𝟏𝟎 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟎 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐧
Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله said: “When the race horse knows that it is nearing the end of the track it exerts all of its effort to win the race. Do not allow the race horse to be more clever than you. For verily, deeds are judged by their conclusions. So if you didn’t do well with welcoming Ramadan then perhaps you will do better bidding it farewell.”
1. These ten nights of Ramadan are the greatest ten nights of the entire year, and one of these nights is greater than 1000 months. Every deed you do is multiplied immensely. Take advantage and don’t waste any time, even if it means forcing yourself through phases of laziness and procrastination; you’ll have no regrets working hard in these nights, but you will have regrets if you waste them. If you didn’t do well in your first 20 days of Ramadan, you can make up for it by finishing strong. Aisha (ra) reported that the Prophet ﷺ would strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadan more than any other time.[Sahih Muslim]
2. Memorize the du’aa that you should make throughout these ten nights while seeking the Night of Decree, as was taught by the Prophet ﷺ:*Allaahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb al-‘afwa fa’affu ‘anni *(O Allah, You are forgiving, and You love forgiveness, so forgive me). اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني.
3.The exact date of Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Decree) is not known with certainty and it could fall on *any* of these night tens. Do you really want to risk losing out on the reward of 1000+ months of worship? Would you risk losing out on 1 billion dollars – or much less – in a similar situation?“Whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Bukhari]This is the night in which the Decree is shown to the Angels as well, and it reflects one’s provisions, blessings, trials, punishments, life, and death, so strive hard to be of the people who are worshiping Allah on this night.
4. Prepare a list of du’aa and put your heart into it – these are nights of increased acceptance! One of these nights is the Night of Decree, so make du’aa for yourself, your family, and our brothers and sisters around the world. The people you pray for will benefit from your du’aa, as will you.
5. Try to nap during the day so that you can worship Allah more actively at night. Intend to sleep for His sake so that you can wake up energized for worship, and that sincere intention will bring about His blessing in your energy. If you have work or are busy with children, then at the very least find some time to pray qiyaam before sleeping or before Fajr – to your best capacity.
6. Try not to distract yourself with social networking or socializing and focus instead on your relationship with Allah (swt) as much as possible. If possible, reduce your use of the internet and eat light and healthy meals for iftaar and suhoor.
7. Include a lot of Qur’an recitation (and translation, if applicable), dhikr (supplication & glorification of Allah), lengthy prayers, and a lot of du’aa. If you have work or classes during the daytime, keep your tongue busy with the remembrance of Allah as much as you can. Focus a lot on your spiritual state and not only crossing off a checklist of physical rituals.
8. Be patient through your other tasks, such as work, school, raising children, etc. Know that you have been given a huge blessing by being alive in this blessed month when many others have passed away. Imagine this is your last time to experience these ten nights and motivate yourself to excel as much as possible as if you’re bidding farewell to Ramadan.
9. Give charity throughout these 10 nights in order to be guaranteed that your charity falls on Laylatul Qadr – better than 1000 months of worship.
10. Motivate others – your family, friends, and community to take these ten nights seriously. Remember that the nights are very short and extremely precious; this is the most valuable time of the year which cannot be wasted. Wake up your family if possible and worship Allah (swt) together. Truly, the deprived person is the one who misses out on Laylatul Qadr and the blessings of Ramadan.May Allah bless our time and accept from us on Laylatul Qadr.
O Allah, allow our good deeds to continue throughout the year as a sign of the acceptance of our deeds in Ramadan. اَمِين يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِيْنI am not sure who wrote this but I hope it helps
