So my computer situation is a bit inconsistent so forgive me for missing the first five days. In a nut shell though the first day was a day of pure questions and a bit of doubt for me. I didn't wake up for suhoor and I wasn't sure if i was supposed to start on that Wednesday b/c there is always some discrepancy with the sighting of the moon. International sightings take place and are often done according to the calendar but the local sightings are more reliable. I prefer to go off of the local sightings of the moon more than the calendar anyway b/c for one the Prophet Muhammad did it that way and didn't have technology as an aid. Two, it leaves no doubt or questions floating around about when to start or finish fasting for the month but lastly (this one is kinda funny) its usually always later than the calendar!!! That said I am glad I've gotten things rolling for the month and i'm looking forward to what it has in store for me.
Ramadan is a month of not only food deprivation but also a lot of other excesses like music, girls, tv, all of the things in this world that take time away from your time with your building a better relationship with your creator. So during this month you not only rearrange all of your eating habits but you also try to abstain from other things which are not totally beneficial to you strengthening your spiritual connection with Allah. The mandate of abstinence from food and women during fasting hours of the day i find really forces you to be more reflective of your actions and things that you don’t need during your day and helps you realign things so that you can focus and restructure yourself during the month and even after Ramadan is over.
I've decided this month to really raise my level of prayers and make extra prayers that I have not been doing well at for the past year. I've also decided to cut out music entirely which i have control of manipulating. I've decided to watch less TV although that is a pretty blurry line i've drawn. I've made it my goal to ready the Holy Quran in Arabic from cover to cover and then some if possible before the end of Ramadan and also read some more supplemental Arabic readings and prayers. If it sounds like a lot its probably a fair amount. But I know I can do it, it’s all just a matter of getting things around me organized and making a decision to cut out the stuff i don’t need no matter what. We are creatures of habit, but habits usually start with the decision to do it or acceptance of the act/habit.
So those are my goals but i have to admit the first few days I have not done a great job executing. I've done well cutting out the music and reading, praying most of my extra (sunnah) prayers but I have been cutting it kinda close on my readings. It is said that there are 3 phases of Ramadan and they are broken into 10 day periods: I believe the first 10 days are for Allah’s grace, the second 10 are for his mercy and the last ten are for his bounty. I am banking that Allah is graceful and keeps accepting my efforts and making them easier for me as this first 3rd of Ramadan goes along.
I have to define another word for you guys quickly:
Sunnah: This is an act or practice that the Prophet Muhammad himself performed under no obligation or order from Allah.
as Muslims these acts are not only strongly encouraged but frowned upon if not followed for good reason. Basically you want to try your hardest to do not only the obligatory acts but also the sunnah acts too.
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