The Sahaba (RA) kept asking this question: Who is the best of people?

A companion would pull the Prophet (ﷺ) aside and say, I don't want to just be good. Tell me what it takes to be the best. Even when the rank of Abu Bakr (RA) and Khadijah (RA) seemed untouchable, they still asked.

And the Prophet (ﷺ) never once gave a name.

He could have said "Abu Bakr" and ended it. But that would've left the person deflated, stuck comparing themselves to someone they'd never become. So instead, he gave them something better. He gave them qualities. Things anyone could build. Things you could start working on before you even walked away from that conversation.

He said the best of people are those with a truthful tongue and a pure heart.

They pushed him further. What does a pure heart mean, Ya Rasulallah?

A heart so conscious of Allah that it refuses to compromise that connection. A heart free from envy, where you resent someone for what Allah gave them. Free from greed, the restless hunger for more before you've even sat with what's already in your hands. Free from transgression, not just in action, but in mind.

Abu Bakr (RA) didn't become the greatest companion because he out-prayed everyone. It was that in his heart which separated him.

This is what Ramadan is actually for.

We pour energy into the external. More rak'ahs. More khatms. More hours in Taraweeh. All of that matters. But the real work of this month has always been quieter than that. Between the school runs and the late-night prayers, between work deadlines and iftar prep, Ramadan is asking you one question: What's living in your chest that shouldn't be?

The resentment you haven't released. The greed dressed up as ambition. The restlessness that won't let you feel grateful for five minutes.

Ramadan isn't just a month to fill your scale. It's a month to open your heart.

Reflect on this:

Abu Bakr (RA) didn't out-pray the Sahaba, he out-purified his heart. How much of your Ramadan focus has been external worship versus internal transformation?

^{Share your reflections in the poll at the end of the email.}