What Journaling Throughout Ramadan Has Taught Me

A reflection on the significance of journaling throughout Ramadan and what it has taught me

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. Today’s piece will be a reflection on my Ramadan, as the last 10 days of the Holy Month have begun, and how beginning journaling has helped me heal and become more in tune with my faith. I’m really excited to get into the piece so let’s begin!

I’ve been meaning to journal for a while and thought Ramadan would be the perfect month to start. I decided to invest in The Self & Faith Journal from Al Emaan Co. and I don’t regret my purchase one bit. The journal is deemed as a unique take on improving your Deen (meaning ‘faith’) and mental health altogether, asking poignant questions throughout the journal about the relationship you have with yourself and others, but most importantly the relationship you have with Allah SWT. I couldn’t recommend this journal enough for my fellow Muslimahs who may be struggling with their mental health as it really helps you ponder and reflect upon yourself but also improve your faith immensely whilst tackling these heavy feelings on your heart.

The Self & Faith Journal

The journal is split into three chapters, displaying the three months taken from the beginning to the end of your journaling journey; Self-Perception (which I have taken this Ramadan), Self-Awareness and Self-Development. Within these chapters, there are sections which ask the significant questions about how you perceive yourself, how others perceive you and how you may be perceived in the eyes of Allah, and little nuggets of wisdom from the Qur’an and Hadith reflecting on each of these things throughout.

I can only say these questions have really helped me look more inward to myself and how my own actions and perceptions have impacted my outward relationships with others. These are the five takeaways that I have learnt whilst journaling this month:

Healing is never linear

I know this is a very cliché saying that people say on their growth journeys but it couldn’t be more true in my eyes. Healing definitely has its ups and downs. Some days you might be feeling great about yourself and others your world may come crashing down. I wish healing was linear but without the chaotic ups and downs, we would forget to look more inwardly at ourselves and how we play a huge role in our own suffering. I’m grateful for what I’ve learnt so far and can only hope the trajectory is more upward from now on.

Writing out your feelings is better than venting to others

A controversial take but something I feel very deeply and personally. It might just be me putting my walls higher as my trust has faltered lately but I’ve learnt that not everyone is your ‘friend’ after all. As a girl who is highly sensitive and empathetic, I truly believe my kindness has been taken advantage of one too many times by people who I thought were my ‘friends’ once upon a time. I’ve learnt it’s best to have 2-3 close friends and keep in touch with a small circle whom you find trustworthy, otherwise everyone else is merely just an an acquaintance on your growth journey. Therefore, writing/journaling your feelings out is better than confiding in those who you don’t trust completely.

Bottling up your feelings is never worth it

Something which I’m still very much learning myself. Bottling up your feelings and then letting it blow on something really small is never worth it in the long run. I really find this impacts your mental health negatively as bottling up your numerous, overwhelming emotions all in one then turns out to harm yourself and others around you. Therefore, whether it be a poem, letter or journal entry or venting to a close friend, writing out these feelings are necessary. As I’m still learning this myself, I can honestly say it’s no easy feat but releasing anything out is better than keeping it all bottled in before you burst.

Journaling and prayer go hand in hand really well

As someone who loves her prayer a lot, journaling and prayer has been my ultimate combo this Ramadan. I’ve really learnt that venting to Allah in my prayer is the best means necessary as He works magically when you rant about whatever your worries are in life. With journaling alongside this, I find the combination to be relentlessly hopeful and full of joy. I feel like the pairing is amazing and I couldn’t recommend it enough. For my fellow Muslimahs who may be struggling with their mental health, I think this combination is wonderful and really puts your heart and mind at peace as you know Allah SWT is seeing and hearing everything you may be going through and He is sorting everything out in the background.

You can overcome anything and everything if you put your mind to it

Another cliché saying but something I truly believe and put into action in my everyday life. Being hopeful and positive is something which can only help you push forward in your healing and growth and knowing everything happens for the greater good. At first when all these overwhelming things happen to me, I do get afraid about if I’ll ever get out of my depressive rut but I’m slowly learning that everything happens for you, not to you. We may experience betrayal and heartbreak in our life, but this all happens to prepare us for a better outcome in our journeys. I’m really glad that I have this relentlessly optimistic outlook on life and it has helped me power through my darkest days and see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So these are my takes on what journaling has taught and helped me throughout the month of Ramadan. I hope this inspires you to take up journaling yourself and to my fellow Muslims, I hope these last ten days of Ramadan will be full of hope, joy and peace for you all inshallah and early Eid Mubarak in advance hehe.

Here’s a little Ramadan dump to finish off the piece:

Lots of love and hugs,

Halima <3