There is a shift that happens on the tenth evening of Ramadan. The initial frantic energy—the adjustment to hunger, the late nights, and the early mornings—begins to settle. As we stand at the threshold of the second act of this holy month, we mark the close of the first Ashra (phase): the Season of Mercy.
In our tradition, we are told that the first ten days are days of Rahmah. As we look back on the week that has passed, what has that mercy looked like in the grit of our daily lives?
Often, we look for mercy in grand miracles, but in Ramadan, mercy is found in the ease. It is the unexpected surge of energy that carries you through a long afternoon meeting, or the way your body, which felt so fragile on Day One, has now harmonized with the fast. Mercy is also the patience you found when the commute was long, or the kitchen was chaotic.
If you look closely at your past ten days, you will find moments where you were stronger, kinder, and more capable than you thought possible. That was not just you; that was mercy from Allah.
The most profound mercy of the first ten days is the softening of the heart. Have you noticed how much easier it has been to be moved by a verse of the Qur’an? Or how your hands have reached more readily for your wallet to give Sadaqah?
The fast does more than empty the stomach; it thins the veil between our Creator and us. This "softness" is a divine gift. In this hustle-bustle of life where we so often become numb and unable to feel, Allah bestows us the mercy of being allowed to feel again; to feel the plight of the hungry, the peace of the Sajdah, and the warmth of the Ummah. It shows us that Ramadan is also a place for us to rest for a little bit from tiring worldly affairs.
As we transition into the days of Forgiveness, take a moment tonight to sit in the silence after Tarawih. Reflect on these three questions:
Finding the answers to these questions will help us appreciate Allah’s mercy and ourselves more. It will allow us to appreciate His divine love and enhance our connection to Him.
The first ten days were about receiving. We opened our hearts to the mercy that Allah poured into the world. Now, as we enter the middle ten days, we take that softened heart and ask for forgiveness; which is the second Ashra.
The journey is far from over, but you have already come so far. You have survived the adjustment; now, it is time to thrive in the spirit. May the mercy you gathered in these first ten days sustain you for the beautiful days ahead.
