Winter: The Season of the Believer

The early Muslims welcomed winter with such enthusiasm that they considered it the best season for spiritual growth.

The Prophetﷺ said: “Fasting in winter is the easy prize.”, and Umar ibn al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) called it "the prize of the worshippers."  

Allahﷻ strengthens the believer's practice in winter by making worship easier. The short, cold days allow us believers to fast without the increased hardship of summer. The long nights also provide time for both adequate sleep and extended prayers/Qur'an recitation. The believer can thus fulfil the needs of mind, body and soul, combining rest with Ibadah (worship) in a way that no other season permits so generously. Subhan'Allah.

To truly make the most of this blessed season, we must pause and reflect on how blessed we are. For over 150 million people worldwide, this is a season of immense hardship, and quite often, a matter of life or death.  

The winter we experience—with central heating, warm blankets, hot meals, and insulated homes—is a world apart from the winter that millions of our brothers and sisters in the Ummah endure. Right now, as you read these words in comfort, there are families huddled together in refugee camps where the only protection they have is a ripped, paper-thin tent and the ragged clothes on their backs. There are children whose tiny bodies tremble sleeplessly throughout the night. There are elderly people whose fragile health makes them extremely vulnerable to the danger of sub-zero temperatures. 

This stark reality should shake us from any complacency. While we contemplate the spiritual opportunities winter presents, we cannot ignore that for countless Muslims across Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan and beyond, winter is not a season of opportunity—it is a season of survival. The same cold that reminds us to seek Allah'sﷻ protection becomes, for them, a daily test of Iman. Their Du’as come from cracked lips that shiver, their fasts are broken with whatever they can find—if anything at all—and their night prayers are often spent on freezing, hard ground with nothing to keep them warm. 

The Companions understood that spiritual growth and social responsibility are inseparable. When winter would arrive, they would not only increase their own worship but also ensure their brothers and sisters were protected from the cold. They would remove their own coats to clothe those in need, refusing to feel warmth themselves until they confirmed that vulnerable families had been taken care of. 

This is the true spirit of a "believer's season"—not merely personal spiritual gain, but a season where our increased closeness to Allahﷻ translates into increased compassion for His creation. When we fast during these short winter days, let the ease we experience remind us of those who face hunger, not by choice, but by circumstance. When we wake up warm and rested for Tahajjud, let us remember those who spend their nights fighting off the cold rather than enjoying the sweetness of the night prayer.  

We mentioned earlier that our beloved RasoolAllahﷺ referred to fasting in the time of winter as "the easy prize".  

The meaning of this "easy prize" is that it is a reward obtained without the usual battle, effort, or hardship. In the scorching days of summer, fasting demands patience as thirst intensifies with each passing hour. But winter grants us a unique mercy—the sun sets early, the cool air diminishes thirst, and before we know it, the Maghrib Adhaan sounds and another fast is complete. The reward remains the same, yet the physical difficulty is significantly lessened. 

For those who have missed fasts from Ramadan—whether due to illness, travel, or menstruation—winter offers the perfect window to fulfil this obligation (so long as Winter and Ramadan don’t coincide). The shorter days mean less time between Suhoor and Iftar, making it easier to complete these makeup fasts without the weight of a long, hot day. Sisters, in particular, should take advantage of this season, as it provides a more manageable way to complete any remaining fasts. 

Beyond obligatory fasts, winter is also ideal for voluntary fasting. Consider the Sunnah fasts: Mondays and Thursdays, and the White Days (13th, 14th, and 15th of each Islamic month). Each of these carries immense reward, and winter's short days transform them from potential hardships into manageable acts of devotion.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) would say: "Welcome to winter! Blessings descend in it, its nights are long to pray in, and its days are short to fast in." 

This is the gift Allahﷻ has given us in winter: maximum spiritual reward with reduced physical difficulty. It is up to us whether we seize it, or we let this season pass just like any other. 

If winter's days are ideal for fasting, its nights are sacred for something else: intimate conversation with our Rabb. The long, dark nights of winter are when the distance between us and Allahﷻ feels the shrotest, when the silence of the world creates perfect space for the whispers of our Du’a. 

