Ramadan is a time of prayer, fasting, worship and reflection. The need to remind Muslims on how to get the best of the month of Ramadan cannot be over emphasized, as remembrance benefits the believers.
While individuals are making efforts to prepare for the holy month, it is very much imperative they listen and learn from scholars who have the right message to communicate with regards to Ramadan.
We are therefore proposing a series of short and pungent messages to clear misconceptions and confusions Muslims have about the noble month of Ramadan. Below we share details about the whole concept.
Ramadan Preparation Program
The Ramadan preparation program is a series of short 10 messages that will be scheduled to go out each day through all our social media accounts, starting 10 days before Ramadan.
The messages are to clear some misconceptions Muslims have developed about Ramadan. These misconceptions have become norms either as a result of cultural practices or social acceptance.
Below are the broad areas of the misconceptions we hope to address:
Spouse Relationship
Mostly in Ramadan, women are left with chores so much that they have very little time for Ibadah. They prepare both sahur and iftar.
Yet they perform the same amount of ibadah as men. And they do that for 30 days straight. Is this how Islam prescribes it, or just a socially accepted thing.
Work/Job/Employment
Does work have to stop during Ramadan? Is it a sign of weakness to focus on work instead of Ibadah during the month of Ramadan? What should Muslims understand about this?
Finance Management
Expenses during Ramadan tends to go up, usually for the purchase of food stuff. What advice does Islam have on financial management for the general Muslims?
Life Pursuit
When Ramadan arrives, do we have to stop all life pursuits and focus singly on ibadah? Must we spend most of our time in the mosques, etc.?
Kid Care
With all its blessings, the month of Ramadan can be somehow stressful, especially for women. Most of them don’t complain as they dutifully take the responsibility to ensure everyone is well adequately fed both at sahur and iftar, and that the household is kept neat and sane. What would Islam advice sons, young men, husbands and even fathers to help reduce stress on women folks of their respective family.
Dietary Habits
There is this erroneous thinking that sahur has to be heavy enough to take one from dawn to dusk. What are the dietary teachings of Islam especially during Ramadan?
Relations with Neighbors
How do we encourage more meaningful and beneficial neighborhood relationships during Ramadan?
Ibadah
Since people are living different realities, what would be considered the best type of Ibadah for different kinds of people during Ramadan. E.g., employees, teachers, bankers, transporters, mothers, etc.
I’itikaf
The last 10 days of Ramadan is when some employees prefer to take part of their annual leaves. Must Muslim employees leave their jobs for I’tikaf?
Iftar Get-together
Islam has always been pro-community right from the time of the Prophet (SAW). How can Muslims keep this spirit up both within and outside Ramadan?