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For All Muslims
In a couple of days, Muslims in Nigeria and across the world will begin the sacred journey of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. It is a season of devotion, discipline, sacrifice, and spiritual rebirth. But Ramadan does not reward casual participation. It demands preparation, intention, and structure.
The goals of Ramadan begin from day one. And they are tested in the first ten days — the days that determine whether the remaining 19 or 20 days will be spiritually powerful or spiritually average.
The early generations of Muslims understood this deeply. They began preparing for Ramadan months ahead. It is reported that many of the righteous predecessors would supplicate for six months before Ramadan asking Allah to allow them to witness it, and for six months after, asking Allah to accept it. Spiritual readiness was never accidental.
It is therefore wise — even necessary — to prepare the body, mind, schedule, and resources before Ramadan begins.
Yet when Ramadan starts, many ease into it slowly. The body adjusts. The appetite protests. Sleep patterns shift. Some reassure themselves: “I will be more serious in the last ten nights.”
Spiritually speaking, that mindset can be costly.
The first ten days are not warm-up days. They are foundation days. They set the tone, rhythm, and trajectory of the entire month. Scholars have traditionally described them as the days of Rahmah (Mercy) — a sacred window when Allah opens hearts before elevating them.
And that is why Muslims must never joke with them.
(1) THEY ESTABLISH THE PURPOSE OF RAMADAN
Allah clearly defines the objective of fasting:
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain taqwa.”
— Surah Al-Baqarah (2:183)
Ramadan is not about hunger. It is about transformation. It is about cultivating taqwa — God-consciousness.
According to Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, the way a believer begins Ramadan often determines how it ends. A weak start leads to distraction. A disciplined start builds momentum.
The first ten days are like the foundation of a building. If the base is shaky, the structure cannot stand firm.
(2) THEY ARE DAYS OF DIVINE MERCY
Though Ramadan is entirely blessed, scholars traditionally divide it into three spiritual phases: mercy, forgiveness, and salvation. The first ten days are associated with Allah’s mercy — Rahmah.
Allah reassures His servants:
“Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”
— Surah Az-Zumar (39:53)
Mercy softens the heart. Mercy makes repentance possible. Mercy allows a sinner to return without shame.
Ibn Kathir explains that Allah’s mercy precedes His forgiveness — meaning that before sins are erased, hearts are embraced.
The first ten days are that embrace.
- They Shape Your Relationship With the Qur’an
Ramadan is the month of revelation:
“Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind…”
— Surah Al-Baqarah (2:185)
The Prophet úý would revise the Qur’an with Angel Jibril every Ramadan — a tradition recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari. This shows that Ramadan was always centered on the Qur’an.
If a Muslim neglects the Qur’an in the first ten days, consistency becomes harder later. But if daily recitation is established early, the heart begins to crave it.
The first ten days determine your Qur’anic rhythm for the rest of the month.
- They Determine the Quality of Your Fasting
The Prophet úý warned:
“Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of him giving up his food and drink.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari
True fasting is not merely physical abstinence. It is moral discipline and spiritual refinement.
Imam Al-Ghazali taught that fasting has levels:
Fasting of the body (from food and drink)
Fasting of the limbs (from sin)
Fasting of the heart (from worldly distractions)
The first ten days train the believer in this higher level of fasting. Guard the tongue early. Reduce gossip early. Control distractions early. The rest of Ramadan becomes purer.
(5) THEY BUILD SPIRITUAL MOMENTUM
The Prophet úý said:
“The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if small.”
— Sahih Muslim
Ramadan is not a sprint. It is a 30-day spiritual journey.
Many begin with extreme zeal and burn out by day five. The wise believer, however, balances intensity with sustainability — daily Qur’an, consistent Taraweeh, regular charity, abundant istighfar.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal emphasized consistency over intensity. And that principle matters most in the first ten days.
(6) THEY PREPARE YOU FOR THE LAST TEN NIGHTS
Everyone talks about Laylatul Qadr. Everyone anticipates the final nights.
But those nights are not isolated miracles. They are spiritual climaxes.
Ibn al-Qayyim described Ramadan as a gradual purification — beginning with mercy, moving to forgiveness, and culminating in salvation from the Fire.
If the first ten days are weak, the final ten become exhausting rather than elevating.
You cannot reach the summit without climbing the base.
(7) THEY ARE A WINDOW FOR ACCEPTED DU’A
The Prophet úý taught that the fasting person has a supplication that is not rejected, as reported in Jami at-Tirmidhi.
The early days of Ramadan are when the heart is soft, the ego subdued, and the spirit receptive.
This is the time to:
Seek forgiveness repeatedly
Pray for parents
Make du¿â for the Ummah
Ask for personal transformation
Mercy flows at the beginning. The believer must position himself to receive it.
- They Reform Society, Not Just Individuals
Ramadan is not only personal. It is communal.
The Prophet úý was described as the most generous in Ramadan — recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari.
When Muslims take the first ten days seriously:
Charity increases
Compassion rises
Community strengthens
Hearts soften
The mercy experienced inwardly becomes mercy shown outwardly.
So Why Should Muslims Not Joke With It?
This is because the first ten days Set your spiritual direction, Establish your Qur’an discipline, Shape the quality of your fasting, Build sustainable worship habits, Prepare you for Laylatul Qadr and Invite divine mercy before divine forgiveness.
If you begin distracted, the month slips away.
But if you begin intentional — with sincerity, structured worship, guarded speech, daily charity, and persistent du¿â — Ramadan becomes transformative.
The first ten days are not ordinary days.
They are the gateway to transformation.
And gateways should never be ignored.
-Jamiu Abubakar
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