Embracing the Mercy of Allah (S) in the First Ten Days of Ramadan
Faith
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Apr 13, 2021
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4 MIN READ
Imae source: khats cassim from Pexels
Ramadan is when our souls can exhale.
And this year, after seemingly holding our breaths for an entire year – man oh man, this month is so needed – this exhale feels different. Desperate. At least, to me.
Alhamdulillah for the blessing of another Ramadan.
You might be desperately embracing the arrival of this month. Or, you might have dreaded its arrival and the subsequent long fasting days and feeling of guilt because you don’t quite love Ramadan like everyone else on social media seemingly does. Wherever you are, Allah (S), in His infinite mercy, WILL meet you. The catch? You have to meet Him there too. Just show up as you are. Tell Him your struggles, your thoughts. Ask for Him to help you. He will give you a way out. It might not be how you expect it or want it, but it will be there.
In one of my favorite hadiths, the Prophet (saw) said:
“Allah Almighty says: Whoever comes with a good deed will have the reward of ten like it and even more. Whoever comes with an evil deed will be recompensed for one evil deed like it or he will be forgiven. Whoever draws close to Me by the length of a hand, I will draw close to him by the length of an arm. Whoever draws close to Me by the length of an arm, I will draw close to him by the length of a fathom. Whoever comes to Me walking, I will come to him running. Whoever meets Me with enough sins to fill the earth, not associating any partners with Me, I will meet him with as much forgiveness.”
And, Ramadan is the best opportunity to do just that. Allah (S) just wants you to be close to Him, no matter where you are at in your spiritual journey. In fact, the first 10 days of Ramadan actually signify Allah (S)’s infinite mercy. As we enter the month in reflection of our current state and our previous sins, it can be easy to feel hopeless – that you aren’t deserving of Allah (S)’s forgiveness. But time and time again, Allah (S) reminds us that He is the MOST merciful, and so long as you’re still alive, it’s never too late to seek His mercy.
Allah (S) says in the Quran:
"Say: O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. (39: 53)"
As we are all human, no matter where we’re at in our spiritual journeys, we all NEED Allah’s mercy. He is waiting for you – imagine that? The entire month of Ramadan is designated as the season of Allah (S)’s mercy and forgiveness towards us.
But HOW do I do that? I feel so disconnected.
1. Start by setting your intention – that you want to use this Ramadan as an opportunity to get closer to Allah (S) and be a better Muslim. Tell this to yourself, and say it to Allah (S) (in your du’a).
Image source: Meruyert Gonullu from Pexels
2. Renew your intentions for fasting and praying and especially make a serious effort in your prayer. If you don’t pray all five daily prayers, start praying them. If you already pray them but don’t have enough focus, work on your focus. If you have that, add in your sunnah prayers, then qiyam prayers and so on.
3. Then, get to know yourself, and get to know Allah (S). To know Him is to love Him. Start by learning about Allah (S)’s characteristics. A good way to do this is by learning about His 99 names. Also, read Quran, but also read the tafsir (meaning) – it will give you so much perspective. (Sidenote: one of my favorite people to listen to for tafsir is AbdulNasir Jangda. I especially LOVED his tafsir series of Surat Maryam. Trust me. You can find them on YouTube or the Podcast app.)
4. Last, but certainly NOT least (this to me, is the most effective) – MAKE DU’A. Pour your entire heart out to Allah (S). Ask for His mercy and for His forgiveness. Ramadan is the month where Allah (S)’s mercy and forgiveness increases, so take advantage. After that, ask Him to help you get closer to Him and to become a better Muslim. He will open doors for you that you never imagined existed. Also, ask for anything and everything your heart desires, with full conviction that He WILL answer – because He will. albeit not always in the ways we want.
Remember, Allah (S) is our creator. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Our purpose in life is to worship Him and spread goodness in this world, and that’s why our souls are rejuvenated in Ramadan. It is the time when we are doing what we were created to do; when our souls feel most at home.
So take a deep breath. Exhale. Wherever you are in your relationship with Allah (S), you deserve His mercy; so long as you want it and work for it, it’s there. These are the days that can change your course.
Here's a du’a to help guide you through the first 10 Days of Mercy:
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغيثُ
Ya Hayyu Ya-Qayyum Birahmatika Astagheeth
"Oh Everliving, The Everlasting, I seek Your help through Your mercy."
May Allah (S) continue to envelope us in His mercy, and may He make this Ramadan our best Ramadan yet. May He answer all of our prayers and make us of those who are forgiven of all sins this month. Ameen. 🙏
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