Ramadan Is Not About Adding — It’s About Making Space

Before Ramadan arrives, we often add.

More food.

More décor.

More plans.

More expectations.

But Ramadan does not begin with addition.

It begins with removal.

Even food and drink are paused —

so the soul can finally be heard.

Allah already declutters for us:

• The doors of Jannah are opened

• The doors of Hell are closed

• The shayāṭīn are restrained

Ramadan teaches us the power of filters.

When the dunya decreases:

• Dhikr increases

• Hearts soften

• Taqwā rises

Ramadan is not about filling your life with more. It is about lightening what weighs you down — so your heart can rise.

1. Decluttering Physical Spaces

Ramadan is about making space.

Whenever you bring something new into your life — clothes, décor, kitchen tools — let something go to make space for it.

Practical Reflections:

New clothes for Ramadan or Eid?

Donate the pieces you haven’t worn in a year.

Clothes saved for “someday” — marriage outfits, post-baby pieces, “just in case” items — often occupy more mental space than physical.

If something good sits unused while you chase something new, ask yourself why.

Refreshing your home?

Remove excess décor. Simplicity brings calm — and calm makes space for dhikr.

Stocking up on food?

Buy with intention.

Food expiring while others are in need is not abundance — it is distraction.

Cluttered drawers and papers?

When everything is layered, even the valuables get lost.

Ramadan teaches clarity.

2. Decluttering Emotional Hoarding

Zuhd is not only material — feelings also take space.

Sometimes what clutters us most is not what we own, but what we replay.

Ask yourself:

• Am I replaying old conversations?

• Am I holding onto hurt and calling it strength?

• Have I forgiven — but continue to rehearse the memory?

Zuhd here means:

• Not extracting the memory again

• Not feeding it

• Not hosting it

The feeling may knock — but you do not have to invite it in.

Ramadan pairs fasting with swallowing anger, forgiving, and releasing. This is purification of the heart.

3. Decluttering Comparison & Expectations

One of the heaviest forms of clutter is comparison.

• Measuring your worth by someone’s lifestyle

• Mentally listing what others own

• Expecting people to behave according to your internal standards

Zuhd teaches:

• Appreciate people for who they are, not what they have

• Value character over possessions

• Release expectations — because expectations exhaust love

When expectations drop, relationships breathe.

4. Decluttering Daily Habits

Greed does not always look dramatic.

Sometimes it looks like overfilling.

• Endless scrolling

• Saying yes to every gathering

• Filling every quiet moment with noise

Ask yourself:

Is this adding value — or adding noise?

Ramadan naturally reduces distraction:

Less food → hunger awakens

Less dunya → more dhikr

Less noise → more taqwā

5. Decluttering Responsibilities

Zuhd is also prioritisation.

Not everything deserves your energy.

For example:

• A mother exhausting herself with tasks while emotional presence drains

• Doing everything alone and collapsing under the weight

Physical tasks can be delegated.

Emotional presence cannot.

Zuhd is not neglect.

It is wisdom.

It means letting go of what someone else can do — so you can do what only you can.

6. Decluttering Inner Judgments

Sometimes we do not crowd our homes —

we crowd our hearts.

• Judging people by what’s in their hands

• Allowing resentment to spread

• Letting one frustration poison many relationships

Bitterness spreads like fungus.

Cut it early.

Zuhd here means:

• Swallowing anger

• Forgiving quickly

• Choosing ihsān

7. Making Space for Allah

Allah already declutters Ramadan for us:

• Shayāṭīn restrained

• Desires disciplined

• Routine disrupted

So we can:

• Feel Allah

• Hear ourselves

• Return sincerely

When the heart is not crowded, love becomes pure.

Ramadan is not about losing.

It is about choosing what deserves to stay.

Reflection

What will you remove this Ramadan so your heart can breathe?

Declutter — and watch Allah fill the space with barakah.

May Allah grant us hearts that are light, uncluttered, and filled with love for Him alone.

Āmīn.