A major challenge I face every Ramadan is coming up with the perfect schedule to fit my everyday activities. From year to year the priorities differ, and I give time to some obligations more than others, but one thing is common: there is hardly any room for sleep. Sadly, people who fast are known to be lazy and sleepy throughout their fasting hours, even though the best accomplishments by the Prophet Mohammed and his companions were made during Ramadan. For instance, Muslims won five battles while they were fasting during the holy month.
Struggling not to conform to that stereotype, I discovered that if I go to the gym before I go to work I can energise myself for the day and get one mission out of the way. In previous years I left the gym for taraweeh prayers, but I barely had time. But this year, with the day growing longer and the gym closing at 10pm, the only time I can work out is in the morning. People might think that exercising while fasting will only add to thirst and tiredness. However, a popular Arabic proverb that says "Seek medicine in the ailment" worked well for me. Exercising in the early hours of fasting has helped me get rid of the nausea and dehydration I feel when I leave the house with a dry throat.
Between the gym, iftar and suhoor outings, family obligations, reading the Quran, performing taraweeh prayers - preferably at the mosque - not to mention daily watching of Ramadan soap operas and, of course, work, which is considered a form of worship in Islam, I have barely been able to grab five hours of sleep a night in the past 20 days. With the last 10 nights of Ramadan kicking off today, these five hours will shrink to three as I will be going to the mosque with neighbours for the after-midnight prayers, known as tahajud.
In previous Ramadans, miraculously, I have felt more active and "awake" during this time, even though I am getting less sleep. It could be because it is the most significant part of the month, containing Laylat al Qadr, the night when the Quran was revealed. Therefore, Muslims are motivated to pray and worship more during that time. Some Muslims who barely pray or do anything religious all year rush to the mosques to take advantage of the unlimited rewards of that night.
The Quran says Laylat al Qadr is better than 1,000 months of worship, meaning that if you pray on that night, you'll get more rewards than 1,000 months or 82 years of praying. "It is like getting a PhD in one month, if you take an extensive course," a preacher once said. Moreover, it is a time when prayers to God are mostly answered and more people are saved from the punishment of the afterlife. While I've been generally less enthusiastic about worship this Ramadan as compared to the past two years, I have high hopes for the coming days. If I play it right, before Ramadan is over I still have a chance to have my sins erased and store up hasanat, or credits.
So no matter how busy my schedule can get, inshallah, worship will be No.1 on my list. Last 10 days, here I come. @Email:hdajani@thenational.ae
