Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam and is a very spiritually significant time in the Islamic calendar. It is a time for Muslims all over the world to reflect, give and fast to grow closer to Allah (SWT) and strengthen their faith. This vital month provides believers with an opportunity to pray more and seek forgiveness for past sins, creating a powerful way to purify their hearts and souls. The busy month is packed full of acts of worship for every Muslim, as it is a time to practice the core values and achieve the Five Pillars of Islam. The month particularly focuses on fasting and giving to charity. If Muslims correctly observe this month, they can gain immense blessings with a promise of divine forgiveness and redemption.
As Ramadan is a very significant time of the year for Muslims that involves a lot of spiritual practices, it is important to be fully prepared. Ramadan in 2026 will soon be here, so it’s extremely important for believers to begin thinking about the holy time and start getting prepared for it. But what is the best way to prepare? Explore how you can get ready for this holy month in Emaan Relief’s guide to Ramadan and start your preparation as early as possible.
Many people wonder when the Ramadan 2026 start date is because every year the holy month starts on a different date. Because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, unlike the Gregorian calendar, dates vary for every month in the Gregorian calendar. Ramadan in 2026 is expected to begin on the evening of the 17th February, meaning the first full day of the month will be the 18th February. However, this is subject to moon sightings, so this date can change and isn’t set in stone yet, until the new moon is sighted.
Being prepared for Ramadan in 2026 is extremely important because it allows you to properly observe the holy month and maximise the rewards the month brings. If you’re not prepared physically, mentally and spiritually, you won’t be able to accurately observe the month, and you can struggle. You need to be ready for everything the month requires of you to strengthen your faith, connect closer to Allah (SWT) and embrace true devotion to Islam.
Preparation isn’t just about knowing the dates of the holy month and getting everything you need ready. It is also about planning ahead and shifting your usual routine around to accommodate acts of worship. The main act of worship that Muslims must adhere to in this month is abstaining from food and drink in daylight hours. This means that your body needs to be ready to fast, and you need to get in the right mindset. You will also need to accommodate breaking fasts after sundown and eating before sunrise (Suhoor and Iftar meals), which can change your typical routine. This may require you to change your schedule around and think about activities you may not be able to do due to lower energy levels, such as working out.
You will also need to be prepared for spiritual reflection because Ramadan is a time to look within and improve yourself through increased worship. This means you need to start getting into the habit of increasing your acts of worship to be able to dedicate yourself to prayer, reflection and other acts of worship, like charity. It also helps you to spend even more time in devotion to Islam during Laylat al-Qadr (the last ten days of Ramadan), which is very important because during these days, the Night of Power occurs. The Night of Power is when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and is a time when Muslims can gain even more rewards of immense spiritual value, providing them with rewards that are greater than a thousand months.
When it comes to how to prepare for Ramadan, Muslims all over the world need to think about preparing their mind, body and soul for the holy month. You need to be physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually ready to carry out true devotion during the month and maximise the blessings and rewards. It is easy to only prepare for fasting in Ramadan, but this isn’t the only focus and aim of the holy month. There is also a focus on improving your connection to Allah (SWT), working on yourself to refine who you are as a person and purifying your heart and soul. See how you can best prepare for Ramadan in 2026 and start your journey to fulfilling the sacred month as early as possible to make it easier for you to spend your time devoted to Islam.
Before Ramadan begins, the best way for you to be prepared is to spend more of your time doing acts of worship. Firstly, you need to make sure that you carry out all of your five daily prayers. As life can be hectic and fast-paced, it’s easy to struggle to do every mandatory prayer in the day. So, if you’re stuck in a routine of not completing your five daily prayers, it’s best to work on this and get yourself back to carrying these out every day before the holy month. This will make it easier for you to stick to the five daily prayers during Ramadan because it will become routine again. On top of this, you need to start increasing your prayers since Ramadan is a time to spend in prayer as much as possible. Try to offer extra voluntary prayers (Nafl prayers) before the holy month to prepare your heart and mind for the discipline of obligatory prayers. This includes praying the Sunnah prayers, particularly before Fajr, as well as the night prayers (Tahajjud) if possible.
