Opening Reminder: The Last 10 Nights of Ramadan
Tonight marks the 21st night of Ramadan — one of the odd nights in which Laylatul Qadr may fall. The Prophet ﷺ urged us to seek it in the last ten nights. Allah describes it as a single night greater than a thousand months — more than 83 years of worship.
The minimum we should commit to: praying Isha and Fajr in congregation every night of these last ten. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever does so receives the reward of praying the entire night. If you can’t get to the masjid, pray with a family member.
Make extra effort with additional rakaat, Quran, and dua. Sayyidatuna Aisha asked what to say if she encountered Laylatul Qadr, and the Prophet ﷺ taught her: Allahumma innaka ’afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ’anni — “Oh Allah, You are the Pardoner and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”
The aim: to exit Ramadan free from sins, as though born anew.
Tajweed Breakdown: Ayah 20, Surah Al-Muzammil
This is the final ayah of the surah — a lengthy one spanning half a page. Key rules covered include:
The letter ’Ain — produced from the middle of the throat with partial constriction. It flows, unlike a full glottal stop.
Qalqalah — a bouncing sound applied to the five letters (qaaf, taa, baa, jiim, daal) when they carry sukun. Avoid bouncing non-qalqalah letters.
Noon Sakinah and Tanween rules throughout the ayah:
∙ Ikhfa (partial merging) — when noon sakinah meets letters outside the yarmaloon and idhar groups (e.g., noon before thaa, taa, sin, faa). Keep the back of the tongue flat when the following letter is light.
∙ Idgham (full merging) — when noon sakinah meets a yarmaloon letter. Read with gunnah for ya, nun, mim, and waw. No gunnah for laam and raa.
∙ Idhar (clear pronunciation) — when tanween is perfectly aligned, or noon sakinah carries a sukun sign before a throat letter. No gunnah, no merging.
Identifying tanween type: A perfectly aligned (stacked) tanween indicates idhar. An unaligned (offset) tanween indicates merging (idgham).
Mim sakinah before mim — idgham mutamathilain, read with gunnah.
Madd rules: Madd asli (natural prolongation, two harakat) applies throughout. Madd badal appears in several places but operates under madd asli rules in this reading. Madd ’arid lil-sukun (two, four, or six harakat) applies when stopping at the end of a word — keep it consistent throughout.
Lafzul Jalalah (the name “Allah”): The laam is read heavy when preceded by fathah or dhammah, and light when preceded by kasrah.
Pronunciation reminders:
∙ The letter haa at the end of a word must still be subtly pronounced, not swallowed.
∙ Kaaf carries a slight exhaled breath when stopping on it.
∙ Laam is produced from the sides of the tongue against the upper molars, not the tip.
Closing: The full ayah was recited together. This completes the reading of Surah Al-Muzammil, built up week by week across the series. A reminder to make extra dua in these final nights.
