Worshipping At Home

Even though many mosques have opened up, some of us may not attend large gatherings out of concern for our health or the health of family members. For others, going to the mosque may not be possible because of a restricting work schedule, having young children, or simply not living close enough to a mosque.

For those of us worshiping from home, how can we motivate ourselves to feel the spiritual high of Ramadan? By bringing the Ramadan “feel” to your home. Create a Ramadan home environment that appeals to all of your senses. Many of us do this already if we have children, but if we cannot be at the masjid this Ramadan, it’s important that we  do this for ourselves, too. Create a spiritual atmosphere within your home by trying some of the following:

Home Masjid

Make a physical space in your home where you will pray, read Quran, make du’a, and/or reflect. Have a Quran, thikr beads, du’a cards/journal/book, and prayer rug easily available for use.

• Mimic the masjid feel by ensuring that the adhan can be heard aloud in the house five times of the day.
• If you cannot attend prayer at the mosque, try to pray at the time of congregation according to your local masjid’s congregation schedule. Lead your family in prayer at these specific times.
• Choose a designated salah and consider having a daily family halaqa. This could entail listening to a short reminder by a speaker, or reading and reflecting on verses from the Quran or hadith.
• After salah, make a family du’a that verbalizes how much you miss the masjid, ask Allah to keep your heart attached to the masjid, and allow you to return sooner rather than later (For individuals with children, this serves to help model your love and value for the masjid, which we hope they will internalize).

Know that the masjid misses you as much as you miss it. It misses your Quran recitation, your sadaqah, and your presence. For more on this topic, check out this webinar by our very own FYI Community Educator, Duaa Haggag, about how to keep the masjid alive in our hearts during this month.

Jum’uah

Attending Jumu’ah can be difficult for mothers with young children or elderly family members. If you cannot be in the masjid on Friday, create a special routine for Jum’uah at home.

• Have a post-Jum’uah halaqa or listen to one of the many online lectures to maintain the connection.
• Pray outside if possible to feel connected to Allah’s creation.
• While you may not be able to physically go to the masjid for Jum’uah, you CAN complete the other sunnahs that the Prophet (S) practiced.
• If you’re not used to reading all of Surah Kahf on Fridays, start off by reading a few pages or read it together with family and friends (each person reading a section to the group).
• After Jum’uah is a time when many of us meet up and catch up with our family and friends. Host an in-person or virtual post-Jum’uah meetup with your family and friends so you can catch up with them.

Remind yourself of the blessing and rewards Jum’uah brings–even if you cannot be with the community.

Quranic Recitation

If you long to hear the Quran being recited, set that up in your space.

• Play your favorite qari’s recitation while you are doing chores
• Recite out loud
• Encourage your kids to recite out loud

Taraweeh Prayers

Revive the sunnah!

• Learn how praying taraweeh at home was how our beloved Rasullulah (S) and Sahaba prayed it.
• Embrace praying taraweeh at home. Consider it an invitation to spend alone time (khalwa) with Allah (SWT).
• Pray outside if possible to feel connected to Allah’s creation.

Check out the family bonding section of the toolkit for more about bringing the Ramadan feel to your home.

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