SET YOURSELF THESE GOALS THIS RAMADAN.

Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims.
Fasting is one of the five fundamental principles of Islam.
For many of us, we start Ramadan with a hopeful list of goals and achievements we want to complete by the month. Yet, it's also common that we might fail to achieve some of these or realize midway that we've given ourselves an insurmountable task. And sometimes when we fail to accomplish those goals, it makes us more discouraged to continue.
To help you along in your journey, here are some simple goals you can set for yourself this Ramadan!
Remember to start your Ramadan with clear niat (intention) and pray to Allah that He will give you the strength to carry out your goals

1. Read the Quran after every prayer.

A common goal for many Muslims is to be able to finish reading the entire Qur'an within the month of Ramadan. However, if you're not confident you don't have to start there right away! Abdullah Ibn Masud narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever reads one letter from the Book of Allah will earn one reward thereby. One reward is equal to ten rewards the like of it. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Meem is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Meem is a letter.” [Tirmidhi]

Take some time after each prayer to read a few ayats of the Qur'an. It can be just 1 ayat, or a whole surah at a time, but as time goes on these small efforts will help build your confidence and comfort.

2. Do small acts of charity.

During Ramadan, many of us do acts of charity to give back to our community as well as show gratefulness for what Allah has given us.
So while you may be stuck at home, you can still reach out to do good for others. Whether that be sponsoring meals for those who need it, donating to fundraisers for illnesses or other causes, or even just checking in with your older neighbors to see how they're doing.

3. Memorize 4 new Surahs.

Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites.
Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you've started, you'll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following weeks.

4. Go to Tarawih prayers

Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan's blessings. Don't miss it this year.

5. Stop backbiting.

It's hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone's upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn't the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build ourselves spirituality, we've got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.

6. Forgive everyone who has hurt you

Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it's also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah's forgiveness, shouldn't we lesser beings forgive too?

We have 30 days of Ramadan to get as many blessings as we can from this holy month. No matter how big or how small your goals and to-do's may be, so long as you stick to them and do them with good intentions and a desire to grow closer to Allah through them, you will surely be rewarded at the end of the day.