slip-sliding away…..

I hope Ramadaan is going as well for all of you as it is for me.  Its just amazing how uplifted you can be in a month like this; amazing how inspired you can be; and how much you can learn, how much you can be taught, how much you can realise…all in the space of 2 weeks.And making adjustments come so much easier;  realising what is better for you and making the necessary changes – all happen without much pain, because psychologically, we’re so open-minded this month; we *know* the value of this month, and the opportunities it brings. And I think that this is one of the most beautiful things about Ramadaan – how we have this enforced break from our usual lives – a chance to stop and reflect on who we are, what we do, where we’ve been and where we want to go.We have added incentives to be better Muslims.  We have more apparent opportunities to do good and be charitable.

So,  I hope we all take advantage of our remaining 2 weeks, and cultivate that which we hope to carry on after this month leaves us.

Whether its:

• Being more careful about your salaah;
• Being more committed to the Quran (and trying to understand it, via translation/Arabic, if you speak the language);
• Spending more quality time with your family;
• Being more generous and charitable – not only with your wealth, but with your time, effort, and kindness;
• Making more time for yourself, to try and find some peace from the world;
• Being more careful about things you could say to hurt others;
• Being more disciplined about your bad habits (smoking, junk food, etc);
• Having better sleeping habits;
• Reducing your indulgence in “entertainment” to a level that you need – instead of it being a habit; and replacing the unnecessary with more productive pursuits;

or any other effort you have made or want to make.

I hope we’ll all make these things – which are, in reality, some of the most important things in life – a priority that we give our time to in these next 2 weeks. Because if we do it now, if we make that investment now, we stand to benefit so much in not only the next 11 months, but hopefully the rest of our lives as well.

Don’t overdo it,  of course.  Don’t wear yourself out beyond your capacity.

But recognise that this is your chance.  We may not see another Ramadaan. And after this month, our lives may take dramatic turns which we had no idea would happen.

By making our intentions and efforts now, we’re preparing ourselves to live better lives, no matter what we may face in the coming months.

Peace be upon you.

Y