Ramadan and the choice for higher productivity

 

Muslims begin their annual fasting month today, abstaining from food and drink from dawn to dusk. But Ramadan is more than just fasting.

It is a holy month where good deeds can earn multiply rewards, and past sins are forgiven. Done right, Ramadan teaches the virtues of patience, tolerance, compassion, and moderation, among others.

In my experience, it can also be a period when individual productivity increases.

From young children to college students, the practice of waking up earlier than normal for Sahur (this happens between 4.30am and 5.30am) offers them several hours after that to work on their studies when their minds are fresh and alert.

Adults, meanwhile, tend to go to work earlier during Ramahan. They skip all the routine tea breaks and long lunches, and focus on the work at hand. In return, they also leave earlier, in time to stop by the many Ramadan bazaars that sprout up this time of year.

Some companies are aware of this trend and even adjust official working hours during Ramadan.

For those working in the service industry, adhering to the principles of Ramadhan means they should be more polite, patient and obliging than usual. As a result, overall performance should improve.

Of course, this is the ideal scenario and assumes that Muslims follow and take advantage of the opportunities that the holy month presents them.

In some cases, the opposite can happen.

Those who choose to go back to bed after Sahur might oversleep, wake up late and end up tired during the day. They would doze off during classes and meetings.

If they miss Sahur completely, they could be cranky the whole day due to their empty stomachs. That could lead to impatience and rudeness.

There are also those who perceive Ramadan as a time to naturally slow down (in school, work, and life) and expect others to accept it. This is a flawed argument, and ignores the historical evidence of great battles being fought and won in the fasting month during Prophet Muhammad's time. Imagine if they took things easy then!

The bottom line is that it's all about choices. How does one approach Ramadan? That is up to each individual Muslim to decide.

I wish everyone a blessed Ramadan, and hope we all make the right choices this year.