Ramadan Tips from NAML's Muslim Legal Journal!

By Editorial Board of The Muslim Legal Journal

The Muslim Legal Journal’s Editorial Board would like to wish our community a blessed Ramadan. In celebration of the holy month, please find below some tips for how lawyers, law students and others can make the most out of this blessed month.

Setting the Intention

In an effort to maximize your ibadah (servitude) this Ramadan, take a minute to reflect on your previous Ramadan(s). Assess what went well for you and what you wish you could have done more or differently. Doing so will put you in a good position to make the most of this Ramadan. For instance, if you found yourself missing prayers, you can rework your schedule to ensure that you are praying all of your fard and sunnah prayers on time. The same follows if you aspire to, for instance, finish Al Quran during the month. Additionally, maybe you wished you made more sincere tawba in previous Ramadans. Having made this reflection, you can start Ramadan this year with the intention of making more tawba and in sha’ Allah you will find your tongue uttering words of repentance throughout the day. May Allah (swt) accept your fasting, prayers, and all of your good deeds during this holy month.

• Sherry Assi, Muslim Legal Journal Copy Editor and 1L at Boston College Law School

Embracing the Struggle

The sacred month of Ramadan brings not only the directive to fast but also the opportunity to refine our actions and intentions for the sake of Allah. We read in the Quran, “We will surely test you with something of fear, hunger, and loss of wealth, life, and fruits. Give glad tiding to those who patiently endure” (2:155). It is imperative as Muslims to respond to every challenge we face with beautiful patience, and the trials of hunger and thirst we experience while fasting are no exception. To help in this endeavor, I would like to share a short list of the many virtues and benefits of fasting/hunger as compiled by Imam al-Ghazali in his book Reviving the Sciences of Religion. He teaches that hunger can serve in:

1. purifying the heart, which ignites creativity and facilitates inner vision;

2. softening the heart, which prepares it to realize the sweetness of intimate discourses with God and to be affected by His remembrance;

3. breaking and humbling the soul, removing the hubris, giddiness, and intemperance, which constitute its excesses and heedlessness of God;

4. remembering the trials and torment God can expose us to;

5. crushing one's lusts and appetites to achieve mastery over the soul and this is the greatest benefit;

6. repelling sleep and facilitating nightly devotions and worship;

7. making easy consistency in worship.

• Hamid Bazaraa, Muslim Legal Journal Copy Editor and 1L at the University of Wisconsin Law School

Maintaining Energy

I love making a healthy vegan protein shake for suhoor that will keep me full and energized throughout a long day of fasting while working. I highly recommend doubling the serving size of the protein shake scoop and blending it with a plant-based milk. Depending on what flavors you like, you could add a tablespoon of seed or nut butter and fresh or frozen vegetable ingredients like kale or spinach for extra protein and vitamins. Choose any of your favorite fruits that can also blended in fresh or frozen, such as bananas, peaches, or berries. For omegas, add a tablespoon of hemp, chia, and/or flaxseed. If you love the taste of a chocolate milkshake, then add a tablespoon of cocoa powder. The fruits will naturally enhance the flavor, or you could add a sweetener like one fresh medjool date with the seed removed, of course! Get spicy with your favorite flavorings including vanilla, chai, cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice. This nutrient-packed protein shake will be sure to help you last all day until it is time for iftar after Maghrib.

• Sarah El Ebiary, Muslim Legal Journal Editor-at-Large, IP Lawyer, and Founder of the Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Egypt

Planning Ahead

Schedule and calendar your Ramadan. If you plan to attend Jummah or taraweeh or itikahf (or InshaAllah Eid), put it in your work calendar and let your teams know ahead of time so everyone can plan ahead. If you know that late morning or early afternoon is the sweet spot for work on a day of fasting, schedule your work meetings accordingly. Rather than trying to fit time for ibadah around your work schedule (or vice versa) and potentially dropping the ball on both, integrate them into one schedule so you can focus on work or ibadah at the times you've set aside for each without getting stuck toggling back and forth or ruminating on one when it’s time for the other. (And remember that even your work can be an act of ibadah if done with the right intentions.) For me, that means letting folks know I'm not going to be available after Maghrib during Ramadan, pushing meetings to later in the morning, and scheduling my vacation for the last 10 days/nights and Eid.

• Hafsa S. Mansoor, Muslim Legal Journal Managing Editor and White & Case Litigation Associate

Maximizing Your Commute

One of my favorite ways to maximize my efforts during Ramadan is to make the most out of my commute to school. Whether you’re commuting to school, work, or an iftar gathering, the few minutes you spend traveling on a daily basis can be an opportunity to bring you closer to Allah. I recommend spending your commute listening to an informative podcast. In doing so, you’ll spend your daily commute learning something new about Islam or reinforcing Islamic principles you’ve previously learned. My favorite podcasts to listen to during Ramadan include Yaqeen Institute’s Qur’an 30 for 30 series and Muslim Central’s podcast episodes with Mufti Menk.

• Sanaa Ghanim, Muslim Legal Journal Editor-in-Chief and 3L at SMU’s Dedman School of Law

Sharing Information with Your Colleagues of Other Faiths

Finally, consider sharing some Ramadan guides (like here, and here) with your colleagues to raise awareness of the month; these may be particularly helpful to attach to emails in which you may request accommodations during Ramadan.

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May Allah enable us to experience this Ramadan with a heightened level of spirituality. May He reward our efforts this Ramadan with His Generosity and forgive our shortcomings with His Mercy and Grace. And may He empower us to embrace every challenge we face in this life with patience so we may be amongst those who receive the glad tidings of our Creator. Ameen.