During Ramadan, most of us change our normal day-to-day routine and adapt to it as wholly as we can, to reap the benefits of this blessed month.

But do we limit ourselves to a particular structure during Ramadan? It is said that the benefits are endless, so there is no end to the good that we can achieve in this month, and even beyond.

Besides, you’d be surprised how much time we spend eating and drinking; there is a lot of time to be filled with good deeds in this month, so let’s get cracking!

You’re at school or work, and lunchtime just rolled round. Obviously, you’re fasting, and the canteen isn’t much use to you right now, so what do you decide to do? We have put together a few ideas to help you out.

Let’s call it “Happy Hour” shall we?

A timely opportunity
(Pray your Salaah on time)

Depending on when it’s allocated, this hour could be the ideal opportunity to perform your Zohar (or in the case of evening workers, Asr) prayers. You could even request the hour to be split so you can pray each on time if your study time or work hours cover these periods. A lot of schools and workplaces offer a prayer room, and if not, find out how to go about requesting one. This would benefit you every day and not just during Ramadan. Remember, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Read all about it
(Recite)

Most of us recite the Holy Qur’an in Ramadan but do we actually know what we are saying? When we read a book at school, we understand what we are reading and can picture this in our imagination. So why not read the translation of the Qur’an and find out what it is you’re reading?

And for you tech geeks out there – there must be an app for this, right? Find out more about Islamic apps here.

You learn something new every day, don’t you?
(Knowledge base)

You could utilise this time to practise your religion, learn things you never knew or even share what you have learnt and already know. Knowledge is widely accessible in this day and age, with a wealth of information available online – use this to your advantage and learn. Keep a record of things you have discovered, or even better, create a shared knowledge base.

There’s no ‘i’ in Team… Wait! Hang on a second!
(Teamwork begins with one person)

If you are at school, chances are many of your friends are fasting along with you. You could arrange a study group between yourselves, or even arrange competitions with a prize incentive for the winner.

Perhaps you could use this hour to pray and learn together while still having fun. You could then arrange a day, post-Ramadan or Eid, to announce winners of the competitions and dish out prizes. Or how about donating the prize value towards a charity campaign of the winner’s choice? The reward for charity is increased significantly in Ramadan after all. There is no better gift than those blessings that money can’t buy.

Remember, don’t hang around and wait for others to initiate it, take the initiative and begin with yourself … Now you’re also thinking “i” could stand for Islamic Help, right? Genius.

Study buddy
(Group study)

You could split into teams and each study a particular Islamic topic of interest. You can then portray what you have learnt on paper. You could do this by way of drawing pictures, writing, diagrams, etc.

Each team can then relay what they have learnt to the opposite team, and educate each other on their findings. You could end up with a rather interesting debate too!

Picture perfect
(Islamic games)

Invent an Islamic version of Charades or Pictionary. Who knows what you might learn or pick up? There’s always something we don’t know. This could also be perfect for the younger kids.

As a matter of fact…
(Keeping them in the loop)

You could create a fact sheet for those around you to give them an informed idea of why you are fasting and what they need to know. While you are researching for it, you might even find yourself picking up a few new facts you didn’t know. Fact sheets can be handy for teachers, fellow pupils and colleagues.

Muse and meditate
(Self-Reflection)

Self-reflection is a humbling process. Keep a day-to-day journal throughout the month of Ramadan; note how you are feeling, what good deeds you may have done, what prayers you have completed, and what you have learnt. You can then reflect back on this and see how much of a significant difference the month of Ramadan and fasting can make to humble your mind, your spirit, and your soul.

Aim higher
(Set personal goals)

Nobody’s perfect, right? Most of us wish we could be better at something or other. We often feel we could be better Muslims. Well, why stop there? Let’s do something about it! Jot down a list of things you think would make you a better Muslim, or even things you feel you could brush up on. Do something that makes you feel good about yourself, help out at your local mosque, or even volunteer for a good cause with Islamic Help. Good intentions begin with our own betterment.

Fail to plan and plan to fail
(Personal Ramadan planner)

-Fast? Check.
-Salaah? Check.
-Donate to charity? Check.
-Fitrana contribution on time? Check.

We all seem to settle into a new routine during Ramadan. How cool would it be to have a checklist, or better yet, a personal timetable for this month? You could include suhoor and iftaar times too, according to the Ramadan Timetable. Even better, you could use your happy hour to create this timetable!

Make the most of Ramadan 2015 and join Islamic Help in our bid to make the world a better place. Browse our newly designed website, take a look at our current campaigns, and enjoy the benefits of Ramadan this year.

Together, we can attempt to reverse a lifetime of shortcomings in just one month.