How to Develop Good Character During Ramadan
Besides being a month which comes with the doors of hell closed and the doors of heaven open for all those who seek forgiveness, Ramadan is also a month in which Muslims can go for increasing self control and try to make their soul and body pure by resisting all the evil temptations and moving on the path of righteousness.
The character of a person is directly proportional to his or her spiritual standing and transcendence. Therefore, if a person is good in character, it automatically is a reflection of his or her soul. Therefore, improving character during Ramadan is one of the best ways of spiritual elevation and purity. The lines below discuss the major measures that a Muslim can take during Ramadan to improve one’s character.
Forgive:
In the month of Ramadan, Allah Almighty opens the doors of forgiveness for all those who fast, therefore, if Allah Almighty starts forgiving people then it is imperative that a Muslim also forgives people of relation. Fasting during the day and prayers during the night are done with the objective of purifying the heart and soul, therefore, the question is to be asked that how can the heart of a person be pure if he or she holds grudge or malice against some other person in the heart. Therefore, the purification of soul can only be made when a person purifies and clears his or her heart from all the grudge and malice by forgiving people. When one forgives the other, only then the heart gets lightened and purified, and one finds peace and tranquility in the prayers and fasting.
Control The Anger and Avoid Common Mistakes
The first thing that a Muslim has to do pertaining to improving the character is controlling the anger. It is one of the worst human qualities that spoil all the good that a person does and demolishes the deeds. Moreover, fasting in Ramadan teaches tolerance and humility, therefore, there is no point in being angry during the Ramadan. Rather, a Muslim must try controlling the anger and whenever the rush of anger hits a Muslim, he or she must remember that it is the Holy month of Ramadan and in this month he or she has to be good and being angry and its outcomes are never good. In addition, you must avoid common mistakes that include: frequently getting angry, sleeping all the day, and not taking care of the speech. To read about these in detail, check common mistakes to avoid in Ramadan.
Be Patient:
When a person is in state of fasting, he or she does not eat or drink no matter how many times he or she is offered food or even when there is no one looking. It means that a person is actually practicing self-constraint the closest form of which is patience. Therefore, fasting teaches being patient and forbearing things no matter how strong a person craves them or how provoking they might seem to a person. Hence, during Ramadan, a Muslim need to incorporate and increase the quality of patience in his or her personality. With this patience a person is better able to deal with other human relations and the judgment of a person gets better during hard times.
Be Good To Others:
Although being patient, forgiving and controlling one’s anger are all qualities that can be classified as the ones that are related to being good to others. However, in addition to the specific qualities that one needs to develop during Ramadan to be good to others, a Muslim ought to be good to others in general as well. In this regard, a Muslim must commit towards good and helpful deeds, for instance, helping someone in need, carrying the burden of someone, giving someone a lift, assisting them in doing some chore and all such matters in which a person can be assistance to others can be classified as being good to others. Therefore, a Muslim must try being of as much assistance as possible to others so that the life of others becomes easy. As a result of all this, the good person will get blessings and prayers of others in addition to internally feeling satisfied and peaceful.
Be Charitable:
Another attribute that can help make the character of a person strong and better is being charitable. Ramadan is the month of blessings and mercy; it is in this month that by fasting a person experiences the suffering of the people who don’t have access to the necessities of life such as food three times a day and clean water for drinking. Therefore, when a person goes through such an experience it surely is to serve as a metamorphosis where a person should then work towards making the life of others in general and the less fortunate ones easy. In this regard, a Muslim should try being as much charitable as possible during the month of Ramadan. This charity can then help provide provision for those who find it hard to earn their bread and butter for the month of Ramadan to keep fast. Therefore, try being as much charitable as possible. Read What is Zakat and How to Pay It to know the Zakat deserving people in your society.
Follow What Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) Used to do In Ramadan
One of the best way of developing a good character in the month of Ramadan can be try to follow the way Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.B) used to spend His Ramadan while fasting. Since Prophet’s deeds are the primary example of becoming the perfect in the society, following them would surely result in developing a good character of you. Following are the common deeds Muhammad (S.A.W) used to do in the month of Ramadan:
- Studying Quran
- Taraweeh
- Nawafil
- Night of Decree
- Itekaaf
- Charity
You can also try doing these deeds in this special month which would ultimately help you in achieving a happy soul. To read in detail, Check Special Deeds of Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) in the Month of Ramadan.
Spread Love:
Above all the greatest character attribute that a Muslim must incorporate in his or her personality during the Holy month of Ramadan is the spreading of love. During Ramadan one needs to be loving and caring towards others as well as the people who are close to you. Help them, care for them, assist them, be charitable to them, listen to them, involve them, feed them, provide clothes to them, and give the message of peace and joy to all. The spreading of love and peace is the greatest of character attributes that a Muslim can incorporate and disseminate in Ramadan as it provides ample chance of being caring and loving.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, in addition to praying and fasting during the month of Ramadan, the month also serves as a training platform in which a Muslim can improve his or her character and rise to a higher pedestal of spirituality as well as greatness of character.
