Salaam Minara Family,

A warm welcome back!

It’s only been two weeks but it feels like forever [hey - that means we missed y’all!]

Alhamdulillah for community 👩🏽👩🏽‍🦳🧑🏽‍🦰🧑🏽‍🦱.

So it’s happening….

Summer is quietly packing up its things. Somewhere between the last scoops of mango sorbet and the first whispers of rain and overcast skies, summer really is quietly packing up its things. The long, golden evenings that made Maghrib feel almost dreamy are shortening, and suddenly, Fajr is not just for the owls🦉!

If you’ve noticed your prayer times shifting, well - welcome to the seasonal shuffle of salah.

There’s something about the end of summer that feels oddly nostalgic, even before it’s over. Maybe it’s the soft panic of realising your “summer reset” turned into “just surviving work,” or the bittersweet moment you trade in iced coffees on the balcony for meetings where no one will admit they’ve already turned the heating on or colder weather shopping has commenced [guilty - oops].

But in all this transition, there’s a subtle spiritual rhythm that’s easy to miss unless we’re paying attention: salah, steady as ever, is gently recalibrating with the sky.

This is one of the startling beauties of being a Muslim [alhamdulillah 💜] - we pray with the sun. While the world races to set artificial schedules, our daily rhythm is written in light. And just as the days start to mellow, so too does our pace.

Think of it as a gentle nudge from Allah to pause, reflect, and prepare for what’s ahead. [Yes, even if you’re desperately clinging to the last dredges of the summer sun!]

There’s also something oddly comforting in knowing that while everything around us shifts: school terms starting, wardrobes rotating, sandals and suitcases being swapped for boots - salah stays the same in purpose, even if not in timing. We’re still reconnecting five times a day, still grounding ourselves in something far more stable than the weather.

Fajr is becoming a little less tough, Dhur might no longer feel like it’s been scheduled for the centre of the sun, and maybe your Maghrib is shifting to before dinner again. Small mercies. 🥺

And if you find yourself already longing the long, lazy days of summer, remember that each season brings its own spiritual gifts. Autumn may not come with summer fruits or sun-soaked days, but it does offer quieter evenings, crisp morning air, and a slower pace that’s perfectly suited for reflection and recommitment. We really are Team Autumn over here at Minara!

The end of summer is our call to make salah our season-changer. We don’t need “new season, new me” declarations - just a consistent return to the prayer mat five times a day, every day, whether it’s 30 degrees or drizzling.

So yes, summer may be on its way out…

but you’re still right on time friends.

💛

We know, we know… same old!

But Fajr really is a big battle.

Sometimes we think, “I’ve been struggling with Fajr for years - surely I should have sorted this by now.” Or we feel a little embarrassed to bring up the same issue again and again.

But here’s the truth: talking about it keeps the door open.

And its antithesis?
Shame.

Silence creates shame. It makes you feel like you’re the only one still hitting snooze, still zoning out in salah, still missing a prayer and carrying that guilt around like a backpack full of bricks.

But when we keep speaking about it - here, or with friends or even in du’a - it reminds you:

📍 You haven’t given up.
📍 You're still reaching out which means it’s important to you.
📍 You're still connected to the One who sees every attempt.

We know we’ve been struggling so this is a message for us first and foremost!

Firstly, we’re not bad people if we fall into the above category of snoozing and losing. [Maybe just 😴😴]!

And while we could set twelve alarms, here are a few more sustainable action points to help make our Fajr sustainable.

🔹 Prep the night before: Wudu before bed, prayer clothes ready, and your alarm across the room (yes, betrayal). Reduce the friction and your body will catch on.

🔹 Anchor Fajr to something enjoyable: A hot drink, your favourite du’a, a walk, even five quiet minutes with no emails, no news, and no notifications. Turn the moment into something you look forward to.

🔹 Give yourself a margin: Set your alarm 10-15 minutes earlier than the absolute deadline. That way, if you do the classic “wait, just a bit more,” you’re still on track.

🔹 Start with intention and du’a: Before you sleep, speak to Allah. Ask him to wake you, make it easy for you and accept it from you. It might not be verbal - just a whispered one before sleep overcomes you. Setting the intention anchors the action and we all know it’s not really the alarm that wakes you. It’s the sincerity.

May Allah make it easy for us all.

🤲🏽 Aameen Ya Rabb

As Fajr slides back into a time slot that doesn't feel like a personal attack, maybe this is our sign to try again. Salah is still here, marking time, offering us space to reset without needing to reinvent ourselves.

We’re taking Fajr as our dawn-lit invitation that says: you’re still welcome here.

That’s it from us folks! See you next week, inshaAllah - with or without the iced drinks.

Love and du’as,

The Minara Team