Come on, let's be real. There have been instances this Ramadan where your guilt overtook you. You felt like you didn't interact with the Quran enough or say alhamdulillah enough. Or maybe you were struggling with the basics like praying on time, if at all. Your heart hurt... but then it went away and you never did anything about it.
Not this time, ladies and gentlemen!
See, Allah reminds us numerous times in the Quran of a promise He made. So I'll paint a quick picture and you keep this in mind as you're reading. One day, which will be like (according to some scholars) 50,000 years, we will stand in total awe of God answering for what we did. And on that day, we will either receive our books in our right or left hands and that will tell us what is next. Let's guarantee our right hand.
Hopefully this reality doesn't just scare you, but it motivates you. And because I believe practicality is essential to success, that long introduction was to lead up to practical steps to doing your due diligence and Doing More.
How to Start & Maintain Amazing Post-Ramadan Habits:
1) Identify what you want to improve and be specific. And get those duaas started! Every righteous effort begins with calling to Allah, so ask Him to make it easy for you and to accept from you. And in terms of being specific, don't just say "salah." Say "praying fajr and maghrib on time" or whatever your habit/goal may be.
2) BE REALISTIC. If you haven't been motivated to read the Quran in three years, don't tell yourself that you'll read 2 pages each day. There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting off very small. Maybe just three verses per day! And keep at it and increase as the time goes by. God looks at the quality of the work, not just quantity.
3) Set yourself up for success. Mentally of course, but physically as well! Going back to the salah example, have your prayer rug and clothes in your room, order a portable prayer rug and throw it in your purse or car. For the quran example, place a mus-haf (book form of Quran) near your bed. Download an app. Don't give yourself any physical excuse to miss your goal.
4) Track your success! This is imperative, and researchers say the same. Your goal HAS TO BE MEASURABLE.
I use an app called "Way of Life" (it'll have a green check as the logo) to track my goal of praying fajr on time. It's awesome because you get to see visual progress (lights up green when you've met your goal and red if you haven't). The app is free so use it to your advantage!
Have an accountability buddy if you can find one. A simple text every night to a friend to say "Done" as in you've completed your goal or "Need improvement" can be the difference for you!
5) Remember tawbah & don't beat yourself up. So you mess up, it's hard! Allah introduces Himself in every surah (except one) as Rahman and Raheem. He is Merciful to mankind and especially Muslims so always remember to ask Him for forgiveness when you've screwed up. He sees your effort! And remember the words of Muhammad (SAW): "All the children of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often." -Tirmidhi
All in all, I hope these tips are practical and help you on your journey to standing in front of Allah. May it be an easy standing and may we all receive are books in our right hands, ameen.
*If any of these tips helped, please share! And send me an email (contact button at top of site) so I can hear about your challenges and successes in sha' Allah!"
H. Al