Ramadan Reflections and The Fadhl of Allah

Assalaamualaikum and welcome back to The Issa Ishaq Blog...

Some of you may have noticed an ignominious length of time has passed since I last wrote a piece for the blog. My lack of engagement, should at least be explained and furthermore followed by a commitment to frequent my keyboard more than 3 months at a time. Life, in its usual style, has rendered me occupied and swooped me up in its tumult and spat me out three months later, without a single word committed to paper. In all fairness, Ramadan arrived, ambushed us even. Very few of us must have been truly prepared for the month, and I certainly found the sweetness of Ramadan arriving earlier in the set menu than expected this year.

Before we come to Ramadan itself, I thought I'd give you an update on another (very) exciting part of my life.

As many of you know, I co-founded Fadhl at the end of last year, alhamdulillah. Our goal has been simple, to reinvent the quality Muslim men should expect from their garments and their shopping experience. Buying a thobe shouldn't be any less electrifying than buying a hoodie from your favourite designer brand; we are going to be the future of modest menswear, inshallah.

I'll be honest, as an 18 year old starting a clothing brand, experience and resources are not things to be found in excess. Truly, our current situation has been inextricably founded on two cornerstones. The first, and most principally, is the rizq of Allah SWT. In Ayah 36 of Surah Saba it says “Surely, my Lord enlarges and restricts the provision to whom He pleases, but most men know not". Without His unending aid, Fadhl would be nowhere and, I, no one.

This leads me on to the second thanksgiving I owe, which is to all the people that supported this adventure, whether is was by buying a thobe or even just sharing a post, each and everyone one of you created this fervent Fadhl Family, which will continue to grow, inshallah. I've made some really incredible friends, learnt some life long skills and, honestly, I have loved every second.

Ramadan is without doubt the busiest time of year for any Muslim menswear brand, a hard balance has to be found between sacrificing precious Ramadan hours with business work. How many events should we do? How much time should be spent on social media marketing? Should we tie the camel of success through ibadah or setting up stalls at charity iftars? Difficult as it was, a balance was found - perhaps not early enough - and Ramadan flew past in its typical fashion.

But by the Will of Allah we practically sold out of our AW24 Core Collection this Ramadan - Alhamdulillah! We've been so grateful and this incredible Ramadan boost has entirely invigorated us for our next collection and the future of modest menswear. We are beyond grateful, and the Month of Victories could not have come at a better time.

And this brings us to Ramadan...

Where our gratitude can be discovered and expressed, and the heart can be cleansed of its infirm proclivities and the soul can be nourished by the Quran and ibadah.

Fasting has become easier every year since I started. Considering when I first fasted in 2017 and the fasts were about 18 hrs, but also when I understood that Ramadan isn't just about starvation so you 'know how it feels to be hungry', as is provided as an infantilised explanation to many of us when we were young.

Without doubt, Ramadan is about the scorch, the burning away of sins but equally, if not to a greater degree, Ramadan is about nourishment; spiritual rejuvenation is the defining omphalos of the month. When the month of Ramadan arrives like the guest it is, I have learnt over the years that a mindset of strength, optimism and discernment of the reward potential, ratify the mind, soul and body for an effective Ramadan.

Only when we start to see the beauty of Ramadan, when we become used to the power of Quran in Qiyam-ul-layl and when the weight of the last ten nights feel heavy on our shoulder, Ramadan starts to pack its bags. And how painful that parting is. The bitterness of Ramadan's departure is felt, harshly, in the days and weeks after. There is a groaning ache left in our hearts, as the blessed nights and days of Ramadan slip away.

May Allah accept this Ramadan from us, make us not from the losers of this month but from the Victors of this life and the next.

Thank you to everyone who sent in your Ramadan reflections and I'd like to a share a few.

"Like last Ramadan, this one was just as difficult as I had to fast in secret and even then I couldn't do the majority of the fasts. I only managed to do couple and my goal next year inshAllah is to be able to do all of the fasts. This Ramadan has been an especially interesting one as it has helped to focus more on myself and ponder the choices l've taken in this past year whilst looking forward to the future and it's given me a goal to look forward to. Praying my first ever Eid salah made such a huge difference in my life as well because a lot of good things happened that day.
And it also made come to terms with something - I need to tell parents about me reverting. And that no matter what happens, I will leave it up to Allah SWT, whether that means I'm kicked out or worse, it's just something that I have to go through and attending Eid salah and asking the imam there for advice gave me more courage and it helped strengthen my resolve. I think main thing that helped strengthen it is the brotherhood and support and solidarity that I know I will get by taking this step and I know that there will be people there to help me. And as result of this, my days seem brighter, better and fuller knowing that my journey is only about start." - Anonymous Brother

I found this to be so powerful, so humiliating and energising - all at the same time! Humiliated by the strength of this brother to overcome struggles for the Sake of Allah. I live in a Muslim family and I take the freedoms I have for granted - to fast, to pray etc. Also, beyond anything, this should motivate us all to become better and show gratitude for our situations. May Allah bless this brother.

"The right reminders and surahs come to you at the right time, during salah at the mosque. It really feels like Allah is talking to you. I felt that Allah sends His signs that he is there for you, but you have to have your heart and eyes open at all time. An example of this was Surah Duha - mind blowing. For Allah to remind me He is there for me and ease is on its way." - Anonymous Sister

A beautiful reminder of the power of Allah, as Creator of the Universe, He transcends time and exists beyond. Where we only see a pixel, He has the entire picture. For now, a hardship exists exclusively to a period of difficulty but when one door shuts, so many more open later on. We know not what He knows and hardship comes with ease.

"Ramadan went by too fast, felt like it only started yesterday, and now not only is Ramadan gone but also Eid"

"Growing up made me realised that I don't look forward to Eid but rather to Ramadan itself"

"The Power of Dua habibi to learn that part of your qadr is reliant upon whether or not you make dua for a specific outcome/wish, and that continuing to make dua out of the beauty that whispering into the earth, As-Samad, our Lord, the one who listens, hears us from above the heavens, and it is he who has the power to bestow upon us all that we wish for, he says and it is, nothing is beyond his reach, and as the bestower, the giver of gifts, Al Mannan, Al Wahaab, to this Ramadan and every Ramadan, and continuing in the months after, to ask for the highest and grandest when speaking to our Lord, for he listens, and has the power to do all."

"Ramadan is the month that comes when we most need it"

"Small consistent wins over occasional bursts of faith + stronger iman long term"

Jazakhallah khair,
Issa.

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