With Ramadan lower than per week away, now, in case you haven’t already, is the time to start out getting ready. For individuals who don’t know, Ramadan is the Muslim holy month the place Muslims (who’re in a position) quick, or abstain from meals and drinks, from dawn to sundown; sure, earlier than you ask, even water.
As school college students, most of us might be spending this Ramadan away from dwelling and household. It’s a very totally different expertise than previous Ramadan’s the place you might be continuously surrounded by family members. Regardless of the adjustments that include growing older, listed below are just a few ideas that will help you take advantage of this blessed month.
Discover a group
Spending Ramadan by your self is usually troublesome and creates the right recipe for disappointment. This yr, discover a group inside the College of California, Riverside (UCR) campus and even simply the Riverside group. Attend a UCR Muslim College students Affiliation (MSA) occasion; they typically host iftars throughout Ramadan for anybody searching for a meal to interrupt their quick whereas on campus. To remain updated with UCR MSA occasions, observe them on Instagram @msaucr.
As UCR college students, we’re very fortunate to have a masjid proper subsequent door to campus. The Islamic Heart of Riverside (ICR), positioned proper subsequent door to the UCR Plaza flats, is the right place to discover a group this Ramadan. Attend as many Tarweeh prayers as attainable, and when the Masjid is internet hosting an iftar, strive your greatest to be there. Ramadan is a month of devotion to your deen and rising nearer to Allah (God), so strive your greatest to go to the masjid as a lot as attainable.
Eat Suhoor
Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal eaten earlier than fasting, is a necessary a part of a profitable day throughout Ramadan as a school scholar. I do know it is rather arduous to get up effectively earlier than Fajr to make your self a meal, however consuming suhoor will provide you with the capability to take advantage of your time and provide the correct diet to be practical all through the day. Whether or not the suhoor is so simple as some fruits, dates and water or an entire meal, strive your greatest to eat one thing earlier than fasting time so your physique is fueled and prepared for the day.
To make your mornings slightly simpler, have some cut-up fruits and nuts readily available for a fast suhoor that you would be able to pop in your mouth 10 minutes earlier than Fajr. Or, if you’re searching for one thing slightly extra filling, strive meal prepping suhoor; for concepts on suhoor meal preps look to the tip of this text for a suhoor meal prep recipe. Most significantly, make certain to drink water; staying hydrated in Ramadan is essential, so chug as a lot water as you may earlier than Fajr so hopefully you gained’t be tremendous thirsty all through the day.
Plan your days and create a Ramadan routine
This yr, Ramadan is ready to start the night of March 10, throughout week 10 and finals week this quarter. Prioritizing your deen throughout examination season may be very arduous, particularly when the quantity of labor you must do outnumbers the variety of out there hours in a day. Due to how busy exams can get, you will need to plan your days accordingly and create a Ramadan routine contingent by yourself life-style.
Make it possible for alongside the mountains of learning and paper writing occurring over the past two weeks of the quarter, you might be additionally prioritizing your deen throughout this blessed month. It’s mandatory to search out the correct steadiness to make sure you aren’t falling behind in courses however you might be additionally taking advantage of your Ramadan. This month may be very brief and, earlier than you already know it, it’ll be over so strive your greatest to schedule your days round salah (prayer) and make time to learn the Quran and develop nearer to your faith and in your relationship with Allah (God).
Meal prep your iftar
Iftar is the meal usually consumed by Muslims to interrupt their quick following Maghrib (sundown) prayer. If you already know you might have class until 7 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday, or you already know you’ll not have sufficient time to make a meal earlier than Maghrib, be sure you are packing your self one thing to interrupt your quick with. This could possibly be one thing so simple as some dates and water, or as extravagant as an entire meal so that you can take pleasure in on campus. Attempt meal prepping iftars so you might have time to eat earlier than heading to the masjid. For a fast and straightforward iftar meal that can final you all week, take a look at one in all our recipe articles entitled “Ramadan Recipes: Vegetarian Moroccan Harira.”
Get your work finished earlier than iftar
We’ve all mentioned it earlier than, “Oh I’ll get my work finished after iftar,” and we’re all liars for that. By no means not as soon as has any of us ever studied or finished homework after iftar. It’s merely not occurring; you already know it, I do know it, so let’s all simply cease pretending and take a look at our greatest to get homework finished earlier than iftar time. Now that you would be able to’t eat throughout the day, you need to have extra time for homework anyway.
Night time time throughout Ramadan typically may be very busy, so let’s not waste the few hours between Maghrib and Fajr on homework. Schedule your life correctly and dedicate your evenings to praying Taraweeh on the masjid and going to Quiyams when attainable. Nights usually are not the time for that essay you set off for months; strive your greatest to get as a lot of your homework finished throughout the day so you may take advantage of your nights.
Ramadan Kareem everybody, hopefully the following pointers will enable you to maximize your time throughout this blessed month!
Suhoor meal prep recipes:
In a single day oats:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serving measurement: one; make as many as you need for meal prep!
Substances:
½ cup of rolled oats
½ cup of any milk of your selection
2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
1 tablespoons of chia seeds
2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, or any sweetener of your selection
Toppings could be no matter your coronary heart wishes, listed below are some choices to encourage you:
Sliced strawberries
Slices banana
Berries
Nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios)
Peanut butter
Cinnamon
Dates
Actually, anything you need
Instructions:
In a jar, add oats, chia seeds, some greek yogurt and your sweetener of selection. Afterward, add any toppings to the oat combination that your coronary heart wishes and prime all of it off along with your milk of selection. Combine effectively, add some extra toppings to the highest (in case your coronary heart wishes) and retailer within the fridge to be consumed for suhoors to return.
Egg bites:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Serving measurement: 12 servings (1 serving per egg used)
Substances:
12 eggs
1 to 1½ cups of cottage cheese (relying on how creamy you want)
1½ cups of any shredded cheese your coronary heart compels you towards
Seasonings to style (paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder. and many others.)
Toppings could be no matter your coronary heart wishes, listed below are some choices to encourage you:
Feta cheese
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Spinach
Onions
Sausage
Instructions:
Begin by prepping your whole toppings. If you’re utilizing recent greens, make certain to prepare dinner them earlier than including them to the egg bits, and drain all of the liquid from the greens to make sure the egg bites don’t get soggy.
In a blender (or bowl) mix the eggs, cottage cheese, shredded cheese and seasoning to style. Mix till clean.
Pour the egg combination into muffin trays (ideally silicon so it’s simpler to take away) about ¾ of the way in which to the highest and add toppings of your selection over prime of the egg. Be happy to be as artistic as you need right here, and take a look at making totally different variations of the egg bites so you don’t get tired of the identical egg flavors.
Preheat your oven to 325 levels and bake the egg bites in a water tub for about 30-35 minutes. Enable them to chill, and retailer within the fridge or freezer for as much as 5 days.
Reheat the egg bites within the microwave for the right fast and straightforward suhoor. Be happy to prime the cooked egg bites with any additional toppings or sauces you might have mendacity round.