• Home
• /
• UAE

'My exclusive time with allah is here'

"You know only you will be accountable for all that you do, and no one around you here, can help you on the Day of Judgment when you and your deeds will be presented in front of the Almighty Allah."

Ramadan of 2015 was the turning point in my life as I started wearing hijab (head cover) from then on. I had made hijab the choice of my life and it was one of the biggest decisions of my life. I pray that every single Muslim is blessed with that beautiful feeling of awakening that I experienced last Ramadan. You know why? Because then, all of us would be more compassionate, less judgemental and more cautious in our actions, because at the end of the day, you know only you will be accountable for all that you do, and no one around you here, can help you on the Day of Judgment when you and your deeds will be presented in front of the Almighty Allah.
Ramadan is that exclusive time of our lives that we dedicate to Allah. Since it is a month of mercy and they say Allah's bounty is overflowing this blessed month, I aim to make a good use of it and seek forgiveness for my sins. On the family front, we prepare for Ramadan by stocking a lot of ready canned food, and disposable containers for giveaways.
Personally, I do something that is almost impossible for me to do throughout the year. I deactivate all my social media accounts! Yes I do that. So now you can imagine the importance this month holds for me.
Since it is the month of giving as much charity as possible, I get rid of a lot of stuff that I don't use, be it books or clothes, I just clear off my closet and de-clutter my room.
The feel that comes about every Ramadan is unique. I feel one with all the 1.6 billion Muslims of the world, regardless of nationality/status. And it is felt more in this part of the world , especially during Ramadan, with over 200 nationalities living together peacefully. It is during Ramadan, especially at the mosques or during Eid prayers that we get to see such different mix of nationalities. It is such a powerful feeling to pray or eat together with Muslims from around the world - united by our faith.
Despite the long hours fasting, we all just can't wait to pray the special night prayers Taraweeh. It's just you and Allah in that moment.
Fasting for however many number of hours doesn't matter as long as you've had good carbs and tons of water to fuel you throughout the day. And thinking about Iftar from the time you wake up isn't going to help. Solution: pray and do lots of istighfar (seek forgiveness) and time will just fly by.
(As told to Saman Haziq)