Feed Yourself: Lessons Learned This Ramadan
This was a reflection I wrote back in Ramadan 2019.
﷽
I was scrolling through through the hundreds of notes on my phone and I found this reflection from Ramadan 2019.
I started to thinking about the concept of feeding myself at the beginning of Ramadan. And as Ramadan draws to a close these are the lessons I’ve learned and reflected upon:
Feed Your body
Feed your body with healthy foods that will help keep your body fit, InShaaAllah. Choose foods that will benefit your body with the intention of showing Allah gratitude for not only the body He has given you but also the food He’s provided.
In the Noble Quran Allah tells us in Surah Al An’am, 142
وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ حَمُولَةًۭ وَفَرْشًۭا ۚ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌۭ ١٤٢
Some cattle are fit for labour, others are too small.[1] Eat of what Allah has provided for you and do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Certainly, he is your sworn enemy.
Footnote:
[1] Strong cattle like camels and oxen can be used for labour, whereas smaller ones like goats and sheep are not suitable for labour but are good for their meat, milk, hide, etc.
Not all of us have the luxury of having food choices, but for us who do ask yourself. Is this food choice pleasing to Allah? How can I better glorify and praise Allah through the choices I make when feeding my body? Keep these questions in mind as you shop, cook, prepare your meals, and eat. Let it become a habit until it is second nature, constantly renewing your intention to do it for Allah, InShaaAllah.
Feed Your Mind
Feed your mind with stimulants they will help you grow as a person. Choose reading material (under reading materials is anything with words that require you to read) that will teach you something beneficial and help you reach a new level. It should challenge you, and get you thinking and reflecting. Limit those stimulants (anything that engages your mind, social media, music if you’re listening to it, movies, TV, etc) that clutter your mind. Cut out those all together that are of no benefit to you at all. We can’t avoid them all (especially in Western countries) together but we can do our best to limit them and this curtail their influence on our mind
Feed Your Heart ♥️
Drawing closer to Allah requires feeding your heart. Just as the body dies without the input of food and water, so too does the spiritual heart die without the substance it needs, namely spiritual food.
Feed your heart with consistent sincere worship. Allah loves consistency in worship.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.”
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4240 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
عن أبي هريرة قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اكْلَفُوا مِنْ الْعَمَلِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْعَمَلِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ 4240 سنن ابن ماجه كتاب الزهد باب المداومة على العمل 3437 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث صحيح في صحيح ابن ماجه
One way of being consistent is through dua (supplication). The Quran teaches us in Surah At-Ra’d:28:
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ ٢٨
those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort.
I have reacquainted myself with my copy of Fortress of a Muslim: Invocations from the Quran and Sunnah. My intention is not just to learn the invocations but each time I utter one to take a moment (albeit quick) to reflect on the words and feel them, knowing I’m acknowledging Allah’s Oneness and that without him I am nothing, absolutely nothing!
For me feeding my heart includes improving my ibadah in those areas it may be deficient, InShaaAllah. Making the Quran a daily part of my life plays a central role in improving my ibadah. I struggle with Arabic but instead of allowing this to keep me from reciting the Quran, I’ve decided to slow things down and focus for long as it takes to recite it, as well as reflect on the meaning. In addition, I have an excellent English translation with tafsir that shall become a daily part of my routine, InShaaAllah. My goal is that every day should start with the Quran after fajr, InShaaAllah.
Feed Your Relationship with Allah
Whilst all the above are intended to feed my relationship with Allah I want to take time to focus on those things that can help feed our relationship with Allah.
Be of service to your fellow humans.
It’s a way to show your love and gratitude to Allah for allowing you to serve humanity for His Sake. Stop wasting time on useless things and shift your focus from selfish endeavors to selfless ones. This advice I primarily give to myself. I’ve wasted a lot of time on things that have not in any way benefited me. This included friends that did not bring me closer to Allah.
To draw closer to Allah be willing to let go of those who are keeping you from Allah.
This year my best friend of what seems like a lifetime ended our friendship. She said, “Your strict Islamic lifestyle gives me discomfort.” In the past, I would have done almost anything to keep this false attachment. Instead, I recognized Allah was making room in my life for something better by removing someone harmful to my deen from my life, InShaaAllah. I began to re-evaluate my other friendships and decided to release and liberate myself from another friendship which doesn’t help feed my relationship with Allah. There would have been a time in my life when the very thought of losing these friendships would have made me anxious, now having let go, I feel great! Allah has rewarded me with peace, Alhamdu’lillah.
Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah Almighty but that Allah will replace it with something better.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 22565 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَدَعَ شَيْئًا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَّا بَدَّلَكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْهُ 22565 مسند أحمد باقي مسند الأنصار 2/734 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في السلسلة الصحيحة
How much time have you spent feeding others and neglecting to feed your relationship with Allah?
Allah has warned us saying :
وَذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًۭا وَلَهْوًۭا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَذَكِّرْ بِهِۦٓ أَن تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌۢ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِىٌّۭ وَلَا شَفِيعٌۭ وَإِن تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍۢ لَّا يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَآ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا۟ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ ۖ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌۭ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍۢ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ ٧٠
And leave those who take this faith ˹of Islam˺ as mere play and amusement and are deluded by ˹their˺ worldly life. Yet remind them by this ˹Quran˺, so no one should be ruined for their misdeeds. They will have no protector or intercessor other than Allah. Even if they were to offer every ˹possible˺ ransom, none will be accepted from them. Those are the ones who will be ruined for their misdeeds. They will have a boiling drink and painful punishment for their disbelief.
What’s more important to you? False attachments or Allah. In the past false attachments took a place in my life they never should have had, astaghfirullah.
In other to implement these lessons in my life I’ve made a list of post-Ramadan goals that have a prominent place in my agenda, and I’ve scheduled weekly time to review how I’ve done the previous week concerning achieving my goals. Reminding myself to constantly renew my intention and keep in mind I’m doing it to please Allah.
Not everyone will find such a structured and systematic approach beneficial. I suggest you find what works for you.
Ya Allah thank you once again for giving me that chance to do better. Please Allah forgive us and help us to feed ourselves in all aspects that will help us please Him, earn His reward, and help us to earn a place in Jannah Firdous Ameen
I still have the list and although I can tick off a lot of the boxes some are left unticked and I will revisit the list.
Please you do me a favor and answer the following poll for me?
Much love,
Your sister Nour