Giving Life to The Night: Everything You Need to Finish Ramadan Strong!

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A guide to having your best 10 nights yet!🌃

Aisha reported: When the last ten nights of Ramadan arrived, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would tighten his belt, spend the night in worship, and awaken his family. (Bukhari & Muslim)

Ramadan is fleeting, and it’s almost time to bid farewell to our esteemed guest. When approaching this point in the month, you might be one of three people:

  • The one who put a lot of energy into the first couple of weeks but is now slowing down or feeling burnt out.
  • The one who feels as though they didn’t do enough in the beginning and wants to kick it into overdrive in this final segment.
  • The one who has been fairly happy with their efforts throughout and is ready to close out the month strong.

Regardless of your situation, we’ve made this guide to motivate you to capitalise on the life changing nature of these last ten nights. Let’s tighten our belts and get to it!

Set the tone with your intentions💭

All deeds start with intentions and it’s important to renew them regularly so that we’re continuously reminded that everything we do is for the sake of Allah SWT.

‘Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended.’ (Bukhari & Muslim)

Sharpen your focus and really hone in on what you’re trying to get out of these last ten nights; they present ample opportunities to attain forgiveness and barakah. When thinking about what you could do, ask yourself these simple questions:

  • What is most beloved to Allah swt?
  • How can I work this deed into my daily routine?
  • What is the meaning behind this action?
  • How I can carry on after Ramadan has passed?

Remove the barrier to entry🚪

If you’re someone who can spend the whole night in prayer, great, but if not, there are simple things you can do throughout these last ten days to maximise your rewards, dhikr and charity being great examples. Yes, you should push yourself further in this final stretch but not to the extent that you feel overwhelmed and end up not doing anything at all. Be honest with yourself about your capacity and work around that.

Guard yourself🛡️

If there were ever a time to be on your best behaviour, it’s now! You’ve spent a lot of time this month in worship, creating good habits, so don’t let it slip when it matters most. Keep your eyes, ears and mouth occupied with the recitation of Quran and plenty of dhikr, and minimize conversation with those around you if feel like it could become counterproductive.

Lean into the good! Don’t let gossip, backbiting or endless scrolling jeopardize your efforts. If you need to take a break from social media, devices and / or particular groups of people to make it easier, do it.

The Prophet PBUH said:

“In the body there is an organ which if it is sound, the entire body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt. That organ is the heart.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Protect your heart from that which is shameless and harmful so that you can avoid the distractions that take away from your true purpose - golden advice to carry with you long after Ramadan has passed, but very important to bear in mind during these last ten nights.

Consider going into a state of Itikaf🕌

In relation to guarding yourself, you might also want to go into a state of itikaf, in which you withdraw to a single space for a period of time (usually a masjid) in order to make worship your sole focus. It’s not compulsory and it’s certainly not for everyone, but if you feel like it would make things easier for you, give it a try.

Plan for success📒

When you’ve only got a limited window of time, it’s easy to feel as though you should cram everything in, and while we do agree that you should do as much as you possibly can, it’s always better to have a plan. Whether you prefer putting pen to paper or using things like Notion and Trello, it’s always good to have your goals written down somewhere. Make notes on how you want to split the days and nights, what you plan to do, how much time you want to allocate to each action and what kind of duas you want to make.

Get your prayers right🤲🏽

Our prayers are usually the building blocks for other deeds, so let’s treat them with care and importance. During these last ten nights, try and stay awake or get up for Tahajjud as the duas made during that prayer are like the arrow that doesn’t miss its target. Whatever your needs, ask for them during the final third of the night when Allah SWT is practically waiting to answer them. Good health, increase in rizq, marriage, children - ask for anything and everything!

