IslamiCity
Listen PodCasts, Live Quran, Watch Videos @VideoHub
Ramadan does not arrive unannounced.
Allah, in His mercy, gives us time. Months. Signs. Gentle warnings and quiet invitations. And yet, every year, the same sentence is repeated by countless hearts:"I wasn't ready."
This lack of readiness is not a failure of Ramadan.
It is a failure of preparation.
In Islam, preparation is never accidental. Revelation itself was preceded by years of spiritual refinement. Likewise, Ramadan is not meant to be entered abruptly-it is meant to be approached intentionally. Resetting before Ramadan is not optional; it is prophetic.
Many people treat Ramadan as an annual event rather than a divine opening. They focus on fasting schedules, meal planning, and night prayers-while overlooking the state of the heart that enters the month.
But Ramadan is not merely about restraint from food and drink. It is about exposure. The Prophet ď·ş taught us that actions are judged by intentions, and Ramadan magnifies whatever already exists within us.
A distracted heart enters Ramadan distracted.
A disciplined heart enters Ramadan transformed.
Ramadan does not create character-it reveals it.
Sha'ban is one of the most neglected months in the Islamic calendar, despite its immense spiritual weight. The Prophet ď·ş fasted more in Sha'ban than in any other month outside of Ramadan. When asked why, he said it was a month people overlook, and a month in which deeds are raised to Allah.
Sha'ban is not a warm-up month.
It is a strategic month.
It is where habits are softened, intentions are clarified, and hearts are recalibrated. Those who ignore Sha'ban often struggle in Ramadan-not because Ramadan is difficult, but because they arrived unprepared.
Preparation is mercy. Neglect is self-inflicted hardship.
The Qur'an itself teaches us that divine revelation is preceded by readiness.
The first revelation did not descend upon a heedless heart. It descended upon the Prophet ď·ş after years of solitude, reflection, moral excellence, and withdrawal from the noise of society. The cave of Hira was a space of preparation before divine speech.
Allah does not overwhelm hearts.
He prepares them.
Ramadan follows this same divine pattern. When we rush into it without resetting our habits, schedules, and intentions, we resist the very wisdom Allah placed in the calendar.
In Islam, intention transforms ordinary actions into acts of worship. Planning for Ramadan-setting spiritual goals, reducing distractions, adjusting routines, and making space for the Qur'an-is not a lack of reliance on Allah. It is obedience.
The Prophet ď·ş planned. He prepared. He was deliberate.
Intentionality before Ramadan is not about perfection. It is about presence. It is about deciding, before the moon is sighted, that this month will not be consumed by the same patterns that consumed the rest of the year.
Because habits don't disappear in Ramadan.
They are exposed.
Ramadan is a mirror.
It reflects our discipline, our sincerity, our relationship with the Qur'an, and our ability to guard our time. Those who prepare experience Ramadan as nourishment. Those who don't often experience it as exhaustion.
The difference is not the length of the fast.
It is the state of the heart.
The hearts that prepare-receive the most.
Resetting before Ramadan is not about doing more. It is about doing what matters with clarity and intention.
Sha'ban is your invitation.
Preparation is your responsibility.
Ramadan is your opportunity.
Do not wait for the first night of Taraweeh to decide who you want to be this Ramadan.
Prepare now-so that when the month arrives, your heart is already home.
For Kids - https://media.islamicity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ramadan_Kids_Vision_Board.pdf
For Adults - https://media.islamicity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ramadan_Adults_Vision_Board.pdf
How to Offer Eid Prayer
