Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

18 February 2026

4-minute read

Losing her beloved disabled son Yusuf at the age of 25, Fatima Talia, a businesswoman, author of the book Children’s Stories to Treasure, poet, and playwright experienced a lot of pain and trauma. In her search to heal herself, she became a certified transformational life coach, thereby helping individuals heal from hurt while maintaining emotional and mental wellbeing.

“Ramadhaan can be a catalyst for change for many of us,” she says, and it is possible to start Ramadhaan with strength, intention, and consistency without falling into spiritual burnout. Islamically, you can create new habits and eradicate bad ones in a period of 40 days. “You will achieve what you look for,” maintains Fatima.

Understanding how to pace ourselves spiritually is essential if we want Ramadhaan to be meaningful, sustainable, and uplifting from beginning to end. At the beginning of the month, motivation is often high, and we set big goals for worship and self-improvement. But without balance, that strong start can sometimes lead to exhaustion, guilt, or discouragement.

Strong and sustainable can happen with intention and a bit of planning. Think about what you want to do differently this Ramadhaan and plan for the desired outcome. Start small and build up to where you want to be. Chart down the bigger plan. If you over-extend, you overwhelm. Create a structure and stay within it. “It’s about mind over matter,” says Fatima, so trust that Allah will give you the strength to fulfil your intention.

Being alive for another Ramadhaan is a blessing from Allah. Going into Ramadhaan without a game plan takes away your sense of purpose and does not allow you to create personal energy. Do things differently by starting with a positive mindset, Fatima advocates, so that your emotional stresses do not overwhelm you. “Your thoughts are your powerhouse for your energy.” Ramadhaan is the perfect time to realign your mind, body and soul.

The difference between healthy spiritual ambition and burnout in the making boils down to mindfulness over mindlessness. If your plans don’t materialise, don’t give up, because “failure is feedback.” Take time to reassess your goals, step back, and know that even if you didn’t achieve what you set out to do in Ramadhaan, you will still be rewarded for your intention. It may even be an opportunity to continue that action after Ramadhaan.

As a life coach, Fatima says that mindset shifts help people pace themselves during an intense spiritual period like Ramadhaan. Pivot towards strengthening your spiritual connection to Allah. A wall is built one brick at a time, so if you want to build a habit, attach it to something you’re already doing, and “lean into your pivot”. Tweak and customise your goals to suit yourself and the routine you already have in place.

To pace yourself, especially as a wife and mother, build consistent worship habits instead of doing things in overwhelming bursts. There are many forms of ibaadah that can be tied into your daily routine, like doing things with love for your family. Put Allah as your compass and Islam as your framework. Islam should be taught from a base of love and not from a paradigm of fear, so surrender to Allah and make an intention to carry out every deed for the pleasure of Allah alone. Understand that our relationship with Allah is not transactional. Whatever Allah ordains for us, is done from a base of love, and He is with us every step of the way.

While some may feel spiritually drained halfway through the month, our language when we speak about Ramadhaan should become more positive. Fatima’s parting advice for Ramadhaan is “to go up one notch at a time”. Her invaluable insights in this spiritually intense time of Ramadhaan beautifully bridges personal development and inner reflection.

Listen to the full program with Sister Faaiza Munshi and Sister Fatima Talia here.