We praise Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla), we seek His Assistance, and we seek His Guidance. And we seek refuge in Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) from the evils of ourselves and the adverse consequences of our deeds.
In a previous article on Islam21c, we discussed taqwa being a forgotten jewel, as well as the meanings, virtues and significance of this beautiful quality in our daily lives.[1]
With yet another Ramadan nearing its end, the topic of taqwa requires another embrace, even if from a different angle.
Losing sight of the goal
The last ten nights of Ramadan have dawned upon us. Some of us have been ready for them, others may have finally woken up from lagging heedlessness; some from amongst us are balancing work, family, and other commitments while trying our best to worship Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla). Despite all this, all of us are in a state of hope, inshāAllah, and hopefully gearing toward ending our Ramadan on a strong note. This is imperative, for Allah Almighty has showered His mercy upon us by teaching us that Allah will judge our actions collectively based on the strength of their endings.
Prior to Ramadan and during the first few fasts, there is a large emphasis on encouraging each other toward taqwa, discussing its meaning, virtues, and ways to attain it. Yet, when the last ten nights dawn on us, we discuss to a great extent what du’ā to make, when Laylat al-Qadr is, and many more details, but at times, in our excitement of doing more, more and more acts of worship in the last ten nights, we forget our initial goal: the achievement of taqwa.
Why the night prayer?
When we try to accomplish something big, it is easy to get pulled in several different directions. There are hundreds of things that can be done.
However, some things are far more impactful than others. This brings to mind the 80/20 rule, which explains that 20 per cent of the activities we engage in produce 80 per cent of what we want. With so much going on in our lives at times, and the fact that we are living an actual season of worship (the last ten of Ramadan) within a season of worship (Ramadan itself); the formula related to ‘quality vs quantity’ has perhaps never been more pertinent.
The Qur’ān is full of lessons on how to achieve taqwa, and for the purposes of this piece; I would like to present to you the following āyāt to ponder over and consider:
كَانُوا قَلِيلاً مِنْ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ* وَبِالأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
They used to sleep but little of the night, And in the hours before dawn they would seek forgiveness, And from their wealth was [given] the right of the needy and the deprived.” [2]
A simple analysis of these āyāt present to us three of the best and most effective ways to attain taqwa.
From this verse, we learn that:
- praying at night,
- seeking forgiveness before dawn,
- and giving to the needy,
are three acts of worship most effective in developing taqwa in our hearts.
SubhānAllah, see how Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) has brought together these three activities and multiplied their reward in the last ten nights of Ramadan, to encourage us toward taqwa! Our ultimate goal from this month.
The final lap and the final push!
As we increase our intensity because of our setting of our sights on the finish line, please also consider these practical steps which aid our abilities in the last ten nights count.
1. Prayer, Fasting, and Qur’ān: The three basics that have been discussed throughout Ramadan only become even more important. All of us must have a goal and a plan for every day in terms of prayer, Qur’ān, and what we can improve on in our fasts. The main goal is to establish habits we can continue after Ramadan.
2. Seclusion: If you cannot spend the last ten nights in seclusion doing Iʿtikāf, as was the Prophetic practice, then at least put some time aside every night to be away from family, friends, and distractions, either in prayer, contemplation or supplication. During your seclusion, ensure you sincerely ponder of the favours of your Lord upon you for this brings about much-needed calibration to our hearts, minds and souls.
Another important activity for you to carry out during this period of seclusion is to list every role you currently assume in your life, be it mandatory, in terms of your roles that you can never give up, like being a parent, spouse, and other roles similar; or elective, in terms of roles that you can give up, like your position of employment and other similar placements in your life.
Once you have achieved this, analyse these roles within your life based on answering the following two questions:
- How effective am I in my role and how can I apply myself better in it?
- Am I giving too much emphasis on my elective placements to the extent that my mandatory roles and responsibilities are suffering?
I assure you, this task, if done sincerely and correctly, will be life changing!
3. Duʿā: It may help to take some time out to pen down your personal aspirations, both related to your dīn and Dunya. The Prophet ﷺ would also ask Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) for taqwa,
اللهم ات نفسي تقواها وزكها انت خير من زكاها انت وليها ومولاها
O Allah, grant my soul taqwa and purify it, for You are the best to purify it. You are its protector and guardian.” [3]
4. Self-assessment: Umar ibn al-Khattāb (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) would say,
Take yourselves to account before you are [ultimately] taken to account.”
Let your contemplation in these last ten nights lead you to reflecting upon what aspects of your character may need polishing and improving. Nobody is born perfect.
5. Maintaining others’ rights: Whether you are a parent or an employee, others have rights over you even in Ramadan. This time can also be used to re-connect with relatives or reconcile with friends and family.
Taqwa post-Ramadan
Before Ramadan ends, let us ensure that we do not bid the month farewell before realising and understanding that Ramadan is a stepping stone to being great for the rest of our lives. Taqwa is a process, not a place!
We must realise that the Allah of Ramadan is the Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) of all the months of the year. Life is too short to make shorter and the believer is not one who takes a stride forward, only to take several steps backwards thereafter. This is even more manifest when we realise that we cannot guarantee ourselves yet another Ramadan after this.
Indeed, even outside of Ramadan, the purpose of worship itself is to achieve taqwa. Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says,
O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous [lit. perform taqwa].” [4]
The pious before us would severely criticise those who only worshipped their Lord during Ramadan, only to forget their Lord after Ramadan. The mandatory fasting may end when Ramadan ends, but the pursuit of taqwa must continue beyond Ramadan.
It is upon us to do everything in our capacity, in a calculated and strategic way, to ensure that this Ramadan lasts the period of our lives.
May Allah Almighty bless our month and accept it from us, grant us the night of power, and write us from among the freed from the Hellfire and the muttaqūn with the passing of this month. Āmīn.
Let us keep up the good habits we have acquired this month, remembering the powerful command Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) gives us:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْكَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ۩
O you who have believed, bow and prostrate and worship your Lord and do good — that you may succeed.” [5]
Source: Islam21c
Notes
This article was originally published on 21 Ramadan 1443 / 22 April 2022 and republished on 24 Ramadan 1447 / 13 March 2026.
[1] https://www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/taqwa-the-forgotten-jewel-of-Ramadān/
[2] al-Qur’ān, 51:17-19
[3] Muslim
[4] al-Qur’ān, 2:21
[5] al-Qur’ān, 22:77
