Pray on it

I had another piece planned for this week, but I’m foregoing that for a short reflection on the start of Ramadan and what is to come.

I’ve found it so helpful to hear other people pray, especially those who’ve been praying for decades longer than myself. Once I heard a spiritual elder pray: "Allah, give me the strength and capability to do the things I need to do." This prayer struck me because instead of just praying for a certain outcome, he prayed for God to rally all the abilities necessary for him to achieve it. We’ve all experienced knowing what needs to be done, but feeling like you might not have what it takes. Attaching a prayer to that feeling of overwhelm before it happens or during it might be the lifeline we need to pause and re-center ourselves for the journey. Ask God: "Give me what I need to bear this burden with dignity and grace."

With Ramadan knocking on our door, I want to encourage myself and all of you to animate as many moments as possible with prayer. Qur’anic prayers, Prophetic prayers, but also prayers that are so specific to you and might even seem too mundane to pray about. Nothing is too small for Allah to pay attention to and if you need it resolved so that you can worship Him like He’s asked and live up to the values you hold, then praying on those things is exactly what you need. Attending to the details of our lives is from a place of care and compassion for ourselves and reflective of our vision for who we know we can be.

Allah loves those who are patient (3:146). As Imam al-Jawzy said in his book on the subject, part of patience is bearing your own shortcomings with dignity.

Have a blessed Ramadan,
Faatimah