Salaam Friends,

Truth time...

How many of us are moving through Ramadān with an unspoken assumption?

Assumption being?

That there will always be another one.

Another year to finish the Qur'ān properly. Another Ramadān to pray every night in the Masjid. Another chance to become the Muslims we imagine we will be one day.

And in truth, even this hope reveals something beautiful about the believer's heart. The longing to improve, to worship better, to return to Allāh again and again. This too is a mercy Allāh places in the heart.

Side note: This reminds us of the beautiful duʿāʾ of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام:

تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ

Āmīn Ya Rabb!

But beneath the familiar rhythm of these final days is a question we rarely allow ourselves to sit with.

What if this was your last Ramadān?

What if the fast you broke yesterday was the last Ramadān fast you would ever keep?
What if the prayer you rushed through tonight was the last chance you had to stand in Ramadān’s mercy?

And what if Laylatul Qadr, the night better than a thousand months, was a night you would never witness again?

Nothing in our lives is guaranteed to return.

Last year, many people who fasted with us are no longer here. Their Ramadāns have ended forever. (May Allāh have mercy on their souls and make Jannah their eternal abode).

The question is uncomfortable, but necessary:

Will we be here for the next one?

Of course, none of us can know the answer.

But perhaps the question isn’t meant to make us certain about the future. It is meant to change how we treat the present.

Because if this Ramadan were our last, these nights would suddenly feel more precious. Every prayer would matter a little more. Every moment of forgiveness would feel more urgent.

And the possibility that Laylatul Qadr may still lie ahead would feel too valuable to miss.

Laylatul Qadr is one of the most extraordinary gifts of Ramadān. Allāh describes it in the Qur’ān as:

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

This means that one night of sincere worship on Laylatul Qadr carries the reward of more than eighty-three years of devotion.

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

Because its exact timing is hidden, the Prophet ﷺ encouraged believers to seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadān, especially the odd nights.

It is a night when the angels descend, when destinies unfold by Allāh’s command, and when even a small act of sincere worship carries immeasurable weight.

But making the most of Laylatul Qadr does not mean your night has to look like someone else’s.

Maybe you're reading this newsletter and feeling panic rising at the thought of still trying to catch a sacred night of worship. 

You're thinking, yes it may very well be the last Ramadān for any one of us but I don't know that I can pray all night. And how will I ever finish the Qur'ān? 

Well, let this be a balm for your anxious heart... 

We very recently read something really perceptive about Laylatul Qadr being the night of decree, measure and value. Note the lack of mention of volume. 

Not volume.

Only decree and value. 

This means you need not compare your volume of worship to anyone. 

It's density of presence over volume of actions. 

When the angels descend, they aren't just looking at the front row worshippers; they are looking for anything that is a manifestation of a heart softened in remembrance. 

That might be:

🫶a woman in service to her family;

🍼a mother and father in service to their children;

🤍a person making sincere du‘ā’ in their heart while commuting or travelling;

🎓a student praying a short prayer between studies;

👩🏾‍⚕️a caregiver looking after an elderly or sick family member 

So measure your night/s by the presence of your heart. 

And perhaps you'll find this little list helpful to serve the remaining nights of your Ramadān ⤵️: 

As these final nights unfold, we ask Allāh to accept whatever we were able to offer Him this Ramadān — the long prayers and the short ones, the moments of deep focus and the quiet efforts made in between the demands of daily life.

May Allāh accept all of our worship, our duʿāʾ, our fasting, and our intentions.

May He allow us to witness Laylatul Qadr and grant us its immense blessings. May He forgive our shortcomings and replace them with His mercy.

And may Allāh, in His generosity, allow us to meet another Ramadan, with hearts that are lighter, steadier, and closer to Him than before.

In shā’ Allāh, the next time we gather here it will be to welcome the joy of ‘Eid, or perhaps in these final sacred moments of Ramadān.

Until then, may Allāh fill your nights with peace, your hearts with remembrance, and your homes with barakah.

Āmīn, ya Rabb.

Leaving you in Allāh’s Grace, 

Love and du’ās,

The Minara Team