The Golden Opportunity of Summer Ramadhan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Imagine we are in a race. Some are way ahead, some are lagging behind, and some have gone off the road.

All of us are racing towards something. Some of us are racing towards this dunya (material world) -- they have gone off the road. This is a race we don't want to take part in. But we want to take part in a race towards righteous deeds. Look ahead and never look back. And don't let yourself fall behind. Even if you don't get first place, you are on the right direction and you will eventually finish the race and win Allah's mercy.

This Ramadhan is your golden opportunity to get further ahead in your race because every good deed is multiplied manifold. Fasting in Ramadhan alone carries tremendous reward. So if the fast is getting difficult because of the long hours, remember the more the struggle the more the reward.

Allah has blessed us with summer Ramadhan so He can reward us more for the additional struggle. If you are not going to taraweeh payers or have skipped a few, you are not taking advantage of this golden opportunity...commit to going to taraweeh prayer until the end of Ramadhan. Also plan to take the time off from work in the last 10 days of Ramadhan so you can focus on direct worship (prayers and Qur'an), including doing i'tikaf at the masjid.

Know that this race is not going to be forever. The race will stop.

Quickly, come join the race towards righteous deeds this Ramadhan and commit to it to the end. You might not have this golden opportunity next year.

The direction that Allah has given us is more special now than ever. Follow it.

قَدْ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجْهِكَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبْلَةً تَرْضَاهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ وَإِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۗ وَمَا اللَّـهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٤٤

We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]. Indeed, those who have been given the Scripture well know that it is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do. (144)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:144]

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam