Tips to Stay Energized and Maximize the last 10 Days of Ramadan
Ramadan is a month of fasting each and every day of this holy month is no less than a blessing. Muslims make most of this time and earn a lot of Allah’s mercy, forgiveness and blessings. We should attain a higher level of spirituality in Ramadan. If you want to make your Ramadan spiritually and physically productive, you must give your body the essential fuel to maintain its functioning. Ramadan is divided into three Ashra’s out of which the last Ashra or last days required Muslims to maximize their prayers as they are most blessed days of this holy month.
Laylatul Qadar lies in the last 10 days of Ramadan which starts from 21st and ends on 29th or 30th of Ramadan. Laylatul Qadar is better than the nights of thousand months. As Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran: “The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.” (Quran,97:3)
Muslims start to build extensive worship routine in the last 10 days for which their body requires a lot of energy and motivation. We should strive to seek out the night of power which is hidden in one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, especially in the odd-numbered nights. Today in this article we are going to discuss the tips that will help you to stay energized and maximize the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Recite the Holy Quran
A perfect combination of Ramadan is fasting and Quran recitation. Muslim should recite Quran abundantly in the last 10 days of Ramadan. The recitation of the Quran brings great rewards and blessings for every single word. It will not wrong if someone say that fast is incomplete without Quran recitation. On the Day of Judgment fasting and Noble Quran will intercede for a person. Hadith related to fasting and Quran recitation is: Fasting will say, ‘O Lord, I deprived him of his food and his desires during the day, so let me intercede for him.’ And the Quran will say: ‘I deprived him of his sleep at night so let me intercede for him.’ Then they will intercede” (Sahih Al-Jami). The reward of every deed is increased many times especially in the last Ashra of Ramadan so we should try to increase daily Quran recitation.
Don’t Skip Suhoor
One should not skip Suhoor even if he/she do not feel hungry given the fasting routine, comprising of iftar and late dinners. The pre-dawn meal is extremely important for getting through the daylight hours. We should eat energy-releasing foods, which are high in protein, fibre, and carbohydrates. Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: “Take Suhoor as there is a blessing in it.” (Bukhari)
Fix in some Power Naps throughout the Day
We need at least eight hours of sleep. If someone is not getting eight hours of sleep then they will end up feeling tired and lazy throughout the day and ultimately won’t end up having the energy to carry out their extensive worship plans. So, we should adjust some power naps in between our worship timings and work schedule. These power naps will really energize you and give you the boost that you need to stand in prayers and supplication in the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Increase Worship Duration
The last ten days are the ones that end with the end of the Ramadan and after that, there is a whole year before it comes back again. Thus, those Muslims who are aware of the transitory nature of this worldly life understand the value of the last days of Ramadan, hence, increase the intensity as well as the duration of their prayer so that they get the maximum out of the parting days. Hazrat Aisha (RA) narrates about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the following way:
“With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (PBUH) used to tighten His waist belt (i.e. work harder) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers.” (Bukhari)
Hydrate Yourself
Drink at least 8 glasses of water between Iftar and Suhoor. Don’t drink it down all at once instead drink slowly with gaps. Hydrate yourself as it is important for maintaining high levels of energy during your extensive worship plan in the last 10 days of Ramadan. Fruits have a high percentage of water so consciously eat fruits during the eating hours, they will also help to keep you hydrated.
Do Itikaf
Itikaf is the greatest Sunnah to observe in the last 10 days of Ramadan. In the third Ashra of Ramadan Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would go into seclusion and spend the last ten days and nights in prayer and worship of Allah Almighty with minimal human interaction. In Itikaf all the time that a Muslim spends is in the worship of Allah Almighty to ensure that He grants forgiveness and blessings to the seeker. In the last ten days, a Muslim must observe Itikaf, setting all the worldly intrusions and routine aside for ten days and spend these precious moments of Ramadan in praising and worshipping Allah.
Do Excessive Dhikr
Keep on doing excessive dhikr in the third Ashra of Ramadan. Whatever comes to your mind, any Surah, any Ayah, Durood, and Dua keep on reciting it repeatedly. Ramadan is for the purpose of remembering Allah and purifying the soul so that one could come close to Him. In this regard, in addition to the regular prayers, the additional voluntary prayer and Tarawih, a Muslim must also try to remember Allah while standing or sitting in the form of Dhikr.
Find Laylatul Qadar
The Blessed night refers to the Night of Decree and it is one of the highly revered and cherished nights in the Islamic calendar. This night can be found in the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan. Therefore, every Muslim in addition to praying excessively in all the last ten days, should worship, pray and supplicate more in the odd nights. In Quran, Allah says:
“By the manifest Book (the Quran) that makes thing clear. We sent it (this Quran) down on a Blessed Night (i.e. the Night of Qadar) ….” (Quran, 44:2-4)
Finding Laylatul Qadr should be one of the prime objectives of the last Ashra of Ramadan. The Prophet (SAW) said: “All past sins are forgiven to those who spend the night in the vigil of Destiny with devout faith and hope of reward” (Muslim)
