Ending Ramadan Strong

By Yousuf Ali

To be honest, it has always been very difficult for me to talk or write about myself, but I can say that this Ramadan has been excellent for me. While I did initially have some self-doubt about my ability to complete the fast while taking a masters course, reading Qur’an, applying to full-time jobs and writing for The Muslim Observer, I have done very well so far. This is because whenever I catch myself doubting my resolve, I make sure to remind myself that Allah will help me through this. For that reason, I plan to finish the month strong.

1. Finishing up the Qur’an: Thankfully, I was able to keep pace with the 4 pages per day requirement I had set for myself at the beginning of the month. Consequently, I’m in a good position to finish it today which will be the 27th night which is widely regarded to be the day of the famous laylat ul-qadr (night of value). This was not because of me being anything special but simply Allah choosing to give me the opportunity to complete reading his book in the month that it was revealed.
2. Completing my Master’s course: It just so happened that Ramadan coincided with the start of a Masters course in data modeling and analysis at my university. To mitigate any trouble I would have, I told my professor this to make sure that he understood. Thankfully, he has been more than responsive to my concerns and questions about the class without giving me too much trouble.
3. Becoming more pious: as made clear in the Qur’an, the purpose of fasting is so that we become pious. The early generations of Muslims considered this to be so important that they considered anyone who deliberately committed any sin during the daylight hours of Ramadan to have broken his or her fast. Whether or not we agree with this position, the point is that we have to make sure that we are abstaining from that. In this regard, I have made it a point to make sure that I am treating those around me better, in hope that Allah will accept my fasting and all my deeds inside and outside of Ramadan.

When it comes to my own life, Ramadan has always been an immense opportunity for spiritual and personal growth. At the same time, I’ve had to live in the world both as a student and a worker, so making sure achieving that growth whilst not falling short in my worldly obligations has been challenging for me at times. I always try to keep a positive mindset concerning this since, without that, I cannot hope to achieve anything. This stems from the fact that I know Allah can do anything and with enough trust in him and planning, it is all possible. That is how I get through Ramadan.