It’s also good to plan acts of charity to increase your rewards and achieve a core value of Islam. You should donate Zakat (mandatory charity) and Sadaqah (voluntary charity) during this month to gain immeasurable rewards. For you to be able to do this, you should set donation funds aside and choose a trustworthy organisation, like Emaan Relief, to send your contributions to the needy.
You should also spend time seeking forgiveness from Allah (SWT) for past sins. This is best done in the month before Ramadan, so make a note to remind yourself. Doing this allows you to reflect on your actions and repent sincerely. It provides you with a chance to ask Allah (SWT) to purify your heart and help you be spiritually ready for Ramadan.
To prepare for Ramadan in 2026, you need to purify your heart and mind to be fully ready for the spiritual month. You should start by removing any negative emotions and habits to cleanse your soul. Ramadan is about cleansing the body and the soul and requires you to spend time in dedication to Islam. You can’t truly devote yourself if you’re holding onto grudges or negative feelings. Reflect on your grudges, jealousy, hatred or anger and ask for forgiveness from those you love whom you have these feelings for and from Allah (SWT). Within this, you need to begin avoiding gossip, backbiting and idle talk to ensure that you aren’t tempted to carry out these negative habits during the month.
You should also increase your remembrance of Allah (SWT), known as Dhikr, through reciting praise of Allah (Tasbih), sending blessings on the Prophet (PBUH) (Salawat) and seeking forgiveness (Astaghfirullah). Doing these keeps your heart calm and connected to Allah (SWT).
Before Ramadan, it is best to set your spiritual goals to help you have a clearer objective for the month and achieve strengthening your faith and spirituality. To do this, you need to plan for acts of worship during Ramadan. Plan out your time to make sure that you can dedicate as much spare time as possible to engage in acts of worship. You need to set aside time to pray, recite the Quran regularly, make dua (supplication) and give to charity.
Right before Ramadan begins, set clear intentions (niyyah) on how you want to grow spiritually during the month and say them to Allah (SWT). Your goals could be to read a specific part of the Quran, pray more, perform acts of charity or even improve yourself.
Your body has to be ready for Ramadan for you to be able to fast properly, without struggling too much, and get used to your new schedule. Getting your body fully prepared beforehand will make the month much easier to adjust to and less taxing on your body and mind. You should adjust your sleeping and eating schedule according to the times of Ramadan to get your body used to the new routine you will have for the month. It is best to gradually adjust your sleeping and eating patterns rather than just suddenly changing them, so you don’t shock your body. Start to go to sleep earlier and wake up early, eventually waking at the time Suhoor (the meal before sunrise) starts. Try to reduce what you eat and have lighter meals during the day to prepare your body for fasting.
Now, you may wonder how to prepare for fasting in Ramadan. The preparation you do for fasting is different to the spiritual and mental preparation. It is essential to prepare your body for Ramadan fasting to prevent your body from struggling during the holy month. To be fully ready to embrace fasting during daylight hours, you can:
Try to fast at least once a week in the lead-up to Ramadan to get your body used to abstaining from food and drink during the day. This will make it easier when Ramadan begins and make it less taxing on your mind. It is Sunnah to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, so it’s ideal to choose one of these days.
You need to put your health first before Ramadan to ensure that you are as healthy as you possibly can be before taking on the challenging month. This involves adjusting your diet and sleep schedule to ease yourself into the transition of Ramadan. Eat smaller, healthier meals and try to slowly cut down your sugar and caffeine intake. You should also remind yourself to stay hydrated to prepare your body for the long hours of fasting.
Make a regular exercise routine that suits you and also considers your fasting times, so that you can get in the best health and shape possible and continue to prioritise exercise during Ramadan. Exercising daily helps to get your body ready for fasting so that it isn’t as difficult. You can adjust the exercise times for after fasting or find exercises you can do as you are fasting during the day.
Ramadan is a month for togetherness. Plan family activities to do during the month. This could be preparing meals for Suhoor and Iftar, attending community prayers, or hosting Quran study sessions.
Use our guide to Ramadan to help you be prepared for the holy month and embrace every act of worship that is required to strengthen your faith, connect closer to Allah (SWT) and earn immense rewards. This guide will make sure that your body, mind and soul are fully ready to embrace the month and make it easier to find the time to dedicate yourself to Islam and adjust your schedule and body for fasting. As charity is a huge part of Ramadan, take a look at our appeals today and find out how you can donate to Emaan Relief.
