One way my family and I prepare for Ramadan is by cleaning and decluttering our home. Unfortunately, sometimes Ramadan arrives fast and furious (pun intended!), and we do not have time to organize as thoroughly as we would like. The month comes quickly, everyone adjusts to early mornings and late nights of extra worship, and before we know it, two weeks have passed, and the house feels chaotic. With the quick turnaround of suhoor, prayer, and iftar this year, paired with a house full of little ones, maintaining order can feel nearly impossible. A disordered space can make the Ramadan experience more stressful than serene. This is especially true for mothers, who often carry the invisible mental load of managing the home. Creating a peaceful atmosphere during Ramadan requires intentional decluttering, even if the month is already halfway through.
Research supports what moms already know. Our physical environment affects our emotional and mental health. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that it is not only the amount of physical clutter in a home that matters, but also how individuals experience clutter1. For parents, how chaotic or overwhelming a space feels, regardless of how much stuff is in it, can make or break our day. Participants in the study who reported higher levels of perceived clutter also reported lower overall well-being. In contrast, those who felt emotionally connected to their homes and practiced regular decluttering habits tended to experience greater life satisfaction. Researchers suggested that maintaining order contributes to a sense of control, comfort, and psychological peace. For families observing Ramadan, decluttering the home can be a deliberate step toward creating an ambiance of tranquility that supports worship, reflection, and stronger family bonds.
The Spiritual Dangers of Clutter
All judgment aside, most of us accumulate clutter in one way or another. For parents, there is the added difficulty of managing a household of children who hoard all sorts of knick-knacks, toys, arts-and-crafts supplies, and more. I personally struggle with keeping books, journals, pencils, and pens in order, while my husband amasses endless stacks of work papers and collectibles. Before we know it, small messes can spread throughout the home and become unmanageable, raising our blood pressure and possibly even our cortisol levels. In fact, a 2010 study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that women who described their homes as cluttered showed less healthy daily cortisol patterns, a physiological marker associated with chronic stress2. That pattern was not observed in men to the same degree, suggesting that clutter may weigh more heavily on moms.
Interestingly, Allah warns us about the spiritual dangers of excess and distraction in Surah Al-Takathur:
“Competition for more ˹gains˺ (wealth) diverts you ˹from Allah˺, until you end up in ˹your˺ graves. But no! You will soon come to know. Again, no! You will soon come to know. Indeed, if you were to know ˹your fate˺ with certainty, ˹you would have acted differently˺. ˹But˺ you will surely see the Hellfire. Again, you will surely see it with the eye of certainty. Then, on that Day, you will definitely be questioned about ˹your worldly˺ pleasures.” (Quran, 102:1–8)
While this surah primarily addresses rivalry over wealth and worldly accumulation, its message also invites us to reflect on how easily we become preoccupied with “more.” Stockpiling goods and possessions not only adds to the physical disorder in our homes, it can also distract us from beneficial deeds like the remembrance of Allah and righteous actions. One of the companions saw the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, reciting the first verse, “Competition for wealth diverts you,” (102:1), after which he said:
“The son of Adam boasts: My wealth! My wealth! O son of Adam, have you truly earned any wealth but what you ate and consumed, or clothes put on and wore out, or spent in charity so it remained?” (Sahih Muslim 2958)
The Prophet’s words are a reminder that worldly possessions are temporary, and what we give for the sake of Allah is what truly matters. That brings up an important idea for decluttering our homes and elevating our worship this Ramadan: giving away those extra belongings! We have to admit that sometimes the reason we find it difficult to let something go is that we love it. Obviously, the souvenirs on the table, the drawings on the fridge, the hundreds of hijabs in the closet, and the books on the shelf all have some value. Why not pass it on to someone else? Allah says in the Quran:
“You will never achieve righteousness until you donate some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to Allah.” (Quran, 3:92)
One Parent’s Clutter is Another Person’s Treasure!
Here are some ideas for what we can do with all the stuff taking up our precious space and mental energy:
1. Pack up those extra toys and make goodie bags for the kids at tarawih
This is by far one of my favorite ways to declutter during Ramadan. It began a few years ago when I observed other moms struggling with restless, crying children during tarawih. I decided to gather all the spare toys, trinkets, and stickers stuffed in my kids’ bins to make “busy bags” to hand out to children at the mosque during tarawih. Surprisingly, my little ones were happy to help put them together despite knowing they were giving up some belongings in the process. What started as a mission to help others turned out to be an effective family declutter project!
2. Grab some books and make some thoughtful gift baskets
Do you know what makes a great Ramadan or Eid gift? A book… or two! If you are a struggling bookaholic like me, then you can definitely set some books aside to give away. If they are Islamic books, you are looking at getting triple the reward for giving a gift, passing on beneficial knowledge, and helping to clean your home.
3. Give some modest clothing to a new Muslim
There are plenty of newly converted Muslims in our masajid these days, and they could use all the help they can get. Contrary to what you may think, women do not need 100 hijabs and 3 dozen abayas; men do not need a thobe and kufi in every single color. Your closet will thank you when you sort through your clothing and pull out some (gently used or new) pieces to share with the converts in your local community.
4. Make a masterpiece with all your children’s art
Gather all your children’s artwork and make a beautiful album for yourself or as a gift for the grands. Better yet, digitize all their drawings and paintings so you can access them anytime. There are endless possibilities for managing the piles of paperwork that tend to clutter our spaces. Believe me, your refrigerator is not big enough to hold every paper your child gives you! Keep one or two and recycle them as new ones come in.
5. Donate what you don’t use!
Even during Ramadan, take a day or a weekend to declutter your home by getting rid of items that accumulate the most, such as unused clothing, shoes, accessories, kitchen gadgets, expired bathroom products, electronics, art supplies, games, décor, sports gear, and souvenirs. Make it a family affair. Put all these things in bags, drive to the nearest donation center or shelter that accepts used items, leave them there, and do not look back. Do this regularly to keep your home as tidy as possible.
As Muslims, we know that cleanliness is half of faith (Sahih Muslim 223). Decluttering is one practical way to pursue that cleanliness by removing distractions and restoring order to our homes. It also requires restraint by resisting the urge to overindulge in possessions that do not benefit us and only contribute to physical and mental clutter. When we simplify our surroundings, our hearts feel lighter as well. Just as Ramadan is a time for purifying our bodies through fasting and our souls through worship, it also presents an opportunity to cleanse our living spaces. In doing so, we recenter our homes and our hearts on the path of worshipping Allah alone.
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