As a Muslim, there truly is nothing more beautiful than the month of Ramadan.

Fasting from sunrise to sunset does much more to the soul than just abstaining from all foods and drinks. It is a month of cleansing the soul and finding yourself in the right guidance to Allah (SWT) again and strengthening that connection.

There are many things that I absolutely adore about this month. One of those factors being that those who don’t always pray make more of an effort to pray during this month.

Those that haven’t felt connected to Islam genuinely try to regain the spirituality that was once with them and make it stronger than ever before. Also, the closeness of the families during this time never ceases to bring happiness into my heart.

The month of Ramadan contains the most memorable memories during my childhood. It would be a tradition for my dad and I to hang up lights and lanterns in our home to feel the festivity.

My mom would always have Quran being recited and we always made it a priority to finish the Quran in its entirety during this month. My sister and I would read stories of the Prophets and talk about Islam and set goals for what we want to strengthen/work on during this month.

The time of iftar, the breaking of our fast, during the Maghrib prayer, which is at sundown, we would all sit together at the dinner table and prepare for our first meal of the day. I'm still amazed that the struggles of no eating or drinking are surprisingly not as difficult as one would assume during this month. We have finally broken our fast, and now onto my favorite part of the day: Taraweeh.

Taraweeh, is a term that refers to the extra prayers that Muslims perform at night during the month of Ramadan. Every night I stand with my community, side by side to those individuals who share my same beliefs and values as we pray together. We stand as one. We all strive for the same thing.

The forgiveness of our sins and the closeness to Allah (SWT), as well as the strength to stray away from those that bring negativity into our lives.

The togetherness, closeness, purity, innocence, forgiveness, strength, and simplicity of this month are a few of the many factors that make the month of Ramadan the most beautiful month and makes me eternally grateful that I have been guided on the path of being a Muslim. Alhamdulilah and Ramadan Mubarak to all my Muslim friends!