How Da’wah Can Realign Our Hearts To Its True Purpose

Reconnecting with our purpose and renewing love for humanity

Ramadan does not arrive to change our schedules alone, it arrives to realign our hearts.

Every year, Ramadan comes as a reminder that life is not random, that we were not created merely to exist, consume, and pass time, and that our souls were not designed to live disconnected from their Creator. Yet many people enter Ramadan busy, distracted, and spiritually unprepared, hoping the month itself will do the work their hearts have not yet begun.

True preparation for Ramadan begins long before the first fast. It begins with remembering why we exist, who we serve, and how we are meant to view the people around us.

Remembering why we were created

At the core of spiritual preparation is clarity of our purpose. Without it, Ramadan risks becoming a routine rather than a transformation.

Allah reminds us that we were created to know Him, worship Him, and live in alignment with His guidance. When this purpose fades into the background, life becomes noisy and heavy. Ramadan restores focus, strips away excess and places the heart back in front of its Lord.

Preparing spiritually means asking honest questions. Why do I worship Allah? What does obedience mean in my life? What am I chasing that will not follow me into the Hereafter?

When our purpose becomes clear, fasting is no longer just hunger, it becomes devotion.

Softening the heart before the month arrives

Ramadan is a month of mercy, but mercy settles best in a softened heart.

Hardness of the heart does not always come from sin alone. It often comes from distraction, constant noise, unprocessed pain, and emotional exhaustion. One of the most important preparations for Ramadan is slowing down enough to feel again.

This may mean increasing quiet moments with the Qur’an, sitting with sincere du‘a, or simply reflecting on where the heart has become numb. A softened heart is more receptive to guidance, more present in worship, and more affected by reminders.

Ramadan does not soften hearts automatically. It responds to hearts that are ready.

Relearning how Allah sees humanity

One of the greatest spiritual lessons Ramadan teaches is how to see people.

The Prophet ﷺ was not sent with indifference toward humanity. He was sent with mercy, concern, and deep love for people’s guidance. He grieved when they turned away, not because his ego was rejected, but because their souls were at risk.

Preparing for Ramadan means purifying how we view others. It means replacing judgement with compassion, frustration with patience, and superiority with humility. When we remember how lost we ourselves are without Allah, it becomes easier to want guidance for others rather than distance from them.

A heart that loves Allah naturally begins to love His creation.

Renewing sincerity in worship and da‘wah

Ramadan exposes intentions.

Acts of worship increase, words become religious, and outward actions look righteous. But Ramadan also quietly asks a difficult question. Who is this for?

Spiritual preparation requires sincerity before visibility. It means checking whether our fasting is about discipline or devotion, whether our recitation is about reward or relationship, and whether our da‘wah is about Allah or our own sense of righteousness.

True sincerity humbles the heart. It removes harshness. It makes a person gentle in speech and generous in interpretation. A sincere heart wants guidance for people, not arguments against them.

Developing a heart that wants guidance for others

A sign of spiritual maturity is when concern for others becomes sincere rather than performative.

Wanting guidance for people does not mean feeling responsible for outcomes. It means feeling connected to their humanity. It means recognising that confusion, disbelief, and sin are not proof of moral failure, but often signs of distance from Allah.

Ramadan is a month where empathy grows naturally. Hunger reminds us of need. Thirst reminds us of dependence. Night prayers remind us of vulnerability. These experiences should expand the heart, not shrink it.

A person who emerges from Ramadan more compassionate is closer to its purpose than one who merely completed its rituals.

Allowing the Qur’an to reshape the heart

The Qur’an was revealed in Ramadan, not as background recitation, but as guidance that reshapes how we think, feel, and respond.

Spiritual preparation means approaching the Qur’an with openness rather than familiarity. It means allowing its verses to challenge assumptions, soften resentment, and reframe priorities. The Qur’an reconnects the believer to reality as Allah defines it, not as the world presents it.

When the Qur’an settles in the heart, love for humanity grows naturally. Guidance becomes something we hope for others, not something we weaponise.

Practical steps to spiritually prepare for Ramadan

Spiritual readiness grows through intention and action. Below are practical steps that help align the heart before Ramadan begins.

Begin making du‘a now for acceptance, sincerity, and transformation, asking Allah to allow Ramadan to reach your heart before it reaches your calendar.

Reconnect with the Qur’an slowly and intentionally, even if only a few verses a day, focusing on understanding rather than speed.

Reduce unnecessary noise, whether through social media, constant entertainment, or draining conversations, to allow space for reflection.

Repair relationships where possible, as resentment hardens the heart and blocks spiritual growth.

Renew concern for humanity by making du‘a for guidance for people you know, people you struggle with, and people you may never meet.

Clarify your intention for Ramadan by writing or reflecting on what you want this month to change within you, not just what you want to complete.

A final reflection as Ramadan approaches

Ramadan is not a performance. It is a return.

A return to Allah. A return to purpose. A return to compassion.

When we prepare our hearts properly, Ramadan transforms us from the inside out. It deepens our love for Allah and softens our hearts toward humanity. It reminds us that guidance is a gift, not a trophy, and that the greatest success is leaving Ramadan with a heart that wants goodness for others as much as it wants it for itself.

May Allah allow Ramadan to reach our hearts before it reaches our days, and may He make us people who love His guidance enough to want it sincerely for all of humanity.