# Day 27: Meeting the Best Version of Ourselves | Ramadan Strong **Author:** Yaqeen Institute **Series:** Ramadan Strong **Published:** 2019-06-01 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/_PoJhRLaorY **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-27-meeting-the-best-version-of-ourselves-ramadan-strong **Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia ## Description In Ramadan we achieved a new level of potential, how can we hold on to one thing to sustain us throughout the year? ## Transcript **[0:01]** Salamualaikum. So the last 10 days of Ramadan are upon us. It's almost incredible to believe that two-thirds of the month has passed. **[0:20]** And for many of us, when you think about the potential we're able to achieve every single day in Ramadan, 16 to 18 hour fasts, we're still going to work every day, we're still functioning, but we're also increasing our ibadah. **[0:35]** We are waking up, praying, we are staying up late. It's almost as if Allah allows us to have a glimpse of what could potentially be the best version of ourself. This person that's able to do their daily obligation and yet increase their prayer. Now for most of us, this is unsustainable. You can't really do it 12 months out of the year. **[0:59]** But how can we take advantage of these last 10 days to establish a pattern that continues through us throughout the year? Oftentimes when we think about what is success in the corporate world, or what is success in finance, or what is success in business, we look for answers in places that give us really material understandings of what success is. **[1:21]** But to be successful in these next 10 days, and to be successful to carry them throughout the rest of the year, we have to ask ourselves, well, how did Allah define success? And it's really simply contained in the first few ayahs of Surah Al-Mu'minoon, qad aflaha al-mu'minoon, successful are the believers. **[1:40]** And what does the next ayah tell us? Those who are in their prayer humbly submissive. This past 20 days, we've been doing just that in Ramadan. But how can we carry it into the next year? It's really about picking that one thing that we can sustain throughout the rest of the year, which is making a commitment that we're going to take our prayers as seriously as we can. **[2:05]** It's going to be that moment of the day, five times a day, where we shut out the world and make a deep connection with Allah, make a deep connection with our Creator, feed the soul what it's been hungry for. We've been able to give it throughout Ramadan, but we usually deny throughout the rest of the year. That really remaining steadfast in our prayer, that taking advantage of that one connection we have with Allah, we can shut out the world and say, I'm with you. **[2:33]** I need you to help me cleanse my soul so that the rest of my day has the barakah that you can put into it. And so it is not the extreme amount of faith or productivity that we should be focusing on and putting unexpected goals, but really taking that one thing. **[2:53]** How can we perfect our prayer? How can we take one thing into the year? How can we finish Ramadan strong? You know, even if you think the past 20 days have been not as strong as they could be, or maybe we've been wavering, it's never too late. We have this gift of the next 10 days of entering into a pact with ourselves that we're going to take advantage and not just cleanse our soul, but cleanse our soul in a way where we can face Allah and say, I make a commitment. **[3:22]** I want to be one of your successful ones. I want to be a believer who says my prayer is going to be the key to my salvation. It's not too late. We can finish Ramadan strong and we can carry this into the rest of the year. **[3:37]** And may Allah accept from us our prayer and our fast and reunite us next year in another month of Ramadan. Thank you. ## 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 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 23: Maximizing the Last Ten Days | Ramadan Strong](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/ramadan-strong/day-23-maximizing-the-last-day-days-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)