British Bengali Dina launches planner to help with the month of Ramadan.

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

As Ramadan approaches, Muslims worldwide engage in preparations akin to the anticipation and goal-setting that mark the start of a new year. Just as individuals set resolutions and intentions for personal development, planning for Ramadan involves thoughtful considerations, reflection, and the establishment of habits conducive to spiritual growth.

For the past three years, Dina Aziz, a 25-year-old British Bengali influencer, has been curating a Ramadan Planner each year to help individuals set their goals efficiently and reflect on the month using each sector of the religion to make the most of their time.

The inspiration to create the Ramadan Planner stemmed from Dina’s experience in 2019 during her second year of university. A close friend of hers had just converted to Islam, and Dina noticed her friend struggling significantly during the month of Ramadan. After creating the first edition of the planner for her friend, it was shared with peers and friends, quickly reaching Dina’s family and friends and later social media. Around 1.5 million impressions were made on Twitter alone, showcasing the significant impact such resources can have on the community.

Through this experience, Dina realised the vast difference between growing up in a Muslim household and being completely new to the faith during Ramadan. This realisation prompted her to develop a comprehensive Ramadan planner to help guide and support those born into Islam and those recently embracing it through the holy month.

Much like the New Year, Ramadan invites Muslims to set meaningful goals for self-improvement. These goals may encompass various aspects, including increased devotion to prayers, acts of charity, or personal character development. Reflecting on the past year’s spiritual journey provides a foundation for setting realistic and achievable goals tailored to individual aspirations.

The planner employs practical strategies like goal-setting, habit stacking, establishing prayer routines, and memorisation techniques to help individuals and families embark on a purposeful Ramadan journey fostering spiritual growth.

Looking ahead, Dina aspires to create additional planners beyond her successful Ramadan edition. She plans on developing planners specifically focused on the pilgrimages of Hajj and Umrah to support Muslims in fulfilling those sacred obligations.

However, Dina’s vision extends beyond just religious planners. She also intends to design general productivity planners for university students, teachers, and working professionals. These versatile planners would aim to help people across various walks of life efficiently organise their schedules, set goals, and cultivate positive habits in their daily lives and work environments.

Ramadan Planner: A guide to reflection and growth during the holy month by Dina Aziz is published by Century, a division of Penguin Random House and can be purchased from all major platforms, Waterstones, Amazon, bookshop.org, Sainsbury’s etc.