The Messenger of Allahﷺ said: "Hold tight to Qiyām al-Layl, for it is the practice of the righteous before you, and indeed Qiyām al-Layl is a means of nearness to Allah, a means of prevention from sin, an expiation for bad deeds, and a barrier for the body against disease." [Tirmidhi 3549].  

Allahﷻ makes the night prayers more accessible in winter than in any other season. In summer, Fajr arrives early, leaving less time for Tahajjud. But in winter, Isha comes early and Fajr arrives late, creating a generous window for night prayer—whether performed immediately after Isha, or in the blessed final third of the night. 

For someone new to the night prayers, winter is your invitation to begin. Start small—even ten minutes before Fajr is enough. The key is consistency, not length. Wake up, make fresh Wudhu, and stand before your Lord. Don't just read, recite the Qur’an. Pour out your heart in your own words. Cry if the tears come. Seek forgiveness for what you've done. Thank Him for what you have. Ask for what you need. 

The Qur’an will say: “I prevented him from sleeping at night, so accept my intercession on his behalf.” [Ahmad].

Your night prayers will intercede on your behalf on the Day of Judgement. Our Tahajjud will be a source of comfort and joy in the grave. They will be your companion in the Hereafter. It is one of the best provisions a believer can take in their journey to Allahﷻ. It brings a feeling that is impossible to compare. It is when our heart connects with our Lord. 

If you already pray the night prayers, then let winter be the season you extend it. Increase your recitation. Add more voluntary prayers. Make longer Sujood. Sit in the darkness and perform Dhikr. These long nights are gifts, and like all gifts, they have an expiration date. Fajr will come, spring will arrive, and the nights will shorten again. What we do now, in these dark, quiet hours, can transform our entire year. 

We often associate extreme heat with the torment of the Hellfire, and rightfully so—the Qur’an speaks of its blazing intensity and its burning heat. But the cold of winter holds its own powerful reminder, one that many overlook. 

The Messenger of Allahﷺ said: "The Hell-fire of Hell complained to its Lord saying: O Lord! My parts are eating (destroying) one another. So Allah allowed it to take two breaths, one in the winter and the other in the summer. The breath in the summer is at the time when you feel the severest heat and the breath in the winter is at the time when you feel the severest cold." [Bukhari 536, 537].

SubhanAllah—the very cold that makes us shiver, that makes us pull our coats tighter and seek warmth, is merely a taste, a glimpse of the Zamhareer—the extreme, bone-crushing cold that exists as one of Hellfire's punishments. 

Winter in many parts of the world means more rain. But where most see inconvenience, believers should see opportunity.

The Messenger of Allahﷺ said: "Two supplications are not rejected, or seldom rejected: the supplication at the call to prayer and at the time of the rain." [Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2540]. 

SubhanAllah, what a mercy Allahﷻ has bestowed upon us. When rain falls, the gates of acceptance swing wide open. Whatever you ask for in those moments when rain descends has a special status with Allahﷻ. Yet how often do we rush to escape the rain, muttering complaints, rather than standing with our hands raised in supplication? The Prophetﷺ himself modelled a beautiful Sunnah regarding rain:

Aisha (رضي الله عنها) narrated that when the Messenger of Allahﷺ saw rain, he would say: "Allahumma sayyiban nafi'an (O Allah! Let it be a beneficial downpour).” [Bukhari 1013, Muslim 2076].

Heﷺ didn't see rain as a nuisance but as a blessing to be grateful for and to ask Allahﷻ to make beneficial. Even more beautiful is what the Companions witnessed:

When it would rain, the Messenger of Allahﷺ would lift part of his garment so that the rain could fall on him. When asked why, the Prophetﷺ said: "Because it has just come from its Lord, may He be glorified and exalted." [Muslim 898].

This is the love of the believer—finding closeness to Allah even in rain, recognising that it has just descended from His command, fresh from His mercy. 

As we discuss winter's spiritual benefits—the easy fasts, the long nights, the blessed rain—we circle back to an inescapable truth: not everyone has the luxury of seeing winter as a spiritual opportunity. There are millions of homeless worldwide, shivering through the night on the freezing cold streets, whilst we remain warm in our homes. 

Our predecessors understood that worship without social consciousness is incomplete.

