Why Am I Unable to Worship as Much as I Should in Ramadan?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
Before Ramadan started, I intended to make the most of the month, so I started reading the Quran more regularly and doing dhikr and voluntary fasts.
However, we are nearly halfway through the month, and I waste most of my day sleeping. I feel exhausted and want to be motivated to wake up early and do all the ‘ibada I had planned, but I am falling way short.
If Shaytan is locked up this month, what prevents me from good deeds and worship? Why do I feel lazy and find it hard even to pray? Please make dua that Allah guides me and accepts my Ramadan and ‘ibada.
Answer
Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your lofty intentions, and may He facilitate your matters for you.
Worship
Fasting and praying the obligatory prayers are the most important form of worship during Ramadan. Focusing on these would be sufficient for you. Contemplate this Hadith Qudsi:
Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said, “Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about (seizing) the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death, and I hate hurting him.” [Bukhari]
Consistency
The aim is to be consistent daily, even if the extra good deeds are few. The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “(…) The most beloved of deeds to Allah are the most consistent ones, even if they are few.” [Bukhari]
I encourage you to do worship that is great in reward but doesn’t require enormous amounts of time, such as giving charity and reading the Quran with the meaning, even a little. The Devil being locked up is not relevant to how much we can worship; his being locked up shows us who we truly are.
Please see these links as well:
Which Deeds Should I Prioritize During Ramadan?
How Do I Make the Most of Ramadan?
The Point of Worship in Ramadan [Video]
The Ramadan Reader: A Guide to Fasting, Prayer, Qur’an, and Spirituality in the Month of Ramadan
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