Khushu refers to being more present and having concentration, and it’s an essential part of our approach to prayer. Here are some tips to improve your khushu:

  • Plan your day around your prayers, not the other way around.
  • Pray on time, and make wudhu a little earlier in order to prepare for it.
  • Learn the meaning of the surahs you recite, so that you feel more connected.
  • Pray where there is little to no noise.
  • Don’t have your phone / devices near you if you can help it.
  • Don’t let the task you intend to do after prayer occupy your headspace - focus on the here and now.
  • Treat your prayer like a conversation with Allah SWT Himself, and be mindful.
  • Pray as if it’s your last prayer.

Dhikr📿

Performing dhikr after your prayers and in between tasks, or even throughout the night is a simple act of worship that reaps abundant rewards.

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ

Verily in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest. (Surah Ar-Ra’d, 28)

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Indeed Allah has made a means for attaining everything. He has made continuous remembrance (dhikr) the means for love. So, whoever wants the love of Allah, then let him fervently remember Him.”

Laylat Al-Qadr✨

This is the main event, the showstopper, the one we’ve all been waiting for! The final part of Ramadan is filled with the pursuit of Laylat Al-Qadr, or The Night of Decree, as it’s when the Quran was revealed.

لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍۢ

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. (Surah Al-Qadr, 3)

Of this night, our beloved Prophet PBUH said:

“Whoever has fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins would be forgiven, and who ever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous since will be forgiven.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2014)

“Search for the Night of Decree in the odd nights among the last ten nights of Ramadan.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2017)

Laylat al-Qadr is the night when the angel Jibril (as) and many other angels descend to the Earth until dawn. On that night, the destiny of all living creation for the coming year is written.

Regarding the signs of Laylat al-Qadr, our Prophet PBUH said:

“It is a calm night, neither hot nor cold, and the sunrises upon its day red and faint.” (Sahih ibn Khuzaymah)

What to do on Laylat al-Qadr🚀

Recite the Quran - this night emphasizes the gravity of the Quran, and it’s vital to make it a part of your worship. If you’re taking part in Recite a Quran, Give a Quran, completing the challenge in search of Laylat al-Qadr is a brilliant way to finish AND set up your Sadaqah Jariyah. Don’t forget, you can also log your offline sessions with Tarteel Premium and have those count towards your activity and progress. If for any reason you can’t read or recite, be sure to listen to recitation of the Quran, read its translation and reflect on the verses.

Lots of dhikr - dhikr has come up a lot throughout this guide but it’s so powerful and incredibly easy to engage with.

Night prayers - how better to spend the night than in prayer, seeking Allah’s love and mercy.

Charity - all good deeds are amplified, so whatever you donate during this time will be worth a lot more!

Make dua - forgiveness, steadfastness in deen, health, family, career - don’t put limits on what you can ask for during this night (or ever, for that matter).

And speaking of duas…📖

We want everyone to be able to make the most of Laylat al-Qadr and the last ten nights overall, so here’s a list of duas / supplications you can make during this time:

اللْهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُعَنِّي

O Allah, You are Pardoning and you love pardon, so pardon me. (Tirmidhi)

رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Our Lord! We have indeed believed, so forgive us our sins and save us from the punishment of the Fire. (Surah Ali ‘Imraan, 16)

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ

Our Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day when the judgment will come to pass. (Surah Ibrahim, 41)

رَّبِّ ٱغْفِرْ وَٱرْحَمْ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ

My Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of those who show mercy. (Surah Al-Mu’minun, 118)

أَسْـتَـغْـفِـرُ اللهَ وَ أَ تُـوبُ إِ لَـْيهِ

I seek forgiveness of Allah and repent towards Him.

We hope you’ve found this guide useful inshaAllah. May Allah SWT allow us to seek ample mercy and forgiveness in these last ten nights, and earn His favour and abundance for the upcoming year. May we leave Ramadan better versions of ourselves and in a state where He is pleased with us. We hope you all have a beautiful close to this blessed month, and that you and loved ones see the month of Ramadan for years to come inshaAllah. Please keep the Tarteel team in your duas!🤲🏽