To Create Or Contribute?
To Create Or Contribute?
Figuring out your role this Ramadan
Please pray that Allah grants our brothers and sisters who are suffering ease, and victory and that He replaces all they have lost with that which is better, Ameen. Please donate here: launchgood.com
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlah wa barakaatuh.
Trust that you're good, striving, and thriving.
As Ramadan approaches, I am in between feeling nervous and anxious at the same time. Like every other year, I am already worrying about whether I am doing enough. Interesting emotions for a month that has not even started.🤦♀️
This is not a new feeling and I have learned am learning to ‘combat it’ in different ways. Last year I centered myself with a verse and a different approach
This year, Alhamdulillah I just finished a mindfulness masterclass, something that has now become part of my pre-Ramadan prep, and the practices there are also helping me to stay grounded, as I slowly lean into the month ahead. May Allah bless us all to reach Ramadan.
Every Ramadan is different and our plans are usually determined by the phases of our lives that we find ourselves in. I was reviewing my 2023 Ramadan plan and it was interesting to see the changes I need to make to Insha Allah hit my goals this Ramadan. This simple activity also made me reflect on the different roles we can take on in Ramadan and I have broadly categorized them into two.
The Creators: Alhamdullilahi I know so many creators! I will loosely define them as people who create spaces, communities, platforms, and events to help people make the most of Ramadan. May Allah bless these people! Their hard work, commitment, and amazing creativity have helped many achieve their Ramadan goals and make the most of the holy month. They are dedicated to making things things easy for others while fulfilling their goals too. They have done the planning, resourcing and organization required, you just need to plug in and your goals become easier.
The Contributors: Then we have the contributors! May Allah reward them! They may not necessarily come up with the ideas but they make things work. They give the creators the support they need, they distribute the resources, they make Duas, and they help to bring projects to life. They play multiple roles and can be everything from runners, distributors, commentators, donors, supporters, volunteers, etc. Some of them we know, others we have never heard of, who just silently play their role in making sure the projects work. Some even go the extra mile to help individuals achieve their goals by providing them with personalized attention.
Both these people need each other for success to be attained. We need the first set to develop the projects in the first place and then we need the second to bring them to life.
I do believe that we will benefit from having more contributors so that we can pool resources and create a larger impact. But that is not what this is about though.
This is about your role this Ramadan.
I know for some, you might be used to being a creator, developing the best projects, organizing the entire thirty days, lining up activities, and making sure everyone has a productive Ramadan. This year though, you only can contribute. You can’t organize those events or create those planners even if you wanted to. Your life phase, health, work, etc. may have put you in this place and it is fine.
Being a contributor is a BIG DEAL!
I want you to know that Insha Allah, it will mean a lot in the sight of Allah. What matters is the sincere intention and your striving for His sake. Do not beat yourself up trying to do that which is outside your control. Instead, focus on the sincerity of your actions and try to do them to the best of your abilities.
If you are the one who is wondering what role to play this month. I hope I can convince you to be a cheerful and sincere contributor this Ramadan. Your skills and support will make a huge difference to the projects that exist.
To make this a little practical, these are 5 things you can do this Holy month as a contributor:
Raise Funds For Charity: Go beyond sharing the fliers this year and have one-on-one conversations with people to donate to a cause. Take your time to research the cause and the benefits of donating to it and reach out to people who will donate. Type out the account details for them and make the process easy for them.
Support Someone On Their Fasting Journey: Some people get overwhelmed during Ramadan. Check-in on them, send them supportive messages, listen to their challenges without judging them, and support them throughout the month with kind words, Duas, and encouragement.
Offer to wake someone up for Tahajjud/ Sahur: You will be amazed at what a struggle it is for many people to wake up early in the morning. I still have memories of a loved one who till he passed (May Allah grant him Al Jannah Firdaus) would wake everyone in his family for Sahur!
Volunteer At A Ramadan Lecture: Offer to be behind the Scenes and help with the tech stuff that people struggle with. You can also help with setting up, registration details, developing slides, and crowd management.
Offer Your Home As A Warehouse or Storage Facility For a Charity Organization: Storage is usually a huge challenge for people who are involved in Ramadan charity activities, if you have space for them to collect items, that will be great!
Drive someone to Taraweeh every night: Who does not love a good ride?
Babysit sit for a friend: I know mothers who usually want to go to Taraweeh but can’t because they do not have anyone to look after their kids. A great activity to consider on the days you are not praying is to help them babysit while they go to the mosque.
Okay, so they ended up being seven, Allahu Allam.
It is your striving and sincere intentions that matter. Whatever role you can play, do it to the best of your abilities, start with a clear intention, and ask Allah for acceptance.
This Ramadan ehn? We will all gain the full rewards of it,Insha Allah!
You got this💪💪💪
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
It is time to change your alternator!
My favourite Khateeb growing up was none other than the our legendary Imam Siraj Wahhaj (May Allah preserve him). I call him the Lion of the Pulpit. His ability to motivate, encourage and illustrate his points with analogies and examples was sensational. His charismatic style and fiery khutbahs were like receiving an electric shock at fajr time, springing you directly onto the Musallah.-
Insha Allah, this will be one of my homes this Ramadan! If you need the best , coolest, kindest and loveliest sisters from all over the world to share your Ramadan with, I highly encourage you join us. I am sooooooo excited! They raise the bar every year! Subhanallah!
What To Expect
This Ramadan, we are all ‘travelling’ to a super cool, good-for-your-soul destination called 'Barakah Blooms'!
Some of the cool spaces we have at 'Barakah Blooms' are:
- the nightly Quran Meadow (where we will recite 1 Juzuk of the Quran together, Asia and Rest of the World timings available)
- the Tahajud Terrace (where will come together every Friday and every night during the last 10 nights of Ramadan for Tahajud, also with Asia and Rest of the World timings available)
- the Olive Library (where we share several amazing resources to help you stay afloat even during the time of the month or when you find yourself experiencing mid-month Ramadan burnout!)
- the Champs Veranda (where we have short but impactful Zikir / Seerah and Live sessions with our teachers every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).
Registration closes today, so now is the time to join.
I struggled with which Ramadan prep video to add to this newsletter because there are sooooo many! Alhamdulillahi! So I just decided to put together a playlist instead. I pray that you find it beneficial.
Till next week in shaa Allah.
JazaakumuLlahu khayran.
We leave you in Allah's care,
One of us at Ibadahplug.