Salaam!

We’d love to say: so… everyone stayed up after Fajr, right?

Friends, the poll said: “absolutely not.”

Case in point ⬇️🤭

Last week, we were a little smug about our early morning.

This week?

Just kidding - all love here!

Last newsletter, we made the case for early mornings and why this time carries barakah.

This week, maybe we try - even just a little - to actually receive it.

So let’s talk about what we actually do with this time.

By offering Fajr, you’ve already remembered Allāh in the most complete way. Now, we simply continue that remembrance.

So here’s a five-step challenge for us:

How long can you stay in the moment before rushing off?

The Prophet ﷺ taught us simple, consistent adhkār:

Whoever does this after each salah will have their sins forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea [Reference: Muslim, 324].

So before you reach for anything else, start here nice and comfortably on your muṣallā (prayer mat) keeping that moment with Allah alive for a little while longer!

Feeling brave?

Let’s take it one step further.

You've just been in conversation with Allāh in salāh.

Now you get to continue it in your own words.

Think about how it feels to start your morning speaking to someone you love. (Voice note team anyone?)

Except here, you’re speaking to the One who:

So when you begin your morning with du‘ā, you’re not just setting the tone for a positive start, you’re entering your day having already turned to the One who governs it.

Step three, let’s go!

Stay right where you are and open the Qur’ān.

Abū Hurairāh (May Allāh be pleased with him) reported:

Let’s look at this in two parts.

a. The first part of the hadith is call to ensure our homes are not devoid of salāh and Qur’ān.

A grave, by its nature, is a place where acts of worship are absent. A home without remembrance of Allāh is also spiritually dormant, lacking the light and life that dhikr and recitation bring.

b. The second part establish that the Qur’ān does not simply benefit the individual reciting it, but actively transforms the environment in which it is recited.

The presence of the Qur’ān creates a barrier that repels harmful spiritual influence and stabilises the atmosphere of the home.

Of course, this protection is tied to the recitation of the Qur’ān. And it is not contingent on how beautifully one read, nor on completing large portions.

Now imagine placing this recitation in the early morning - a time which is already infused with barakah.

But it doesn’t have to be complicated. YOU pick your challenge level:

How’s the brave-o-meter looking?

Shall we take it up to step four?

Not to your 9am friends. Just step into nature!

You aren’t the only one awake right now. The birds are already in motion, the skies and mountains already turned towards their Maker.

And you’re being invited to join in.

SubḥānAllāh.

This is, in essence, still step one - dhikr.

But it is a levelled-up form of it where remembrance is not longer just on the tongue, but awakened through what you see:

creation as a sign and your response as glorification, rooted in awareness of His power, order and design.

We at Minara love this one and we’re absolutely setting the intention to try it in shā Allāh!

Alright… this one is for the committed.

Remain where you are in dhikr, Qur’ān, in quiet contemplation until the sun rises.

And then pray two rak‘āh.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

This is referring to the voluntary Ishrāq payer: a two-rakāh prayer that is offered after the sun has risen and has become high.

This is approximately 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise (ensuring the sun has fully risen).

And just like that….

what began as Fajr has stretched into a morning filled with worship.

The best part?

Your day’s just getting started!

Of course, not every morning will look like this.

Start with one step - build it in consistently - and let it grow from there.

You might add other elements, like Qur’ān journaling or reading something beneficial.

On some days, you might skip straight to a different step entirely.

The goal is simple: just activate the barakah in your day.

That’s it from us folks.

Wishing you a blessed Friday and see you next week in shā Allāh where we’ll get honest about the habits that might be draining the barakah from our mornings.

Love and du’ās,

The Minara Team