The Ramadan "Post-Mortem" Exam

As-salamu’alaykum,

In healthcare leadership circles, we often talk about deep dives - a form of retrospective data analysis to try to identify patterns or incidents that explain some of the variables and the outcomes of a project or simply everyday practice of a healthcare organization. 

Similarly, in clinical practice after the unfortunate passing of a patient, especially one that defied the natural history of the illness or just bewildering for whatever reason, we sometimes turn to our pathology colleagues with, family consent or direct request, for a post-mortem exam. 

It’s not often that I have had a discussion with colleagues in healthcare or even across other spaces who take some time to appraise the Ramadan gone by with the intention of identifying opportunities for improvement in preparation for an even more robust Ramadan experience in the coming year. May Allah, the Most High, spare all of our lives till then and beyond. Ameen.

My intention today is to propose a Ramadan “Post-Mortem” Exam - a systematic appraisal of your recent Ramadan experience with a unique lens that gives you a headstart on your next Ramadan in sha Allah.

But before we dive in, let’s explore the why - the value of this practice beyond the obvious spotlight of preparing a year ahead following the example of our pious predecessors from the generation after the companions (May Allah have mercy on all of them) of Prophet Muhammad PBUH who prepared 6 months ahead of Ramadan for its arrival.

Three keywords address the why of taking action now rather than later - recency, urgency and clarity!

For many of us, falling short of our intentions for Ramadan is the more familiar scenario. This comes with a sense of urgency to avoid this even as the days unfolded before our eyes and this was validated by the many conversations that I had in the final days of the month where there was a sense of regret as the days rapidly dwindled before our very eyes. May Allah, the Most High, accept from all of us despite our shortcomings. Ameen.

The sense of urgency when tied with the recency of the experience and an intentional exploration of the days of before, during and soon after Ramadan can drive a deep sense of clarity that can really help us take the next Ramadan experience to a different level, by Allah’s will.

In a way, this is a form of Muhasabah, the beautiful act of taking regular stock of our thoughts, intentions and actions so that we can learn from them and better ourselves with the insights gleaned as such.

Thabit ibn al-Hajjaj reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable and evaluate yourselves before you are evaluated, for the Reckoning will be easier upon you tomorrow if you hold yourselves accountable today.” [Source: Muḥāsabat al-Nafs 2]

The self accountability component of this that Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) highlights in the narration referenced above helps us connect the present to our inevitable meeting with our Lord and the divine accountability that is inherent to that ultimate encounter.  

Let’s shift gears to the how of this exercise, the Ramadan “Post-Mortem” Exam - Most experts advocate a simple process when approaching a self-reflective exercise. I’m proposing 5-steps. 

1. Block out time: 30 - 90 minutes of distraction-free time with yourself

2. Explore 3 self-reflective questions

   1. What went well?

   2. What could have gone better?

   3. What am I going to do about it?

3. Consider 5 distinct periods of the Ramadan experience as you think through these 3 questions

   1. Pre-Ramadan preparation

   2. First 10 days of Ramadan

   3. Middle 10 days of Ramadan

   4. Last 10 days of Ramadan

   5. Eid-ul-Fitr and the Post Ramadan Transition

4. Leverage the key emotional insights of surprise, failure and frustration to hone in on some of the best learning opportunities this past Ramadan 

5. Make upstream decisions now for an upgraded Ramadan next year In sha Allah

   1. What will you plan to do differently for next Ramadan (start doing)

   2. What will you avoid doing in relation to your next Ramadan (stop doing)

   3. What worked well this year that you will do again for your next Ramadan (continue doing)

PRO-TIP: Document the exercise in a Ramadan Journal that you will reference year-in, year-out and tie your resolutions to a du’a that you will make for successful execution

Ibn Rajab reported: Ma’la ibn al-Fadl, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The companions would supplicate to Allah for six months prior that they would reach Ramadan. Then, they would supplicate to him for six months afterward to accept their deeds.” [Source: Laṭā’if al-Ma’ārif 1/138]

When we explore the idea of our pious predecessors thinking and praying for the opportunity to reach the next Ramadan, one can appreciate one of the wisdoms here that the preparation for the month is key. 

For healthcare workers, in particular, given our often hectic work schedules, planning far ahead and finding coverage for crucial parts of the month to free up time for worship (Ibadah) is something that needs careful attention several months before Ramadan arrives. This is just one of the many key considerations.

Dear friends and colleagues, every minute that you invest in this process is likely to yield results that are exponentially more impactful for your next Ramadan experience in sha Allah - the obvious opportunity cost for not doing some version of reflection is to repeat the same mistakes and potentially downgrade our future Ramadan experiences. 

Please do let us know how your “post-mortem” Ramadan exam goes or if you have a different approach to this. 

May Allah, the Most High, enable us to seek an upstream approach and protect us from the tricks of Shaytan that make us procrastinate on opportunities for bountiful investments in our hereafter. Ameen.

Sincerely,

Sulyman

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