65 / 124
With Ramadan just about here,
HEALTH
discloses some
of the top mistakes many people make unknowingly
in Ramadan and how to rectify these.
Mistake 1: Not Eating Suhour
Many of us just can’t stomach the thought of
food so early in the morning and will skip
Suhour altogether. However Suhour is a true
representation of the spirit of Ramadan and
if we observe Suhour, we are most likely to
be observing the dawn prayer and serve our
Creator.
Mistake 2: Focus on Meals
So many of us pull out the cookbooks and
gather recipes for the purpose of recreating
delicious dishes for Iftar. Yet the eating
modestly when we open our fast is both
physically and psychologically healthier. If
we look at the meaning of Ramadan and act
accordingly, we remain congruent physically,
psychologically and also spiritually.
Mistake 3: Fasting Goes Beyond
Abstaining From Food
From gossiping to lying, fasting without
behavioral or mental change is similar to
a diet. In this case, we are not gaining any
spiritual benefit and missing the point of
Ramadan entirely.
Mistake 5: Fasting But Not Praying
During Ramadan we need to remind ourselves
of the meaning and purpose of fasting. A
major part of Ramadan is prayer which is our
commitment to our God so fasting and prayer
together serves the core purposes of self-
improvement and spiritual strengthening.
Mistake 7: Fasting Is Not Dieting
If we use Ramadan as a glorified diet, we
actually change the premise of why we are
fasting. The point is to serve our Creator not to
lose weight or serve our vanity. This can also be
physically harmful as after the daylong fast, if
we are dieting, we may continue to restrict our
food and in this climate we can really damage
our bodies.
Mistake 4: Lavish Iftar Parties
Some of us break our budgets trying to
out-do our friends with the vast number of
dishes served in an elaborate Iftar party. We
should avoid being lavish as these behaviors
do not demonstrate we are living the spirit of
Ramadan. Instead spend exorbitantly in charity
to keep in the spirit of Ramadan.
Mistake 6: Over-Sleeping
Some individuals switch timings to
accommodate the day of fasting and instead of
using their valuable time during the day, simply
switch off the fast by snoozing. Sleeping away
the fasting hours is an avoidance of the trials
of Ramadan and when we actually mindfully
experience Ramadan; its spiritual rewards help
us to manage the physical hardship.
Mistake 8: Correct Your Behavior
From smoking to over-eating, Ramadan
is an excellent time to note your negative
traits and qualities and try to change these.
Note these traits down in a journal and
work towards slowly making a change in a
more positive direction.
63
May/June 2015