As-salam Alaikum waramotullai, wa barakatuh!

We are alive today to witness this Ramadan by His Grace. We must therefore be ready to do all that is required to gain multiple rewards by investing our money, energy and precious time for multiple rewards. Distractions consume our time and take us away from living a more productive and fulfilling life.

During the month of Ramadan, our time is precious. Our eating and altered sleeping patterns with early morning sahoor, the occasional nap during the day and late night prayers are very rewarding. If we allow our everyday distractions to continue throughout Ramadan, we risk depriving ourselves from the immense blessings inherent in this month.

Basically, it is time to develop a sense of responsibility towards getting closer to Allah, let us affect lives positively in our family, community and society. Let us resolve to stay away from sleeping all through the nights, let us refrain from idle and vain talk, spending considerable time on TV programmes and the social media and from sins. The spiritual and physical exercise of fasting is premised on gaining (taqwa) piety.

Gaining taqwa too does not come without investing your consciousness, developing khushu in all acts of ibadah, having a feeling that Allah is by your side in whatever you do. If you are praying salat, do it with the greatest khushu you can muster; while fasting, remember Allah with lots of dhikr, during iftar, supplicate to Him and make dua, have empathy for the less privileged, show love to the poor and give even from what you love most.

All these act if imbibed in Ramadan can launch you to a high spiritual level. Yes, it is a possibility for a heart that is hunger for a positive change in his life. If you are sincerely ready for the change, then you have to persevere, it is never easy to dump old habit, but as you take a bold step towards redefining your spiritual life, doing more nawafil, more tahjudd, more charity and getting closer to Allah, these changes may be difficult initially, but gradually, you will start seeing the positive impact of such changes on your life.

Then if you believe that the promise of Allah is true, then you are sure you are completely blessed in this life and the hereafter.