Revitalizing Worship: Overcoming Routine in Ramadan

Originally Published: 22/06/2016

With half of Ramadan gone, does your worship feel routine and stale? Is feeling this way making you lazier and less excited about performing more acts of worship? Ustadh Salman Younas says this is not uncommon.

This is a challenge that every one of us faces when it comes to our acts of worship. As humans, we have been created weak, and part of this weakness is the fluctuations we experience in our states. Sometimes, we feel good, excited, and spiritually high; other times, we feel stale, lazy, and lacking in presence. Ramadan is no exception when it comes to this.
Before giving you specific advice, the first thing you need to recognize is that feelings are ultimately inconsequential. We worship because we believe God is worthy of worship. Whether it makes us feel good or excited is not the main focus. However, since these feelings become impediments to worship for most people, it is important to take concrete steps to overcome them when possible.
In this noble month, I would advise you to do the following to reignite the spark:

1. Renew Intentions & Seek God’s Aid

This may sound obvious, but it is not so for many people. When we begin to wane in our worship and do not feel the same presence we used to, it is an excellent time to pause, analyze one’s intention, and turn to God for assistance. Often, these states are sent precisely as a test to see whether we try to lift ourselves, turn to Him, and continue striving to do our best. So, perform ablution, pray two cycles, and renew your intention to be in the worship of God to the best of your ability.

2. Don’t Miss Suhur

This is one of the first actions people stop doing as Ramadan progresses. But suhur is not simply done to keep us somewhat satiated for the long day ahead. Instead, when done correctly with the right intention, it is a spiritual act that fills one’s day with blessing (baraka). As the Prophet (God bless him) said, “Partake in suhur for indeed there is a blessing in it.” [Bukhari, Muslim] Force yourself to wake up with some time to spare, eat a healthy breakfast, and engage in some worship – no matter how little – before Fajr. When you blessedly start your day, it will likely continue in that manner.

3. Freshen Up & Dress Well

If you’re at home, don’t lounge around in your nighties. This is almost asking to be lazy and unproductive. Stay fresh by taking a shower (ghusl) or, at the most minor, remaining on ablution (wudu’), keep yourself well-groomed, and dress well. Studies show that clothing can systematically influence an individual’s psychological processes and affect productivity. Additionally, taking care of one’s appearance is part of the sunna.

4. Change Up Your Worship

Breaking out of a stale state often requires modifications to one’s daily habits. If you are not finding presence in your supererogatory prayer (nawafil), try replacing some with the Qur’an or dhikr. Perhaps introduce some reading of tafsir or listening to a lecture by a scholar you enjoy. If you worship primarily at home, visit the masjid for spiritual upliftment; if you do dhikr in your room, go out for a quiet walk with your misbaha (prayer beads); if you usually pray by yourself at home, start praying with other family members.

5. Be Diplomatic & Balanced

The self (nafs) is not an easy thing to tame. Sometimes, we need to approach it diplomatically. Demand worship from it, but let it breathe a little bit. If it wants to check Facebook or Twitter or relax for a bit, then do so in moderation, but make sure you tell it to read some Qur’an or perform a few cycles of prayer afterward. As one of my teachers said, “Give your nafs what it wants from the halal and then take from it what you want from good actions and worship.” This will hopefully ensure that you don’t burn out. As the Prophet (God bless him) said, “This religion is easy, and none makes it difficult except that it will overwhelm him. So, perform your deeds properly and in moderation…” [Bukhari]

6. Good Company & Collective Worship

There is a reason why the larger community is so stressed in our tradition. Believers feed off each others’ states and push each other towards something higher than themselves. They uplift each other and motivate others to engage in the good. The mosque is a prominent place to meet others and engage in collective worship, but so is your home. Keep the Ramadan excitement going in your household by making the family have iftar together, praying together, watching your favorite lectures, going to talks/events, and visiting/inviting people over for iftar. The same can be done with your friends.
While several other points can be mentioned, the most important thing is to keep at it. Do not give up on your worship simply because you are not feeling it anymore. Rather, try your best and recognize that worship transcends the temporal feelings that we may experience. These ups and downs are part of the test that God has laid out for us to see who among us “will excel in good deeds.” (11 7). Hopefully, following some of the above points will reignite the excitement of worship. That is what we require at this point: a little spark that we can capitalize on to benefit from this month fully. And God alone gives success.

Ustadh Salman Younas