The seventh, eighth and ninth months of the Islamic Calendar year are 3 of the most important months for Muslims. Each month comes with its own special merits and recommended acts of worship, with Shahr Ramadan reaching a crescendo. The month of Ramadan is a marathon that one needs to train for. Just as we prepare for any other event in our lives, we need to prepare for the month of mercy. Keep reading to find out how you can boost your spirituality by doing the 90 days spiritual challenge in Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan.
The Spirituality Season – Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan
The two months preceding the holy month of Ramadan, Rajab and Shaban, are like the season of ibadah (worship), spirituality and training.
Rajab is a great month of Allah, unmatched by any other month in the respect and significance. Verily, Rajab is Allah’s month, Shaban my month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah1
THE Holy prophet (Saw)
We can see that Allah and the Prophet’s beloved months are placed before ours. This is so that we can use them to start preparing for the month that is for us, the month that is for the Ummah (community).
Surely, the number of months according to Allah is twelve (as written) in the Book of Allah on the day He created the heavens and the Earth, of which there are Four Sacred Months… So, do not wrong yourself therein…
QURAN – 9:36
This verse in the Quran tells us that from the Islamic Calendar, there are 4 months that are considered as sacred. These are Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qa’dah and Dhul Hijjah. In these months, you cannot oppress yourselves. Sins that harm the soul should be avoided, as everything is magnified in these months. Committing sins or evil deeds that harm the soul magnifies the extremity of it. And that’s the same for the good deeds that you do in these months – they are also magnified, and the reward is multiplied!
Preparation is Key for the Month of Mercy
When we have an important event coming up in our lives, we take time out from our busy schedules to prepare for it. If we are moving into a new home, we will spend months looking for furniture. If there is a birthday party coming up, we may start weeks in advance, searching for venues, caterers, etc. There is an immense amount of preparation and planning done for any occasion. So why is it that for the most important season in the Islamic Calendar, the chance to grasp Allah’s mercy and improve our nafs (self), we fail to prepare for?
Unfortunately, during the months of Rajab and Shaban, we are bombarded with Ramadan/Eid decoration ideas and become more preoccupied with planning for lavish iftars or Eid parties. There is nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, it is wonderful to celebrate these occasions and make it known to all that it is Eid within our households. But at the same time, we should not lose the opportunity that we are given within these months. The opportunity to prepare to be the best of God’s worshippers. The opportunity to form new habits.
Don’t just wait until Ramadan to improve your Spirituality
We usually wait until the month of Ramadan to improve our spirituality and our relationship with God. We almost undergo an immediate transformation as soon as the month arrives. It is usually the month that we will finally pick up the Quran, the month where we are in the state of fasting and therefore, refrain from lying or backbiting. Everyone mentions how they LOVE the Ramadan ‘feeling,’ the peaceful atmosphere, the spirituality and calmness it brings. What if I told you that you can have these feelings to stay? That you can make this state permanent? If we are truly serious about creating spiritual or religious habits that are there to stay, that is not just limited to the month of Ramadan, then we need to start developing them beforehand.
21/90 Rule: How to turn a Habit into a Lifestyle
We need to make sure that even before we enter the blessed month of Ramadan, that we have been working on building up and refining those good habits. Heard of the 21/90 rule? It is a popular method to build habits. The rule states that it takes 21 days to form a habit and 90 days to make it a permanent lifestyle change. Therefore, if we are truly serious about gaining closeness to our creator and seeing a spiritual improvement, we cannot depend on the month of Ramadan alone for this to happen. If we want to seriously work on becoming a better Muslim and seeing a difference, then we should start from now and use the months of Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan as a 90 days spirituality challenge.
About the 90 days of Spirituality Challenge – Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan
I am sure we have all seen the famous images or sayings about planting the seeds in Rajab, watering them in Shaban and harvesting in the month of Ramadan. This shows us that spirituality is a process. That is why we should treat these 3 months as a 90 days spirituality challenge. We simply cannot enter the blessed month hoping to reach a spiritual high for the long-term when no work has been done beforehand.
It is recommended to do as much charity, salawaat, istighfaar, prayers, fasting, acts of kindness to family and humanity at large this month, all with sincerity during the months of Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan.
These months should not be treated like the other months. We have so much opportunity awaiting us, it would be a shame NOT to grasp these countless blessings. Therefore, kick-start your spirituality by taking on the 90 day spirituality challenge to create a spiritual lifestyle change that is there to stay!
How to Start the 90 Days Spirituality Challenge – Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan
- Set the right intention that you are performing these acts of Ibadah (worship) ‘qurbatan ilallah’ for the pleasure of Allah. With a sincere and pure intention, iA you will be able to succeed.
- Choose a couple of actions from each category:
– For the Ummah (community)
– For the Dunya (this life)
– For the Aakhira (hereafter)
and write these down as part of your 90 days spirituality challenge - Plan out how you will go about in accomplishing each one.
Would it be something done on a daily basis or weekly?
For example, if you have challenged yourself to recite 100 salawaat in a day, you could do 25 when you wake up, 10 after every salah and 25 before you sleep. - Remember to start small and build it up gradually. It is all about QUALITY over QUANTITY. Observe your progress and do the best to your capability.
For the Ummah
- Giving charity
- Becoming an Eco-Friendly Muslim – see this post for ways to get started
- Check up on someone daily. Have a look at this post for inspiration on ways to practice selflessness. Like last year, we may not be able to see those familiar faces at the local community center during the month of Ramadan. How about giving them a call?
- Providing Iftar to friends, family and those who are in need
- Spending intentional time with family
For the Dunya
- Taking some time out for contemplation/meditation
- Start Quran Journaling – if you are a beginner, head over to this post on how to get started!
- Creating a prayer space! I have a dedicated post on how to create the perfect meditation/prayer space within your home here.
- Eating healthier and according to Sunnah. Check out this post for more information on how to lose weight through Islam and Sunnah.
- Nightly Self-Assessment / Muhasaba – which is explained in this post
- Eliminating or reduced time on non-essential electronic devices (such as movies, social media, video games etc.)
For the Aakhira
- Salatul Layl (Night Prayers)
- Completing an entire Quran over the 3 months of Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan. It can be difficult to complete 1 entire Quran on your own during the month of Ramadan, so how about reading a few pages daily starting from the month of Rajab.
- Sending Salawat on the Prophet (saw) and his family.
- Reciting dhikr/tasbih daily
- Seeking Istighfaar (forgiveness)
- Fasting. It is Mustahab to fast but there are certain days in the month that have been specifically stressed. These are the 13th, 14th and 15th of the month, also known as ‘Al-Ayyam al-Bayd’ (the ‘moonlit’ days)2
- “Whoever prays during the nights of “Ayyam Bayd”, stands at the door of superabundant favours, bounties and benefits available in these months” – Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (AS)
Rajab is the name of a river in heaven, which is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Whoever fasts in Rajab shall be able to drink from that river.3
IMAM MUsa al-kadhim (as)
I hope you benefit from the 90 Days Spirituality Challenge for Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan. May you gain from the rewards of the blessed months iA!
InshaAllah, by preparing from now and nurturing those habits, we won’t find it difficult to perform acts of ibadah (worship) in the holy month anymore as we would have established the habits previously. We would truly be able to benefit from Laylatul Qadr (night of decree) feeling more prepared than we ever did!
Are you taking the 90 days spirituality challenge? I would love to see your action plan! Share them over on our Instagram @balancedbayt, so that we can inspire others to join the challenge!
