Ramadan Notes #15: Is your Focus on Ramadan waning?

As-salamu’alaykum,

We are well into the month of Ramadan now and knee deep in the #MidRamadanStory…

For some of us, it’s not so much about our bodies getting used to the fast and the energy struggle…

There’s a more subtle and often less recognized mental shift…

That your desire to have an unforgettable Ramadan is losing steam…or completely gone!

That the focus on outdoing yourself this month in the search of Allah’s SWT mercy, forgiveness and Paradise (Jannah) is shifting to resigning yourself to the daily grind of the rest of year - I show up at my clinic or the hospital or for my shift - I take care of patients - I have a few difficult conversations with patient families - I hang out with colleagues in the staff lounge for a bit and even have some meetings in the mix and then get home only too tired to do engage in any meaningful worship.

It is human for us to go through a dip like this as we have shared previously in this series. Here’s a different Hadith with similar connotations:

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: "Indeed for everything there is a zeal, and for every zeal there is a slackening. So if its practitioner behaves properly,and is moderate, then hope for him (for his success). But if the fingers are pointed to him, then do not count him (among the worthy)."[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2453]

We all go through a hype phase when excitement is high together with a heightened sense of optimism about what is possible and that unforgettable Ramadan experience is within reach but slowly that yearning dips - the focus drops and without an intentional approach to keep it going at a decent level, we can end up feeling like complete failures. May Allah SWT protect us from such a state. Ameen.

As healthcare professionals, we are pulled in many different directions during the course of our work day and it can be difficult to stay grounded and focused on the primary strife for this month - the mindfulness of Allah. On top of that, we are just as distracted as the rest of the world with social media, smartphone apps and messaging notifications, and the internet on our larger devices with endless scrolling through webpages and other similar unproductive engagements.

If your focus on Ramadan is waning in a manner to similar to the above, take it as a sign from the Almighty, As-Sami (the All-Hearing), wanting to hear from you because He loves to hear from His slaves and remember that He is closer to us than our jugular  veins as He mentioned in the verse of the Quran that follows the verse of Ramadan;

Surah Al-Baqarah v186: “When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. So let them respond ˹with obedience˺ to Me and believe in Me, perhaps they will be guided ˹to the Right Way˺. 

How often do we complain to Allah SWT about our struggles? Too often we turn to colleagues, leaders and others who are often just as distracted as we are to give us the needed attention and focus in the moment. When we turn to Allah SWT in our state of weakness and we express our yearning to renew our commitment to Ramadan and we re-center our efforts even if only through baby steps to refocus on Ramadan, the help of Allah SWT will help us get through this dip. 

Is it enough to call upon Allah SWT and expect to just get back on track? The reality is that it’s not so straightforward as this life is a test and so we have to actively tie our camels - take meaningful steps that will get us back on track in sha Allah.

Let’s continue this conversation over the next couple of days in sha Allah and explore practical steps to move the needle back in the direction of renewed focus.

May Allah SWT keep us steadfast and grant us renewed focus on seeking mindfulness of Allah this blessed month and beyond. Amin

Sincerely,

Sulyman

P.S. Join like-hearted #HealthCareWorkers on Zoom every Thursday this Ramadan for weekly check-ins at 4.15pm CST/9.15pm GMT/10.15pm WAT . Register and join with this link.

P.P.S. What other suggestions do you have for me and others in this regard? Share in the comments section or reply to [email protected]

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