March 1, 2025

Bismillahi-r-Rahmani Rahim. In the name of Allah the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Alhamdulillah, All Praise and Thanks belong to Allah. Allahumma Salli ‘ala sayyidina Muhammad wa ‘ala ‘alihi wa sahbihi ajma‘in. O Allah send peace and blessings upon our master Muhammad and upon his entire family and companions. Ya Rabb I ask You to make us among them.

Ramadan is here. And this is the first time I have felt unprepared for it. I feel like Ramadan snuck up on me before I had given myself the time to prepare adequately. Although, one is never fully prepared for Ramadan, this time I have found myself less prepared than I have been in previous years. Ramadan found me overwhelmed and without my affairs in order. As someone who thrives on planning and preparing for just about anything, not being prepared was taking a toll on me (N.B.: If you are keen on the personality types, I am an INFJ through and through). And as the days inched closer, I grew more anxious and despondent.

I came across a reel on instagram by the author of the book, The Power of Du’a and cohost of the Honest Tea Talk podcast, Aliyah Umm Raiyaan. In the reel she was addressing anyone feeling unprepared for Ramadan and she said, “if you’re going into Ramadan feeling unprepared, there’s a tool you must use. It isn’t a to-do list, it isn’t a planner. It is turning to Allah ﷻ in all your vulnerabilities…and wait for Allah to respond beautifully. So, that’s what I did. I took her advice and the advice of my tajwid teacher, Anse Samia who always reminds us to come to the Qur’an as we were. She would always say, “go to the Qur’an with your situation and ask Allah to give you answers.”

And so I went to the Qur’an for reassurance just like prophet Ibrahim peace be upon him asked Allah to reassure his heart [2:260] and just like Allah tells our beloved messenger Muhammad ﷺ that He ﷻ revealed to him the stories of past prophets to reassure his heart [11:120]. I set off to begin my khatam of the Qur’an for this blessed month and as I read, I came cross ayah 185 of Al-Baqarah in Juz 2, where Allah says:

“Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the decisive authority. So whoever is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramadan˺. Allah intends ease for you, not hardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful.”

Allah begins by telling us that Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed as a guide for us. A solid guide without any doubt and the criterion by which we live and make decisions. And so if we are present during this month, then we should fast and if we couldn’t fast due to illness or travel, then we should make up the days after Ramadan.

The next part of the ayah is what spoke to me. Allah tells us that He ﷻ intends for us ease and not hardship. So if we find ourselves present in this month, we should proclaim His greatness for guiding us and be grateful. If I did nothing at all this month but proclaim His greatness and showed gratitude to him for guiding me then I would have done exactly what He intended for this month. There are many who did not make it to this month and there are those who did but have not been guided to this path, may Allah protect us.

Here I am, Allah blessed me and chose me as a believer to practice this din and He ﷻ gave me life to witness yet another month of Ramadan. And what do I do? complain about being unprepared? stress about not having everything in perfect order? May Allah forgive me for my shortsightedness. Allah intends for me ease. Thus, this is a month for me to honor His noble words, to glorify and exalt His mention, an opportunity to know Him because to know Him is to love Him and to gain God-consciousness and closeness to Him ﷻ.

Ya Allah ya Rabb, I begin by glorifying Your name, there’s none worthy of worship but You ﷻ and to you is my final return. Ya Rahman, Most Merciful of those who show Mercy, I am grateful for allowing me to witness this blessed month without having done anything to deserve it. Ya Karim, the Most Generous, the One who gives without being asked. All Praise and thanks belong to You for this generous month, the month in which Your generosity knows no limits. Ya Allah You said fasting is for You and You shall reward the fasting person for it [Sahih al-Bukhari 5927].

Ya Rabb I ask you for the reward of Ramadan. Ya Shakur, the Most Appreciative, the One who gives abundantly in return for what is little. I ask that You accept from me my meager efforts. Ya Rabb, ya Wadud, I ask You for your love, the love of those who love you and the love of actions that earn Your love. Ya Latif, the Most Gentle, the Subtle One, I want for myself the ease that You have intended for me and I ask You for ease in this month and after it, ease in my affairs and ease in my journey of knowing and loving You. I call upon You with all of Your beautiful names, those that You've made known to us, those that are unknown to us and those that You have kept with Yourself. Allahumma Amin.

With Love, Ibtisam