Salaam Friends,
And greetings to the month of Shawwāl!
A little late but …
اللّهم أَدْخِلْهُ عَلينا بِالأمْنِ وَالإيمان، وَالسَّلامَةِ وَالإسْلام، وِجوارٍ مِّنَ الشَّيْطان، وَرِضْوَانٍ مِّنَ الرَّحْمن
Allāhumma adkhilhu ‘alaynā bil amni wal imān, was salāmati wal islām, wa jiwārim minash shaytān, wa ridwānim minar Rahmān.
Du’ā for the Beginning of a New Islamic Month or Year
‘Abdullāh ibn Hishām (Allāh be pleased with him) reports that the noble Companions would learn the above du’ā for when the new month or new year would begin.
[Source: Mu’jamus Sahabah of Baghawi, & Al-Mu’jamul Awsat of Tabarani, Hadith: 6237]
Seeing as we’re only two and a half months away from the Islamic new year, this is a great opportunity to acquaint ourselves with this du’ā 🙂 .
How are you and how are your hearts?
The passing of Ramadān is always a sad affair, but this year it felt even more so. It seems as though it arrived and left in a breath, while the world beyond it carried on (and carries on!) with a weight that cannot be set aside.
And yet, the Lord we turned to in Ramadān is still our Lord in Shawwāl, and in the months that follow. He has not gone anywhere. The doors we we knocked on remain open.
So though we feel loss at the passing of such a sacred month, what are we willing to carry forward from it? What of that softness, that حضور or turning, will we refuse to leave behind?
Let’s sit with this a moment…
What from Ramadān are we choosing to carry into what comes next?
💪🏽 Staying Strong & Steadfast After Ramadān
A summary of notes inspired by Dr Haifaa Younis and Jannah Institute
Everybody, and we mean everybody, (yes you included!) did more than they usually do in Ramadān. It might not have been as much as another person, but it was more than your usual.
That takes us right to step number one to staying steadfast:
That we are grateful 💐 Hold together both gratitude and hope. Gratitude for a month and a Lord that guided us and showed us what is possible.
And hope—deep, sincere hope--in Allah's mercy and forgiveness, that He will never abandon us now that the month has passed and that He will allow our hearts to flourish.
Du'ā: 🤲🏽 Ask Allāh to help you stay strong and connected.
One of the most frequent supplications of the Prophet was as follows:
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
Yā Muqallibal qulūb, thabbit qalbī ‘alā dīnik.
“O Turner of hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.”
This is a wonderful du’a for treatment of one’s spiritual flaws.
And if you struggle with the Arabic of this supplication, then simply ask Allāh in your words, in your language, to keep you steadfast, calling on His name of Ya Qawiyyu - The Most Strong, The Most Powerful.
Choose 1️⃣ thing you did in Ramadān that you did not observe before Ramadān and implement it now. Start today, don’t delay. (Rhyme not intended!) Let it be small, but let it be yours.
Alongside this, choose 1️⃣ sin to leave behind. stay away from by reflecting on it. What feeds it? Is it what you consume, where you spend your time, who you surround yourself with? Sometimes leaving a sin is not just about willpower; it’s about changing the environment that makes it easy to return to.
Remove yourself from said compelling factor and see how your heart is able to remove itself from the deed.
Bonus: removing this one sin from your life will bring the capacity for more good deeds in shā Allāh!
Stay connected with the Qur'ān👂🏽We stood in long nights listening to it, even when we didn’t fully understand. We recited it, we heard it, we were moved by it. Let it not become something we only visit once a year. Even a few āyāt a day is a form of connecting.
Steadfast & Strong in Salāh
After Ramadān, my salāh feels…
So if we’re asking how to stay steadfast beyond Ramadān, the answer returns to us five times a day…
The answer lies in our salāh!
Keeping Connected with Salāh After Ramadān
As for the perfect du’a?
To stay firm on salāh, make this Qurānic du’ā frequently:
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاءِ
Rabbi j’alnī muqīmas-salāti wa min thurriyyatī, Rabbanā wa taqabbal du’ā
“My Lord, make me one who establishes prayer and from my descendants. Our Lord, accept my supplication.”
Our prayer for all of us today.
Āmīn, yā Rabb 🤍
Love and du’ās,
The Minara Team
