Credit: Amna Anwaar | Islamic Finder

With Ramadan approaching fast, it is time to start preparing for it. Preparations not only for the food festivities of Suhoor and Iftar, but more importantly for preparing ourselves for reaching higher levels of ‘iman’ (faith) and nearness to Allah (SWT). The Month of Ramadan is a sacred one and most beloved to Allah (SWT), hence, it is our duty as Muslims to align ourselves and our schedules in a way that we maximize our worship of the Almighty and make the most of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a chance to meet all our spiritual goals, as Ramadan offers heightened spirituality and a chance to take a step back from the worldly life and ten steps closer to our actual purpose of this life: to worship Allah (SWT). One of the most favorite forms of ibadah in the eyes of Allah (SWT) is ‘dhikr’. Engaging in dhikr on an everyday basis is an easy and simple way of integrating the worship of Allah (SWT) in our lives and it comes with magnified rewards and blessings.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to make the most of Ramadan and gear all his efforts towards the devotion of Allah (SWT) and exerted himself fully and totally in the way of his Lord. He made efficient use of his time so he could make the most out of the month and used to engage in constant dhikr, which in itself is the biggest incentive for us to follow in his footsteps and plan our time in Ramadan so we can do the same.

Here are a few easy steps to salvage your time in Ramadan and engage in dhikr:

1. Dedicate a specific portion of your day to do Dhikr

Plan your daily activities in a way that you are able to take out an hour or even half an hour, which you can safely dedicate to dhikr. In this way, no matter how busy your day gets, you will still be able to make time for Allah (SWT). If that means that you have to re-adjust your working schedule or your children’s activities, do it – it will go a long way, not only in this world but in the next as well. Try to come home earlier so you have more time not only for yourself and your family, but for your Lord as well.

2. Engage in dhikr in between daily tasks

If you cannot manage to dedicate a specific time slot to dhikr on an everyday basis, you can make it a habit to perform dhikr in any free time slots you get in between your daily tasks. For example, if you are driving home from work or going to the grocery store and you have a fifteen-minute journey, utilize that time to engage in dhikr, or if you have ten-minutes in between work meetings or your children’s play dates, utilize that slot for dhikr. In this way, you will be able to maximize all your free slots throughout the day which would eventually amount to a lot of time being dedicated to dhikr.

3. Dhikr while carrying out daily tasks

You can essentially do dhikr anywhere, anytime and for however long you want. All you have to do is memorize a few verses of dhikr this Ramadan and constantly recite them while you carry on with your daily tasks, which take up most of your time. For example, you can engage in dhikr while you are cooking or doing household chores or basically any tasks, which essentially do not require a lot of your conscious attention. You can download mobile apps like Athan so that you can read the Quran or duas whilst doing other chores.

4. Set reminders

If you are the forgetful kind, set reminders on your phone or tablets in order to remind yourself to engage in dhikr throughout your day. You can make reminder schedules on your phone and then make a conscious effort to follow through with them instead of swiping the notifications away.

5. Dhikr before sleep

After the hustle bustle of the day, the time when you go to bed is an ideal time to remember Allah (SWT), because then, there are no more distractions around you. If you cannot manage to keep up with the daytime reminders, you can make it a habit to do dhikr at night. Try to go to bed early so you have more time to dedicate to your ibadah.

These are just a few simple tips for those looking to maximize their time of devotion to Allah (SWT) in Ramadan and hopefully they will come be of some benefit!