The Prophetﷺ said: "Whichever believer feeds a hungry believer, Allah feeds him from the fruits of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. Whichever believer gives drink to a thirsty believer, Allah gives him to drink from the 'sealed nectar' on the Day of Resurrection. Whichever believer clothes a naked believer, Allah clothes him from the green garments of Paradise." [Tirmidhi 2449]. 

Winter is a means to thank Allahﷻ, and one of the best ways to thank Him is to help those less fortunate than us. When you sit warm in your home, thank Allahﷻ—and then ask yourself: 'Who in my community might be cold right now?' When you complete an easy fast and open it with hot food, thank Allahﷻ—and then ask: 'Who in the Ummah is going hungry tonight, not by choice but by circumstance?' 'Who might be thirsty?' 

Gratitude is not complete until it moves us to action. The same faith that drives us to seek spiritual growth in winter must also drive us to ensure our brothers and sisters survive it. This winter, as you benefit from the blessings of winter, consider how you can bless someone else’s winter and help them survive.

Your donation could provide a warm blanket for a child in a Syrian refugee camp. Your contribution could provide heating for a family in Gaza. Your generosity could offer hot meals to those who have nothing. This is not separate from your spiritual growth—it is the completion of it. How can we sincerely worship Allahﷻ if we're ignoring the suffering of His creation? 

Winter will not last forever. The short days will lengthen, the long nights will shrink, and the cold will give way to warmth. This may even be the very last winter for many of us reading this. The question is: what will we have done when winter passes? What if it truly was our last winter? 

Will we overlook the easy fasts? Sleep through the long nights? Ignore the blessed rain, and remain indifferent to the suffering of others? Or... will we look back and see a season where our Iman deepened, our character strengthened, and our positive impact on the Ummah increased? 

The early Muslims would actually weep when they were on their deathbeds, mourning not the loss of life's pleasures but the loss of winter.

Muʿādh b. Jabal (رضي الله عنه) wept on his deathbed and said: “I weep because I will miss the thirst I felt when I fasted, praying at night during the winter, and sitting knee to knee with the scholars during the gatherings of knowledge."

This was a man who understood what truly matters, who saw winter not as something to endure, but as precious time to draw near to Allahﷻ. 

We may not reach that level of devotion, but we can start where we are. Fast as many Mondays or Thursdays as you can this winter. Wake up ten minutes earlier before Fajr. Say the Du’as when it rains. Seek refuge from the cold of Hellfire when you feel the chill. Give something—anything—to help someone survive this season with dignity. 

Every small act counts. Every sincere effort is recorded. Every moment we use wisely is a moment that strengthens our standing with Allahﷻ. Winter is not just a season of weather—it is a season of possibility, a gift from our Lord who knows we need all the help we can get in this journey back to Him. 

So welcome winter, and welcome the help as the righteous before us welcomed it. See it as they saw it: not as a time of darkness and cold, but as a time of light and warmth for the soul. And as you grow closer to Allahﷻ through its unique gifts, reach out to those who need your help. Be the warmth in someone's cold, the hope in their hardship, the proof that this Ummah still cares for its own. 

This is the true meaning of winter being the ‘season of the believer’—when our personal growth in faith translates into tangible relief for those who suffer, when our spiritual gains become their physical survival, when we recognise that we are one body, and if one part feels pain, the whole body responds. 

May Allahﷻ allow us to benefit from this blessed season, to seize its opportunities, and to be among those who respond to the needs of His servants in their greatest time of need.

May He protect us from the extreme heat and extreme cold of Jahannam, and may He make us among those whose Du’as under the rain are accepted, whose night prayers are beloved to Him, and whose generosity reaches those who need it most. Ameen. 

This winter, as you strengthen your connection with Allahﷻ through fasting, night prayer, and dua, remember those in our Ummah who desperately need your support just to survive. Your contribution, no matter the amount, could be the difference between life and death for a family battling the extreme cold.  

One Ummah are on the ground providing winter aid in places such as Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Pakistan. Our 100% donation policy means that your donation is safe with us. We will never take any portion of your donation to fund administrative, marketing, or other expenses. Your donation goes entirely towards your chosen project. 

One Ummah are ‘United Against Winter’. Together, we can transform lives.