Ramadan Mubarak: From the MYNA Fam

Ramadan is almost here. SubhanAllah, it feels like it came so fast. Yet Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed us with the opportunity to witness another Ramadan. That alone is a gift.

Ramadan is the holy month of Islam, the month in which the Qur’an was revealed. From dawn till sunset, we fast. But Ramadan is so much more than just staying away from food and drink. It is a month of returning to Allah. A month of strengthening our iman and rebuilding our connection with Him. The idea is, if we can even stay away from what is Halal (allowed - like food and drink), we can therefore stay away from Haram (forbidden), only because Allah commanded. This idea, brings us closer to our Creator.

During Ramadan, we focus on prayer, charity, reflection, and self-discipline. We read more Qur’an. We make more dua. We pray extra prayers like Taraweeh and Tahajjud. We try to cut out distractions and anything that pulls us away from our purpose. When we fast, we train ourselves to control our desires. We learn patience. We grow. Fasting reminds us of those who struggle daily without food, and it teaches us gratitude for the countless blessings we often take for granted.

Ramadan is also a month of giving. Giving to organizations, to the needy, to our masjids, and to our communities. We can give our time by volunteering at community iftars, help with preparing meals, or simply showing kindness to others. Sometimes people hesitate to give because they fear losing something, but in reality, when we give for the sake of Allah, He puts barakah in our lives. And in Ramadan, our charity is multiplied 700 times! Beyond what we can imagine. That is Allah’s promise.

In our busy lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the dunya and forget our true purpose. Ramadan is our chance to reset. It’s a month to reflect, to set goals, and to strive to become better than we were before. Ramadan teaches us that fasting is not only from food and drink, it is also from harmful speech, negative habits, and anything that distances us from Allah. It’s about disciplining our hearts, our tongues, and our actions.

The last ten nights of Ramadan are the most powerful nights of the year. Within them is Laylatul Qadr, a night better than a thousand months, that’s over 83 years of worship! It is a night of forgiveness, mercy, and immense reward. On these nights, we increase our prayers, our Qur’an, and our dua. The Prophet ﷺ would frequently recited this dua:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Transliteration:
Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni

Translation:
“O Allah, You are the Most Forgiving, and You love to forgive, so forgive me.”

As Ramadan approaches, let us enter it with intention. Let us not allow it to pass like any other month. This is a blessing not everyone was given. This past week, in my community alone, over 7 community members passed away. They were not given the opportunity to feel another Ramadan. We don’t know how many more Ramadans we will witness, so let this one count. While we wait to enter this beloved month, we should make the following dua:

اللّهُمَّ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان

Transliteration:

Allahumma ballighna Ramadan

Translation:

Oh Allah, let us reach the month of Ramadan

May Allah accept our fasting, our prayers, our charity, and our efforts. May He forgive our shortcomings, soften our hearts, and allow us to leave Ramadan better than we entered it. And may He grant us many more Ramadans filled with barakah, growth, and closeness to Him.

Ramadan Mubarak 🤍