# Day 23: Maximizing the Last Ten Days | Ramadan Strong **Author:** Najwa Awad **Series:** Ramadan Strong **Published:** 2019-05-28 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/HWm2FMXPcow **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-23-maximizing-the-last-day-days-ramadan-strong **Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia ## Description Everyday challenges like raising children or having to work can be a barrier or facilitator to earning good deeds in Ramadan—you get to decide with intentionality and taking advantage of Laylatul Qadr. ## Transcript **[0:01]** As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. This is Najwa Awad from Yaqeen Institute. **[0:17]** And today I'm just going to be talking for a couple minutes about making the most out of the last 10 days and last 10 nights, especially when you feel like you have been doing your best. I think during Ramadan it's very easy to get caught up with comparisons **[0:34]** and looking to what other people are doing to see how we are personally experiencing Ramadan. So say for example you are a parent with young children and you're not able to read Qur'an or go to Tarawih like some other people can. **[0:54]** It's very easy to get dismayed and to get a little pessimistic that I'm not able to do what other people can do. I wish I could do what they could do but I can't. And I think it's important for us to remember that Allah does not punish us for blessings he has bestowed on us. **[1:15]** And so while yes it is challenging to have children during Ramadan or be entrusted with responsibilities such as taking care of an elderly parent who is sick or perhaps a man might have to work several jobs just to make ends meet. **[1:34]** And so we might feel bad about the responsibility that's been entrusted to us but Alhamdulillah a tremendous amount of good deeds can come from those things even if they don't appear to be the typical arabic that we think of during Ramadan. **[1:53]** And you know I think intentionality plays a really big role. So having the intention if you are not able to do some of the nawaf and to read Qur'an throughout the day because you are at home with the kids making the intention that you are taking care of your kids for the sake of Allah and you are raising the next generation of the ummah **[2:15]** and feeding them and clothing them and nurturing them Allah will allow you to get more good deeds than the person who has a lot of time just sitting reading Qur'an at the masjid. Or if you are just working working working and because you are not able to provide for your family any other way making the intention that you are working to take care of your family **[2:41]** can give you a lot of reward. So I think it's important for us to you know continue to do a lot of the deeds that we look at you know as a traditional deeds but it's also important for us to maximize you know maximize Ramadan by you know doing those deeds but also taking our everyday good deeds and making the intention to do for the sake of Allah. **[3:10]** And so also for those busy folks I think using a little qadr towards the end of Ramadan for their advantage can help them feel like they have made up for missed opportunity or lost time. **[3:27]** We know that we get a lot of reward from this qadr and so taking some small deeds that can give a lot of reward is essential during those last 10 nights especially for people who feel like they don't have the luxury of time that some other people do. **[3:48]** So what are some things small things that a person can do? Taking 3 minutes you know after isha and going online and donating whether it's even $5 or $10 to charity every night during the last 10 nights **[4:05]** and surely you will hit the little qadr one way or another and that $10 will be multiplied many times over and you can get a lot of reward. Or for the woman for example who has children and can't go to Tawweer, praying 2 rakaat or praying 4 rakaat by herself after isha can every night during the last 10 nights even if it just takes you know 5-7 minutes can help her get a lot of good deeds. **[4:34]** And so we don't really need to have this black or white thinking where it's well I can't read the whole Quran so I might as well not read anything or I can't pray the masjid so I might as well not do any extra prayers. This applies to you whether you are at home or you are out or you have a lot of time or you don't have a lot of time. So everybody has this opportunity towards the end to take really small deeds and multiply them many times over. **[5:06]** So it does take some intentionality some thinking ahead and this can be done the night before when you are going to sleep or during the pleasure time. What are small deeds that I can do throughout the day or at night that can have a tremendous amount of impact for me. **[5:22]** So I walk away from madad feeling like I did some good. So I hope that helps and may Allah bless you and your family during the last 10 days and 10 nights and may you find comfort in knowing that Allah is most merciful and knows best your intentions and what you are capable of. **[5:47]** Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. ## Other Episodes in "Ramadan Strong" - [Day 30: Farewell, Ramadan | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-30-farewell-ramadan-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 29: Beware of Ramadanitis | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-29-beware-of-ramadanitis-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 28: Practicing Istiqama for the Long Haul | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-28-practicing-istiqama-for-the-long-haul-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 27: Meeting the Best Version of Ourselves | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-27-meeting-the-best-version-of-ourselves-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 26: A Date with Destiny | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-26-a-date-with-destiny-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 25: The Value of Seclusion - Ihtikaf | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-25-the-value-of-seclusion-ihtikaf-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 24: When the Night Draws its Curtain —The Importance of Tahajjud | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-24-the-importance-of-tahajjud-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 22: Charity in the Last 10 Nights | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-22-charity-in-the-last-10-nights-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 21: Ten Days Ahead, Another Chance? | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-21-ten-days-ahead-another-chance.md) - [Day 20: The Extra Good Deed | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-20-the-extra-good-deed-ramadan-strong-2.md) - [Day 19: The Man Who Thought He Thanked God Enough | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-19-the-man-who-thought-he-thanked-god-enough-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 18: When Ramadan Breaks | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-18-when-ramadan-breaks-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 17: Ramadans of Yore | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-17-ramadans-of-yore-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 16: Detox by Day and Indulge By Night | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-16-detox-by-day-and-indulge-by-night.md) - [Day 15 | Overcoming the Mid-Ramadan Slump | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-15-mid-ramadan-slump-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 14 | Praise be to Allah | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-14-praise-be-to-allah-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 13 | The Need for Consistency and Balance | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-13-consistency-and-balance-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 11: "...but I've already fallen behind in my Ramadan goals" | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-11-behind-in-my-ramadan-goals-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 10: Your Qur'an Goals | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-10-your-quran-goals-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 9: Desire, Dedication, Discipline | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-9-desire-dedication-discipline-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 8: Talking to Allah | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-8-talking-to-allah-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 7: The Importance of Documenting Progress | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-7-the-importance-of-documenting-progress-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 6: Being Excused from Fasting is a Gift From God | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-6-being-excused-from-fasting-is-a-gift-from-god-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 5: Be Present | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-5-be-present-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 4: So That You Attain God-Consciousness | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-4-so-that-you-attain-god-consciousness-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 3: Mindful Fasting to Feed Your Soul | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-3-mindful-fasting-to-feed-your-soul-ramadan-strong.md) - [Day 1: Not Just Another Ramadan | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-1-not-just-another-ramadan-ramadan-strong.md) - [Ramadan Strong: Series Introduction](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/ramadan-strong-series-introduction.md)