By Annisa Essack

The announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the extension to the lockdown was met with a collective sigh from many Muslim women. But that sigh was not one of apathy but rather a reminder to us that this meant extra planning. With the menfolk underfoot, constant requests for food from bored children and the inability to shop for those much-needed supplies to make savouries taste great, meant that we needed to get into gear!

Planning will ensure that we not only get the best out of the blessed month under the unique circumstances provided to us but also provide for our families and those in need.

Stop! Don’t plan alone, get the whole family involved. Fasting is a personal act of worship, but the blessed month brings with it the opportunity for family shura. Yes, we need to ensure healthy meals, but we also need to make certain that we nourish the soul and the mind, especially as more time is available during the lockdown period.

Let’s welcome Ramadan! Get those little ones busy and if you don’t have one of those, then rope in Gramps or Grandma to put together a “Countdown to Ramadan” notice on the fridge. Ramadan will most probably begin on the 23rd April. Let’s bring it to our homes and hearts. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him, would fast on Mondays and Thursdays, in the days preceding the blessed month, he would fast more. We can emulate this, although it is not required from us, but it will bring Ramadan to our hearts.

If you don’t already have a designated area in your home as a masjid or prayer area, then it is time to set one up. Make sure that this is an item on your shura meeting – where will it be located and who will be responsible for it. Some homes may not be able to designate a separate spot but may instead use a living space, so make sure that you have your prayer mats and Qur’ans close by. With the masajid closed temporarily, this is a good opportunity to pray as a family, to discuss Qur’an and ahadith together.

Every home, in preparation for Ramadan, should put up the timetable with salaah, suhoor and iftar times on the fridge. For each of the five daily prayers, someone should be designated to call the Adhan and to lead salaah. The congregational prayer at home brings back special, warm memories of my parents on cold winter mornings. This is a neymaah from Allah SWT and during this period of togetherness, cherish these moments for they will create tender memories to revere.

And who said that anyone should spend this time indoors being bored or worried? Engage the children and the elders to begin sprucing up the home for Ramadan. Add some colour with a new cover over the couch or maybe make a cover for your Qur’an using glue and scraps of fabric. Or create a Ramadan quiz game with your cards with questions and other little things to make the day fun whilst learning about the Deen.

Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an, the month in which it was revealed. For those who are new to the Deen, learn about how the Qur’an was revealed, how it was preserved and how it has come to remain in its exact form centuries after it was compiled into book form. If you are in the know already, then teach it to your younger siblings and friends. There is no other book like it! It is a living miracle from Allah.

The blessed month is also a month of dua or supplication, but we don’t need to wait for Ramadan to be upon us to start with making dua! Let’s raise our hands and ask Allah SWT to take us out of the misery of the pandemic, to allow us to re-enter our masajid, to be able to hug each other and to shake hands again. We miss the closeness and connections that are dear to us.

We can pray for those who are working in the front lines, saving lives; those struggling to live each day due to poverty, job loss, sickness and for those who have lost family and friends. Remember though, that each dua should first begin by thanking Allah SWT for all that He has provided for us and by sending blessings upon our Nabi SAW, his family and the Sahabah.

We must also ask Allah for His forgiveness for our sins and shortcomings and follow that with our requests. All sincere dua are accepted but know that He will decide how to respond. So, trust Him, for we may not always understand His reasoning. A reminder for this is found in Surah Kahf as Allah provides us with a window to His mysteries. Pray in the language that you are comfortable with, talk to your Rabb for He understands every tongue including the language of tears.

There are millions of our Ummah, fraught with pain and anxiety as their situations are dire compared to ours – those who are our neighbours on the continent in Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, those in India and Kashmir, those in Palestine and Syria, and those right here on our doorsteps. In a world where the rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer, misery is increasing for many people. We will not be good Muslims if we don’t carry these people in our hearts, in our dua, and in our resolve to change the world.

We can also practice consuming less and sharing more. Ramadan is not about food but rather about feeling the pangs of hunger, so we can emulate the pain so many go through daily. Plan healthy meals and practise eating less than you did before Ramadan. Plan your grocery needs to ensure that you remember to include a little for the less fortunate. Give your zakaah, fitrah or sadaqaah early to ensure that those in need can benefit during the blessed days.

Being under lockdown means we move about less which allows us to have a lower calorie intake. A great idea would be to follow a Rand-a-day fast. Each person in the house, drops a Rand into a jar for each fast that they keep all through the year. At the beginning of each Ramadan, you should have enough to help a few families with groceries in sha Allah.

During your planning phase and your shura meetings, remember the mission of the beloved Prophet SAW. He was one of the most successful people in the world and his mission, like the mission of all the Prophets sent by Allah SWT, peace and blessing be upon them, was to bring peace, justice, fairness and equity to society.

During his last sermon, the Nabi SAW assigned that duty to every Muslim, so whilst preparing for Ramadan, remember that salaah, zakaah, saum and Hajj are the spiritual tools that connect us to our Creator and prepare us to fulfil the mission of making the world a just and peaceful place for all.