NOT done, NOT dusted.

Please pray that Allah grants our brothers and sisters who are suffering ease, and victory and that He replaces all they have lost with that which is better, Ameen. Please donate here: launchgood.com

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlah wa barakaatuh.

Trust that you're good, striving, and thriving.

A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to say:

Observe moderation (in doing deeds), and if you fail to observe it perfectly, try to do as much as you can do (to live up to this ideal of moderation) and be happy for none would be able to get into Paradise because of his deeds alone. They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah's Messenger, not even you? Thereupon he said: Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in His Mercy, and bear this in mind that the deed loved most by Allah is one which is done constantly even though it is small.

Alhamdullilahi robbil alaameen for being able to witness this blessed month of Ramadan,it has been something!

It has been rocky, unsteady, a little scattered and a little everywhere

But there have still been moments of beauty in this chaos,

Moments of opportunity

Moments of blessings

Moments of worship

And sooo many moments to be grateful for.

Every year, I'll usually wrap up Ramadan with this feeling of done and dusted..Yes, I know that acceptance is not from me, but the blessing of being able to plan and execute my plan almost always puts me on a spiritual high.

This year though is different and humbling… My checklist is not checking! 

I struggled through every single week and many days but I'm honestly grateful for it.

I'm grateful that Allah helped me to hold on.

I'm grateful that He helped me move past feeling it to doing it.

I am grateful that He helped me pick myself up so many times and reminded me of the many chances I had left.

I'm happy for the community and the sisters not scared to bare their struggles, so I knew I was not alone.

I'm grateful that I am not leaving this month feeling like it was my best because now I feel inspired to continue the work, BEG for acceptance, and do more.

You see, every Ramadan comes with its lessons and I’d like to share some of mine, hoping that you'll find them beneficial.

1. I'm not in control of Allah is.I know this but have I fully absorbed it? This Ramadan has shown me that my journey to FULLY surrendering still needs some work. May Allah make it easy for me.

2. The Qur'an is a blessing for the believer no matter what state he is in. I came to the Qur'an this Ramadan as scattered as it comes. But Allah still opened up it's light to me, for every recitation, reflection, there was something to gain. It healed me, motivated me, reminded me and comforted me.

3. Idle talk is a waste of time. Stay away from it as much as you can. No matter how good you start, a conversation that you cannot say is for the sake of Allah, will never be worth your time.

4. Fight tooth and nail for company that reminds you of Allah, your life literally depends on it. This is a goal that you should strive for as much as you can. Scrub that company clean as you grow, and keep raising the bar. Grateful for the sisters and the community that helped me this month..Truly Allah-sent!

5. Not being satisfied with your Ibadah is a good place to be. It keeps you hungry, it keeps you inspired to keep seeking Allah's favor. I like the guilt, I just have to be careful not to drown in it..lol

6. Being able to do acts of worship is a privilege! It's a big deal! It's an underrated blessing! We needed to be grateful for it! Such such an honor that you don't realize till you can't do them. Free time is also blessing, use it wisely. When you have the time to do extra worship, go all out and hold nothing, nothing back.

Putting everything on hold for an Ibadah only Ramadan will not always be possible. When the chips are down and it's inconvenient how much am I willing to push myself for His sake? How much am I willing to stretch?

Alhamdullilahi robbil alaameen,it still isn't over ,we got a 'bonus night' yesterday and now we still have some hours to go. What should I do?

Ibn al-Jawzī (raḥimahullāh) writes, “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 cleverer than you. Indeed, deeds are judged by their conclusions. Thus, if you didn’t do well with welcoming Ramaḍān then perhaps you will do better bidding it farewell.”

1. Keep seeking forgiveness and praying for acceptance. It is too early to give up on those Dhikr and Duas. Depending on your location, you still have some hours or maybe even a whole day to go.

2. Set your intentions for next Ramadan, it is not too early to start.

3. Go on a last- minute Sadaqah spree and donate to every singly charity that comes to mind. I have personally benefited from Quran.com and Ribaat and will love that you support them. It does not matter how small, just keep giving! There are also campaigns for Sudan, Palestine and Yemen on launchgood, please support them too.

4. Feed a fasting person or two, or three or maybe an entire family.

5. Pay your Zakat-ul fitr and then make someone’s Eid extra special by taking biscuits and sweets to the prayer ground. I LOVE when kids get so excited about Eid, that is how it should be! Make someone’s childhood memory special. You can also give someone a beautiful Eid Abaya.

6. Set your intentions to CONTINUE your deeds post-Ramadan.

Speaking of continuing good deeds, last year, Alhamdulillahi we started a post Ramadan workshop focused on helping to keep up their Ramadan habits. If you're feeling like me who DESPERATELY wants to do more, I encourage you to sign-up. Insha Allah , I will communicate the date in the next couple of weeks but didn't want to talk myself out of this one, hence the early announcement. If I don't get it done, please feel free to call me out. For those who know me personally, don't let me rest! For those who don't, comment under the posts and send me emails! You've got my permission to drag me..lol.

Remember, Ramadan may be over but your journey to striving just got started.

May Allah reward us for more than we intended this Ramadan.

May He forgive us our sins and shortcomings.

May He elevate our status and raise our ranks

May He accept every fast, prayers ,sujood, Dua,Dhikr,charity and every act of worship and deed that we put forth or intended to put forth.

May Allah make us a better slaves .

May Allah bless us to witness the next Ramadan, and the next and the next and the next and MANY MORE on this earth as long as it's good for us.

Ameen Ya Rabb

Till next week In shaa Allah.

We leave you in Allah's care,

One of us at Ibadahplug.