By this point, there are dozens of Instagram reposts, and online articles floating about telling you how to make the most of Ramadan. And – while this is amazing – it can feel a little overwhelming and you may still feel unsure of where to go from here as the month approaches.

If this is you right now – fear not! We've compiled a step by step routine on how to achieve a great Ramadan.

It's good to note that this routine is more of an outline that you can adapt along the way, depending on your personal affairs.

Let's Get Into It! 😎

#1. Before Sunrise...

So it's that time of the night where you've pulled yourself up from bed and you're slowly walking down to the kitchen to make Suhoor (we know the feeling!).

Apart from spending that hour or so filling ourselves up in prep for the fasting day ahead – what else is part of the early morning routine?

  • Make sure you are fully hydrated – cut out the sugary drinks at this time and focus on your water intake as well as hydrating foods like fruits and veggie portions!
  • Make sincere intentions for the day ahead – Our Niyyah (intention) is the fundamental part of all that we do. Our intentions must be sincere and for the sake of Allah (SWT) as "actions are by their intentions..." (Bukhari and Muslim).
  • Ensuring you have a healthy Suhoor – Although the left over samosas from Iftar seem ever-so tempting, you may feel the consequences the next morning when you're feeling rather thirsty and sluggish!

#2 During the Fasting Day...

As the fasting day commences, it's common for people to get on with their normal tasks with work, studying, looking after the home and so on. But it's important that we try to implement our Ramadan routine to make the most of the day time.

Here's what you can do 👉🏼

  • Praying Sunnah prayers – While our daily tasks can be so demanding, dedicating a little extra time to each Salah time will leave a great feeling of accomplishment. Don't forget about the extra barakah your time will have!

Not Sure What the Sunnah Prayers are? Click Here! 👉🏼

At Fajr – two Sunnah rakah (units) are prayed before the two obligatory rakah.

At Dhuhr – four Sunnah rakah are performed first, followed by the four obligatory rakah, and ending with the two last Sunnah rakah.

At Maghrib – two Sunnah rakah after the obligatory Maghrib prayer.

At Isha – two Sunnah rakah performed after the obligatory Isha prayer.

  • Read as much Quran as you can – Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed, there is so much reward in reading it whilst fasting. Don't worry about your reading level – even picking up the English translation of the Quran and trying to read it has many benefits.
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Here you can find the Daily Ramadan Reading Schedule if you're looking to finish the Quran in 30 days.
  • Don't forget your dhikr – As easy as we find it to get up from our prayer mat as soon as we have finished our Salah, take a few minutes to stay put and recite dhikr (words of remembrance of Allah). Click here to find out about the easy dhikr for extensive reward!
  • Get all your university lectures / work tasks done 📚– Remember to be transparent with your uni or workplace and ask for frequent breaks for prayer. This will also help to break your fasting day up!
  • Take a Nap 💤 – With the night prayers and Suhoor times, our sleep will of course be more broken than usual. It's essential that we get enough sleep to make our days a little easier so make sure to take a short nap throughout!

#3 Before Sunset...

Iftar is fast-approaching and, as tempting as it is to sit and watch the clock (been there!), there is so much we can benefit from this time instead!

Here's What You Can Do 👉🏼

  • Make lots of dua before Iftar – The last few moments just before the fast opens is a great opportunity for your duas to be accepted and to ask for forgiveness.
  • Communicate with the family – Iftar time is a beautiful opportunity to ask family members about their day and make everyone feel included!
  • Eat in moderation – Ever heard the saying, "eyes are bigger than one's stomach"? Essentially, we think we can handle so much food because to satisfy our hunger but in reality, too much food leaves us lazy, tired and sluggish.
Your sunset Ramadan routine is a really important factor in how the rest of your evening pans out. If you eat moderately and keep your intentions sincere, you're likely to have a more productive night of worship 🤲🏼

#4 After Isha Salah...

Time to get yourself ready for Tarawih!

Whether your heading down to your local Masjid or praying at home, Tarawih prayer is an opportunity for sins to be forgiven, and also a really nice time to connect with members of your community!

After Isha, you should –

  • Keep yourself hydrated 💧
  • Spend some time with the family – play a family game or share beneficial knowledge with one another 👨‍👩‍👧
  • Have a rest between Tarawih and Suhoor 💤

#5 Last 1/3 of the Night...

Here's a Ramadan hack if you want to gain maximum reward and benefits from this holy month 👇

Wake up a little earlier than your usual Suhoor (around 3:30am UK time) and use these moments to:

  • Pray Tahujjud
  • Increase the time in each sujood
  • Make endless dua

Summary

And that's a wrap! We've put together an outline of a productive Ramadan routine to help you make the most of this blessed month.

Of course there may be parts of this routine that is subject to change – depending on your personal schedule – but we recommend trying your best to implement these habits as you go.

If you've benefitted from this article, feel free to share it with your nearest and dearest so they can also make use of this step-by-step routine 💓