DAILYREFLECTION
And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and with awe…
Most people know the feeling of waking up “off.” Heavy, unmotivated, slightly irritated for no clear reason. The whole day feels tilted before it even begins.
The Prophet ﷺ gave an explanation for that feeling.
He said that when a person sleeps, Shaytan ties three knots at the back of the neck. With each knot he whispers, “You have a long night ahead, so sleep.”
If the person wakes and remembers Allah, one knot is untied.
If they get up and make wudu, the second knot is untied.
If they then pray, the third knot is untied.
The Prophet ﷺ said that such a person begins the morning energetic and in a good mood. Otherwise, they wake up in bad spirits and sluggish.
Starting the day right is not just productive; it is spiritual protection.
Modern advice often says: make your bed first. The logic is simple. You complete one small task and feel ready for more. There is truth in that. But beginning with dhikr, wudu, and prayer does all of that and something much deeper.
It resets the intention for the entire day:
“This day is for Allah. My goals, my schedule, my energy are in His service first.”
Instead of reaching for a phone and letting the world rush in, a believer reaches first for remembrance. Those first minutes become like a quiet meeting with the One who controls everything that will happen that day.
This hadith is not meant to be followed mechanically just to “feel good.” Its real power comes when the heart uses those steps to reconnect with its purpose. Energy and focus then become a byproduct of that connection.
Tomorrow morning, try this sequence before anything else:
Wake with dhikr.
Make wudu.
Pray, even two brief rak‘ahs.
Then watch how different the same day can feel.
Reflect On This
Which knot feels hardest for us to untie, waking, moving, or praying?
Share your reflections in the poll at the end of the email.
WATERMELONWATCH
A Palestinian girl gestures as she waits to receive food from a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
Winter rain flooded displacement camps across Gaza as families struggled to keep tents, bedding, and cooking areas dry, with aid groups saying shelter deliveries remain far below need. Even so, many neighbors are pooling blankets, shovels, and hands to keep children warm and clear water from tents.
OCHA reports continued strikes and gunfire were reported between Dec 24–26, while winter conditions deepen risks for families returning to ruined areas. On the impact side, UN partners say December food assistance has reached about 194,000 families, and hygiene and dignity kits have been dispatched to support roughly 150,000 people.
US pledged $2 billion for UN humanitarian aid after steep 2025 cuts, though details on where the money will go were not yet shared. Relief leaders say the funding crunch is forcing “brutal choices,” so any reliable financing can help keep lifesaving pipelines open for crises including Gaza.
QURANCORNER
An-Nās (ٱلنَّاس) — The People / Mankind
An-Nās are all of us, the believer and the doubter, the grateful and the heedless. The Qur’an speaks to an-nās with both mercy and majesty: O mankind, worship your Lord... It reminds us that revelation wasn’t sent to angels, it was sent to people. Imperfect, searching, and beloved. An-Nās teaches us that every verse is a call, meant not just for them, but for you.