During Ramadan, Muslims all over the world take the opportunity to grow closer to Allah (s.w.t), expand knowledge on Islamic teachings and make spiritual reflections. It is a special month where everyone sets out on a journey of personal growth ❤️
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But with Ramadan celebrated differently this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it means we’re all spending more time at home than ever. While that might dampen your spirits of the fasting season, the bright side of it is that you get to spend time with your family. So take the opportunity during this blessed month to do plenty of ibadah with them ?If you haven’t already, don’t worry! It’s never too late to start. We’ve rounded up a list of ibadah you can do at home with your family this Ramadan that’ll help you right out.
1. Read the Quran
In the month of Ramadan, one of the things that many Muslims strive to do is to recite the Quran. Some even make it a goal to complete the Quran within the 30 days of fasting. Whether you decide to take this on or not, simply reading the Quran with your family is a great bonding moment to have with them. Plus, it makes for a great source of spiritual healing and can calm your mind and soul, especially during this period.
Take some time after each prayer to gather in the living room, at the dining table or wherever that’s most comfortable to read the Quran. You can take turns reciting one ayah, one page or even just reading it on your own time - there’s no hard rule to this, so long as you do it together ?And if you’re not used to reciting the Quran, this will be the perfect chance to learn and let your family members guide you! Abdullah Ibn Masud narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Whoever reads one letter from the Book of Allah will earn one reward thereby. One reward is equal to ten rewards the like of it. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Meem is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Meem is a letter.” [Tirmidhi]
P.S. Another great way to incorporate the Quran into your routine is by journaling. Check out our guide to Quran journaling here.
2. Pray Terawih together
Terawih is a big part of Ramadan and performing it with your family is a great way to do ibadah together. And since congregational prayers at mosques aren’t possible at the moment, this is one way to make up for it. On top of being able to spend time with your loved ones, praying Tearwih at home also gives you more flexibility and ease with timing the prayers and recitations. Plus, you get to pray in a comfortable and familiar location.
For those of you who have not prayed Terawih before, you can start small with just 2 rakaat, which is the minimum for sunnah prayers. 8 or 20 rakaat prayers are usually performed in mosques, but any number of units observed is better than none after all! ?You can slowly increase the number of rakaats as you go along and soon, you might find yourself praying 20 rakaat without even breaking a sweat.
P.S. Learn more about how to pray Terawih at home by checking out our article here.
3. Perform jemaah prayers
Not just limited to Terawih prayers, you can also make it a point to perform your daily prayers together. One of the biggest blessings bestowed upon Muslims during the month of Ramadan is the observance of congregational prayers, so the opportunity of praying together is not lost especially if you’re living with your loved ones. There are plenty of benefits to performing your prayers as a group, one of them being that it’s 27 times more rewarding than performing a prayer by yourself.
صلاة الجماعة أفضل من صلاة الفذ بسبع وعشرين درجة
"Solat (prayer) in congregation is twenty-seven times more rewarding than a Solat performed individually."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim)1
4. Tune in to online lectures and podcasts, or read Islamic books
While the closures of mosques means we’ll be missing out on religious lectures, there are actually other ways you and your family can deepen your faith and knowledge of Islam. Thanks to technology, you’ll be able to find many asatizah in Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of the world conducting religious classes, lectures and Q&A sessions online (Check out this list of 8 free online Islamic classes compiled by Muslim SG!). Podcasts are also another popular alternative that you can turn to for learning more about Islam. Have every member of your family pick a topic they each like and put them on in the background as you break your iftar together each night.
P.S. For more options, check out these 12 Islamic online lectures and podcasts you can listen to this Ramadan.
5. Have sahur and iftar together
That’s right - something as simple as having sahur and iftar with your family is a form of ibadah you can do together. It may seem like an obvious thing during Ramadan, but there are moments where we tend to get caught up in a busy schedule and forgo the finer details like this one. Rather than having your glass of water ready on your desk, head to the kitchen and break iftar with the rest of your family. If possible, you can go one step further and lend a hand by preparing dinner! The same goes for sahur as well. Set a time when everyone is able to gather at the table simultaneously and have a meal as a family. Having company enhances your Ramadan experience and with the current situation that we’re going through, it makes everything feel a little less lonely ?
6. Learn new surahs
If you’re in the midst of learning new surahs to say during prayer, why not get your whole family to join in? By having someone by your side, it can make the memorization process go much smoother since they’re there to help you. Plus, there’s a sense of joy when you’re able to achieve something as lovely as learning new surahs together. Beyond strengthening your family bond, doing this benefits everyone in the long run as you can continue using the surah once Ramadan is over!
P.S. Not sure where to start? Here are 12 short and simple surahs to memorise during Ramadan.
7. Learn Allah’s name with meaning
Looking to gain more knowledge this Ramadan? Here’s something to add to your list: Learning Allah’s name and meaning. Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
“There are ninety-nine names of Allah; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise. Verily, Allah is Odd (He is one, and it is an odd number) and He loves odd number..” (Sahih Muslim Book-48 Hadith-5)
As one of the ways to get closer to God during Ramadan, there’s nothing more sacred and blessed than understanding the names of Allah and living by them. When you do it with your family, the exercise of learning becomes more enjoyable. We suggest using flashcards (with names on side and meaning on the other) so that you’ll be able to test one another easily and efficiently.
8. Work together to help others
With these unprecedented times, helping out the community around us has never been more important than now. And as we go through the fasting month, acts of sadaqah and charity makes it an even greater time for us to give back and help others. There are plenty of ways you can do so without leaving the house, and by making it a family affair, it makes the effort all the more special.
Sadaqah comes in various forms and Abu Dhar reported that the Prophet (pbuh) even said:
“Your smile to your brother is a sadaqah for you. Your commanding the right and forbidding the wrong is a sadaqah. Your guiding a man in the land of misguidance is a sadaqah for you. Your seeing (showing the way) for a man with bad eyesight is a sadaqah for you. Your removing a stone or thorn or bone from the road is a sadaqah for you. Your emptying your bucket of water into your brother’s (empty) bucket is a sadaqah for you.” [Tirmidhi]
P.S. Find out more ways you can give back by checking out our article here.
Ramadan this year may be celebrated differently than what we’re used to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still keep our spirits up! By performing ibadah with your family at home during this special month, it reminds us that no matter what situation we may go through, there is always a silver lining somewhere that can bring us hope, peace and blessings.