Ramadan 2018: My difficulties fade as fasting becomes a habit

Alhamdulillah! As this beautiful holy month of Ramadan is progressing, fasting is becoming a habit. It may be getting hotter here but that does not affect the fasting somehow. I am getting into the routine easily and whatever little difficulties I thought I would have are all fading in the background now.

And since the day starts early in the morning with prayer, Alhamdulillah, it ends well too. So the first thing I do as I get up is, do ablution and pray a couple of rakats before I get on with my Suhoor.

I have also started now trying to eat the Sunnah way especially during the Suhoor time as I felt it keeps me so comfortable throughout the day. And one of the best choices for Suhoor I have felt is dates and water. Dates are a blessed food mentioned numerous times in both the Quran and sunnah and they are amazing little nutrient powerhouses.

I have realised that what you eat for Suhoor really sets you up for the rest of the day and making good choices for the pre-dawn meal can make all the difference to your energy levels.

Ideally, Suhoor should be nutrient-packed and not too heavy in order to avoid blood sugar crashes, energy slumps, mood swings and headaches/migraines.

After offering the Fajr (morning) prayer, I slept a bit and in that period of time I had a beautiful dream that just made my day. I dreamt I was on a train cart going somewhere and all the people on it were singing a beautiful children song. I can still remember the words of that sweet tune. I heard people singing melodiously .. " So let's say Allah Hu Akbar." and I got up after that. So that was the start of my day and I felt peace and happiness inside my heart as I got up thinking about this carol I heard in my dream.

My weekend gave me an opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time in the mosques. I opened the fast also in the Sunnah way with again some dates and also had milkshake on the side. I rested my mind and body these two days (weekend) and felt peaceful as I read the second chapter of the Quran today, Surah Baqarah. All in all it was a weekend dedicated to Ramadan and I enjoyed every bit of it, spiritually as well as physically by eating Sunnah food and remaining light and active.

Luis Carreno is a 36-year-old from Colombia ?who embraced Islam in January 2018. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt coach for the UAE ?Armed Forces in Dubai.

(AS TOLD TO SAMAN HAZIQ)