Work and other responsibilities may not allow much time to maintain a special Ramadan schedule of personal devotions, but try to use two brief yet profoundly opportune times to maximize your daily routine for felicitous dividends.

My wife’s eyes tear with talk of sighting the moon. My young daughters can’t wait for the thrill of it. My elder daughters feign a je-ne-sais-pas teenage indifference but the twinkle in their eyes tells another tale. I can’t believe how such a thin slice in space binds hearts together in such longing. These days, we can’t imagine a Ramadan without heading out to sight the moon.

The disruptive effects of Ramadan on our sleep pattern are well-known. Short-term spiritual adrenaline alone may help mitigate the effects briefly, but typically it is followed by a crash of fatigue, often at the times we want to be increasing our spiritual efforts. Persevering throughout the month requires us to take notice of our body’s needs so it can serve our spiritual needs better. Just as we should pay attention to when and how we consume in the month, we need to do the same with our sleep.

Ramadan this year is a spiritual P90x of sorts, taking our bodies and spirits to the limits. Most of us will be fasting sixteen-hour days in sweltering temperatures.

Ramadan is not just about giving more time in prayer and dhikr, but about giving more of your wealth and yourselves in order to build a better tomorrow. As Muslims, to enjoy a win for the “haves” is to accept a defeat for the “have nots.” And perhaps instead of talking about the spirit of giving, we should acknowledge more simply that the spirit of Islam is to give.

As we begin Ramadan, we ask Allah to give us the desire, and the energy with that desire, to behave and to do that which is most beloved to Him – during this month, after this month, and forever insha Allah ta'ala.

Has fasting [fill in number] Ramaḍāns in my life changed me? If not, why? The answers to these twin questions are my most important pre-Ramaḍān preparation.

Now that Ramadan is over, we need to focus on perhaps the most important item of all—istiqaama.

The summer Ramadans are special gifts, as these long days are much harder and therefore develop our character even more. We should be cautious not to squander this experience.