Learning from the Blessed Month
One of the beauties of Ramadan is that it is packed full of opportunities for deep life lessons. Instead of worrying over how you'll maintain all of your homeschool tasks during the month, you can choose to let go and allow Ramadan to be your family's teacher instead.
Fasting
Ramadan is the month of fasting. We fast to worship Allah, to come closer to Allah, and to be more mindful of His presence in our lives. Fasting also helps us teach us to be more conscious of:
our relationship with Allah
our time and how we spend it
our consumption of food, media, and ideas
addressing our vices and shortcomings
having empathy for those who have less than us
being an active member of our community
Time at the Masjid
A great way to learn from Ramadan is to dedicate time as a family for attending the masjid. In the time of the Rasool, peace and blessings be upon him, the masjid was not simply a place to pray but it served as a community hub for learning, meeting, political discussions, and so much more. Try creating a family plan for learning from the masjid by:
attending a halaqah
attending Jummah and Tarawih prayers
participating in the youth group
attending Qur'an classes
hosting or contributing to community iftars
getting involved with service activities
becoming members and taking part in community meetings and decisions
learning from Ramadan courses
praying janazah for the ones who have passed
Sadaqa Projects
Ramadan is a time when the reward for good deeds are multiplied many times over and during this time sadaqah projects can be a huge source of life-long family lessons and serve as a way to gain better understanding of:
the specific needs of our community
the struggles and plights of different populations
injustices around the world
the impacts of natural disasters and generational poverty
the importance of caring for our environment
resource and infrastructure management
empathy and compassion for others
Quran Reading
Ramadan is known as the month of the Qur'an, and for good reason too. Simply reading and reflecting upon Qur'an has endless benefits and lessons for our families. Try creating a family plan for connecting with the Quran this Ramadan. You can try:
studying in-depth on a specific surah or juz
reading together a set amount each day
listening to tafseer from your favorite scholar
sharing nightly stories from the lives of the Prophets mentioned in the Qur'an
starting a Ramadan Qur'an pod with your homeschool besties
reading the word to word translations to help learn new Quranic vocab
The options are endless for Ramadan learning. Each year it comes, it brings with it new lessons for all of us. Letting Ramadan be your family's teacher can be a meaningful and deeply gratifying experience. The key is not allowing all of these ideas, or any other ones that you come up with, to overwhelm and exhaust you. Choose just one area, or even just one item, that resonates and aligns with your family's goals this Ramadan and maximize it, and may Allah accept it from you, ameen.