Ten Ways Menstruating Women Can Benefit during Ramadan
Dread your period during the blessed month of Ramadan. Do you feel like you’re missing out on all the worship? Nour Merza gives women ten practical ways to benefit from this blessed month spiritually.
Every Ramadan, most women will have about a week in which they cannot join in the major religious practices of the holy month: fasting and praying. When their menstrual period begins, many women find their engagement level drops with the month’s high spiritual atmosphere. The same goes for those whose postnatal bleeding coincides with Ramadan. For many of these women, frustration and a sense of lacking spirituality set in. This, however, shouldn’t be the case.
Menstruation, postnatal bleeding, and other uniquely feminine concerns are all part of Allah’s creation, which He created in perfect wisdom. They are not a punishment for women wanting to draw near their Lord. They are just part of the special package of blessings, opportunities, and challenges Allah has uniquely given women. Refraining from ritual prayer (the salat) and fasting (the sawm) during this time is considered a form of worship, and if done with the intention of obeying Allah, it earns women good deeds.
To take full advantage of the blessed month of Ramadan, however, menstruating women and those with postnatal bleeding can do more than refrain from ritual prayer and ritual fasting to draw near Allah. Below are ten ways that women unable to fast can boost their spirituality during this particular month.
1. Increase the Remembrance of Allah
In the Hanafi school, it is recommended for menstruating women to make wudu, wear their prayer clothes, and sit on their prayer mats while doing dhikr during the time they would typically be praying. This would be especially good to do in Ramadan, a time of particular focus on worship. In addition to the adhkar that are well-known sunnas – such as subhan Allah, alhamdulliLlah and Allahu akbar. If you have a litany from a shaykh and can repeat it more than once a day, try to do it twice or thrice for increased blessings. Dhikr has a special way of touching the heart, and by invoking Allah’s names whenever you can during this unique month you create the space, insha Allah, for beautiful spiritual openings. See The Effects of Various Dhikr – Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad.
2. Increase Supplication
Supplication (dua) is something we do very little of these days, but speaking directly to your Lord is one of the most intimate ways to connect with Him. The beauty of supplication is that you can make it anywhere or at any time. Take this opportunity to ask your Lord for all that you need in your life and to draw near Him by repeating the beautiful supplications of the Prophet. Allah bless and give him peace, or reach out to Allah with your own words. See: Ten Powerful Duas That Will Change Your Life
3. Feed Others
Whether it be your family, neighbors, community members, or the poor, use the time you are not fasting to make meals that fill the stomachs and souls of those around you. Recite the peace and blessings (salawat) on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while making the food, as this also imbues the food with spiritual benefit. Consider sponsoring iftar at your local mosque one evening with other women in your situation or volunteering at a local soup kitchen.
4. Gain Islamic Knowledge
Use the extra time and energy you have from not fasting and praying to increase your knowledge of the faith. Listen to scholars discussing timely issues on our SeekersGuidance podcasts, form a small circle of non-fasting women who can commit to reading a book on Islam and discuss it together, or take some time to read articles on the religion from trusted online sources, such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s blog or Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad’s article collection at masud.co.uk. See also: Importance of Intention in Seeking Knowledge.
5. Increase your Charity
Countless blessings surround us, so spread those blessings during Ramadan. Give money to a good cause, such as supporting Syrian refugees, helping a poor local family with school fees, or supporting students of Islamic knowledge through SeekersGuidance. In a very busy world, we may have little opportunity to give our time to help others in charity – giving money takes minimal time but brings great benefit. See Eligible Zakat Recipients, Giving Locally vs. Abroad, Charity to a Mosque, and Proper Handling of Donations.
6. Make Your Responsibilities a Form of Worship
Sometimes, women are overwhelmed by the responsibilities of the home and young children and cannot make time to study or sponsor an iftar. In these circumstances, renew your intention regarding your role as a mother and a wife. See these demanding and time-consuming roles for what they are: responsibilities that you are fulfilling to please Allah, which makes them a type of worship. Ask Allah to accept all your work as worship and approach all you do this way. This will make even the most mundane of tasks, such as changing another diaper, cleaning up another spilled cup of apple juice, or making another dinner, a way for you to gain the pleasure of your Lord. See: Balancing Worship and Caring for a New Child.
7. Listen to the Qur’an
Although the Hanafi school holds that women cannot touch the mushaf or recite the Qur’an while experiencing menses or postpartum bleeding, they can listen to the recitation of the Qur’an. Doing so offers many benefits in a month that puts such a heavy emphasis on reciting the book. You can take special time out of your day to listen to it, such as while children are napping, or you can listen to it while cooking or cleaning the house. See also: Listening to Qur’an While Occupied With Other Tasks
8. Increase Repentance
Ramadan is an excellent time to increase repentance to Allah. Use moments when others are praying or breaking their fast to ask Allah to forgive you and your loved ones and to keep you from returning to sin. All we have is a gift from Allah, so even forgetting that for a moment is a deed worth asking forgiveness for. Know that Allah is the Forgiving, and trust that, as our scholars have said, the moment you ask for forgiveness, you are truly forgiven. See also: Damaged Inner State? Imam Ghazali on Repentance
9. Babysit to Help Mothers Worship
Mothers with young children often find it difficult to go to the mosque because they worry their kids will disturb others praying. Since you don’t need to be at the mosque, volunteer a night or two (or more) to babysit the children of a young mother who would love to go pray tarawih. If you have young children of your own, you can tell the mother to bring her kids to your house before the prayer. By helping this woman worship, you will gain the same good deeds she gets from going to that prayer. See: I Love Being A Woman.
10. Spread Love and Light
Use the extra time and energy you have to share the joys of Ramadan and Eid with your non-Muslim friends, peers, and neighbors. Invite a work colleague for an iftar, make a special Ramadan dish and give it to a neighbor, or make special cookies or gift bags for peers at the office or school to hand out during Eid. By sharing these happy moments with friends and colleagues in the non-Muslim community, you counter the negative narratives about Islam in the media. More than that, however, you become someone who creates bonds in an increasingly isolated world, reflecting the beauty of the Prophetic light to all those around you. See: How Can Muslims Become More Effective Community Members?
