tranquilart: 5 Ways To Maximise Ramadan By Serving Others

Friday, July 27, 2012

5 Ways To Maximise Ramadan By Serving Others

There is a wealth of material online which can help provide many ideas on making your Ramadan spiritually more uplifting. My piece here is a tiny addition to all the wonderful stuff that is out there.

Many people cannot fast. There is a whole catergory of individuals who do not fast and this is available through the links above. When we generally think of an individual who cannot fast due to health reasons who do we think of? Someone in a hospital bed with machines all over them? A diabetic? Or someone with kidney failure? Or someone receiving chemotherapy? It seems that some of us think that you must be quite poorly (physically) to be considered exempt from fasting. However, the wisdom in Tradition allows a whole host of different illnesses to be considered valid conditions for not fasting. Sometimes fasting may be delayed until the individual is feeling better, but other times the individual may have a continuous health condition meaning they will not make up those fasts.

Some people who are not fasting may appear healthy-looking with a lot of energy but removal of food and drink would not be conducive to their wellbeing. It is important never to question the sincerity of an individual who is not fasting, for that is between them and God Almighty.

The Tradition teaches us that the Prophet Alaislam was the most kindest person and he was even more generous in Ramadan. Serving others is one unique way in incorporating this characteristic into our lives. Here are some things you may wish to consider if you are not fasting to help maximise your day:

1. Housework

Helping an individual who is fasting can really be appreciated, especially given the length of the current fasts. Help with housework chores including cleaning and preparing food can go a long way. This would be particularly welcomed prior to the end of Ramadan when Eid preparations begin and the house can do with a good ole scrub!

2. Clear out

I have written before about doing clear-outs for charity here. It really is a fantastic way to combine both helping others aswell as letting go of possessions and taking a few steps towards freeing yourself from material chains.

3. Child minding

As more children are on holidays this Ramadan, this can cause additional work for families in terms of feeding them and keeping an eye on them. Children can consume more energy in the holiday season because they get bored so easily and are always on the look-out for fun activities. You can volunteer your time to assist in this process by spending some time with children on a worthwhile activity.

4. Gardening

People who have gardens to take care of will know how keeping on top of it all can require a considerable amount of time and energy. Weeding itself can be very time-consuming. With all the rainfall we have had, many people's gardens have not maintained a good shape. Helping someone with regular maintenance (even a few hours per week) can contribute significantly in reducing the workload they have. If you know of people with allotments, then you can volunteer to assist with that too. Gardening in the summer can be very testing as the heat can cause dehydration - a fasting individual would be unable to have regular drink breaks. Any help therefore would be great.

5. Shopping

Who enjoys shopping on an empty stomach? We don’t but we must get in essentials! Helping someone by doing their shopping for them can save them valuable energy, time and unnecessary queing!