The race continues....

Assalaamu Alaikum!

How have you been? So good to meet you again.

A few days ago, we were sad to say goodbye to Ramadan, yet Eid brought us an opportunity to celebrate what we’ve been able to do during the blessed month. I pray your Eid was full of moments that you’ll look back at fondly. As we prepare to go back to an entirely different routine, we must ask ourselves how prepared we actually are.

What kind of an athlete are you?

Have you encountered any renowned athletes who abandon their training post-competition, neglecting to uphold or enhance their skills and form until the next competition? We witness the fleeting moments of exceptional performance from the athletes, but we seldom witness the endless hours they dedicate to reaching their full potential on the field or running track. If someone said they were going to do nothing but eat, drink, and relax until their next competition, we would say they were ruining their athletic career. What would happen if we continued to behave in the same manner after Ramadan ended?

The end of Ramadan doesn’t mean an end to our worship. Eid is not an occasion to throw away all the habits that we have been building in the month of Ramadan and go back to the same old ones that we previously had. We also forget that our biggest enemy returns after Ramadan and will do anything to stop our progress.

Surely Satan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy. He only invites his followers to become inmates of the Blaze. (Quran, 35:6)

Tell My ˹believing˺ servants to say only what is best. Satan certainly seeks to sow discord among them. Satan is indeed a sworn enemy to humankind. (Quran, 17:53)

We must keep training until next Ramadan, and we must also be aware of the enemy who tries to stop us.

Are you going into the hustle?

For many of us, our non-Ramadan routines start this week. We go back to work, and our kids go back to school. We inhabit a system where not only the entanglement of hustle culture permeates every aspect of our lives but is also glorified. As I mentioned in this letter, despite our "busy" schedules, it's crucial to avoid becoming entangled in this web.

We must remember that being busy doesn’t mean that we are being productive. A person living a productive life should focus on giving the required haqq to all the different roles they are entrusted with, the primary focus being a slave of Allah SWT. Meeting work deadlines is important; praying salah on time is more important. It's beneficial to spend time catching up with colleagues, but making time for the Quran is non-negotiable. Encouraging kids to do well in school is important; being a role model for them and instilling the determination to be winners in the hereafter is absolutely necessary.

Post-Ramadan planning

Now that Ramadan is over, it's time to plan how to maintain the momentum within the next 11 months. We exert ourselves with dedication during Ramadan, and there is a certain ease in doing all types of ibadah during that month, but we must show the same determination the rest of the year as well because Allah deserves the best we can give in all seasons of our lives. The key is consistency.

The Prophet (saw) said, “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.’ (Ibn Majah). He also said. “The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if it is small.” (Bukhari)

If you can’t pray tahajjud every day, select a few days of the week when you will wake up for it. If it doesn’t seem possible to complete the recitation of the whole Quran in a month, aim to read a few pages or even a few verses daily. Do not lose the habit of generosity, and try to give sadaqah at least once a month. Scale down your ibadah to a doable level, but stay consistent with your training.

Two essentials

Muhasaba, or self-evaluation, is a crucial factor throughout our training period. It enables us to examine our actions and intentions, pushing us to constantly do better.

Thabit ibn al-Hajjaj reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable and evaluate yourselves before you are evaluated, for the Reckoning will be easier upon you tomorrow if you hold yourselves accountable today.” Without self-accountability, it will be difficult to achieve and track your progress.

Along with muhasaba, we should also strive to learn from the seerah (biography of the Prophet ﷺ). We all want to be the best version of ourselves. Is there anyone better to learn from than the one who was called “a good example” in the Quran (33:21) itself? How could we claim to love someone and follow him if we don’t know his story? How would we feel the depth of our words when we are sending salawat upon him if we do not know his struggles and the pain he went through to deliver the message of Islam to the world? He is the best role model to get inspired from, the best guide to learn from, and he left us with a timeless blueprint of success. Choose a book or a lecture series on his life to learn the priceless lessons it has to offer.

Including muhasabah and learning the seerah will have a multiplier effect on your mindset and growth.

To help you plan and stay on track during Ramadan, I'm excited to share these trackers from Midrārā. I am really appreciative of Midrārā's generosity in sharing these with my readers.

If you liked what you received with this newsletter, please share it with someone so they can benefit as well.

I’d love to hear from you after you’ve tried these planners and trackers. Reply to this email to share your experience.

Until next time,

Samar