Among family members, mothers are the ones who have the responsibilities and duties.

Between her responsibilities towards her family, towards herself as a human being, and towards herself as a practicing Muslim, the mother is always struggling and fighting in order to manage her time and balance various responsibilities.

In Ramadan, time management becomes difficult for many mothers as they are supposed to compromise between household chores and Ramadan duties.

This compromising act includes a myriad of things, such as cooking daily Iftar and Suhoor meals, taking care of kids, cleaning, washing, and ironing in addition to performing required Ramadan rituals.

Doing all this may seem very hectic and exhausting, but when we think of it all to be kind of worship, it becomes lighter. With good intentions, standing for hours in the kitchen making food becomes more rewarding. For example, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Whoever provides the food for a fasting person to break his fast with, then for him is the same reward as his (the fasting person’s), without anything being diminished from the reward of the fasting person. (At-Tirmidhi)

Setting a daily routine can help in using time efficiently and take some of the stress out of life.

We spoke to many Muslim moms from different countries regarding this issue, and here is what they said:

Nesma Sayied, an Egyptian stay-at-home mom, said:

“Alhmdulellah, I do my best to be more organized in Ramadan by following a daily routine. After dawn prayer, I read Qur’an and dhikr for an hour, later, I take my morning nap. Between dhuhr and al Asr prayer, I finish household chores preparing Iftar, arranging my house, and teaching my children.

After Iftar, I prepare myself and my children for Isha’ and Taraweeh prayer, after that it is my free time to watch TV or read a book.”

Shenna lee, Executive District Manager for a Number One Global Health and Wellness Company, Canada, said:

“My Ramadan is going very well, Alhamdulillah. This year is quite different (due to COVID-19), but we are adapting. During the week, I continue my regular home duties as a wife/mom.

In addition, I am homeschooling my 3 school agers. We make sure to have daily outdoor play or tune in to an online exercise routine.

I also work from home as an Executive District Manager for a Number One Global Health and Wellness Company. Keeping a balanced schedule for me is a must. I love my agendas and calendar. It’s the only way I stay on top of everything whilst enjoying the blessings of Ramadan with my family.”

Nuraan Jonase, from South Africa, mom of two boys, said:

“I wake up early in the morning and do my house duties and when am done I take 2 hours rest, and wakeup again to recite my Qur’an, and my Tasbih, then I take a break to prepare Iftar after Duhr prayer.”

Sophiya, from Ethiopia, mom of three kids, said:

“Alhamdulilah now it’s a smooth schedule since we are all at home all the time almost. Basically, I believe it’s all worshipping, all the activities we do all day, I just recite more Quran and try to do dhikr while house holding. After finishing all household duties, I have one hour for myself, then I fill in my gratitude journal before sleeping to thank Allah for His blessings that He grants my every day.”

Sumayiah, from India, mom of two kids, said:

“This Ramadan is really difficult as I have a 3- month- old baby, therefore I cannot sleep well, I’m not feeling energetic enough, however, I do my best to organize my time especially in Ramadan. After Fajr prayer is the time to read Qur’an and Tafseer, then the whole day I perform Salah I’m able to do and dhikr.”

Moms from different countries and cultures all share the same duties and responsibilities and devote most of their time to their families, whether they work or stay at home.

Whoever can manage these duties and responsibilities must be a superhero – it would be impossible for the average person.

It is Allah who gives them strength and steadfastness.