Countdown to Ramadan

Salaam Minara Family,

How are we finding you today?

Keeping it short and sweet but productive [always!] today as we warmly welcome Sha’ban, and embrace the anticipation for the arrival of Ramadan.

Sharing some reflections on al-Isra’ wal-Miraj, breaking down Ramadan prep in simple steps and leaving you with some wisdoms and inspirations to fuel your prayer practice.

💙💙🩵

The 27th of Rajab marks the night journey [Isra’] and incredible ascension [Mi’raj] of the Prophet ﷺ into the Heavens.

During this night, the Prophet ﷺ was taken from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. He met with the Prophets of the past, saw Jannah and Jahannam, and experienced miracles beyond human comprehension. He ﷺ spoke with Allah Azzawajal and the ‘Ummah was gifted the five salah.

So what are some of the reflections we can take away?

1. With hardship, Allah brings ease: The Prophet ﷺ endured so much adversity in the period prior to the night of Mi’raj at the hands of those who rejected Allah’s message [as well as the passing of his beloved wife and dear uncle] that it was actually named ‘The Period of Sadness’. It was after this long spell of suffering that Allah gifted him ﷺ the great honour of this journey. 🎁

2. A testament to true friendship: When Abu Bakr heard of the story of Isra’ and Mi’raj, he simply replied, ‘I believe.’ Despite others’ disbelief and reluctance to accept the Prophet’s ﷺ story, Abu Bakr’s faith and loyalty did not even flicker subhan Allah 🩵

3. An echo of Allah’s Mercy: Did you know that when the Prophet ﷺ met Allah for the first time, the initial commandment of salah was fifty a day?! Prophet Musa advised a reduction in this number, and so the Prophet ﷺ negotiated until finally, the number was reduced to five. But get this - the reward for only five salah is still that of fifty! The way we see it, Allah just wanted an excuse to reward us that many times ❣️

4. Faith is built in the acceptance of the unknown: The story of Isra’ and Mi’raj sounds fictional yet our Iman teaches us to believe in the existence of the realms beyond what the human eye perceives - and this includes Allah’s miracles too. Only Allah is All-Knowing and only He controls all that is existent: visible and beyond💗

Alhamdulillah 30 day countdown to Ramadan is waell underway.

Ok let’s brainstorm some prep we could initiate in anticipation of this sacred month.

And now the physical and financial…

Happy planning friends! Let’s make the waiting game a dynamic one.

Sharing some great nuggets we’ve read recently on Social Media. Here’s to inspiring us in our prayer practice:

A man was asked: How do you maintain and preserve your five daily prayers? He said: I realized that no one would accept meeting me five times a day in all my conditions, happy, sad, broken, weak, strong except for The Most Merciful.

[@islam_estic]

To gather your thoughts, train your heart in mindfulness - first outside of prayer, then within it.

[@yaqeeninstitute]

Your iman needs salah to grow, keep praying.

[@deenteachings]

Hydrate your soul in Sha’ban to bloom in the month of Ramadan.

[@Petals_of_Faith]

… And finally, we’re absolutely loving all the miracle stories over on @thetahujjudjournal where beautiful Tahajjud revelations belonging to people all over the world have been shared.

May we all be inspired into action❣️

The Minara Team