn about Ramadan - understand the fiqh, give a little sadaqa, learn to recite Quran properly, fast once a month - so when Ramadan arrives, we are fully prepared for it.

6. Finally, aspire to live the ideal Ramadan.

It gives us the time to sow the seeds and make the soil fertile, so when Ramadan arrives, we are sure that the flowers will blossom and we’ll reap the fruit, Insha Allah.

Assessing one’s state

The idea is to hold oneself accountable before being accountable before Allah.

In order to prepare for the upcoming Ramadan (yeah, time flies!) we have to ask ourselves where we “stand”. Some possible questions we can reflect upon might be:

1. Where am I now? In terms of my obligatory worship for example.

2. Do I understand the integrals of fasting?

3. What is my attitude towards charity? Towards zakah?

4. What went well last Ramadan? Make a list of “continue to do”, “improve on”, “MUST change” items.

This process of assessment will help us decide on our goals. For some their goal for the next Ramadan might be to get regular with Fajr, so they’ll get into the habit of praying on time. For another, it might be memorizing supplications that are recited at different situations, so they can recite them during Ramadan, and make the best use of their time. The process of setting goals starts from assessing one self, and decide where one would like to end up by next Ramadan.

Last but not the least: We should make continuous dua to Allah:

1. That He accepts our fasts and qiyam during Ramadan, and grant us forgiveness

2. That we live to witness the next Ramadan, and benefit from its blessings.