Such is the power of this blessed month.
May each one of us, truly and fully benefit from Ramadan’s countless blessings from self discipline to complete health. amen
Dushwari
The Prophet (SAWS) delivered this sermon on the last Jumuah of Sha’ban
to inform the Sahabah (RA) of the virtuous month of Ramadan that was
coming upon them. This Khutbah has essential advice for Muslims
regarding the importance of Ramadan.
O People! The month of Allah (Ramadan) has come with its mercies,
blessings and forgiveness. Allah has decreed this month the best of all
months. The days of this month are the best among the days and the
nights are the best among the nights and the hours during Ramadan are
the best among the hours.
This is a month in which you have been invited by Him (to fast and
pray). Allah has honoured you in it. In every breath you take is a
reward of Allah, your sleep is worship, your good deeds are accepted
and your invocations are answered. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord
in all earnestness with hearts free from sin and evil, and pray that
Allah may help you to keep fast, and to recite the Holy Qur’an. Indeed,
miserable is the one who is deprived of Allah’s forgiveness in this
great month. While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst on the Day
of Judgment.
Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay respect to your elders, have
sympathy for your youngsters and be kind towards your relatives and
kinsmen. Guard your tongue against unworthy words, and your eyes from
scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from sounds
that should not be heard. Be kind to orphans so that if your children
may become orphans they will also be treated with kindness.
Do repent to Allah for your sins and supplicate with raised hands at
the times of prayer as these are the best times, during which Allah
Al-Mighty looks at His servants with mercy. Allah answers if they
supplicate, Responds if they call, Grants if He is asked, and Accepts
if they entreat.
O people! you have made your conscience the slave of your desires. Make
it free by invoking Allah for forgiveness. Your back may break from the
heavy load of your sins, so prostrate yourself before Allah, for long
intervals, and make this load lighter. Understand fully that Allah has
promised in His Honour and Majesty that, people who perform Salat and
Sajda (prostration) will be guarded from Hell-fire on the Day of
Judgement.
O people! if anyone amongst you arranges for iftar (meal at sunset) for
any believer, Allah will reward him as if he had freed a slave, and
Allah will forgive him his sins. A companion asked: “but not all of us
have the means to do so”. The Prophet (Pbuh) replied: Keep yourself
away from Hell- fire though it may consist of half a date or even some
water if you have nothing else. O people!, anyone who during this month
cultivates good manners, will walk over the Sirat (bridge to Paradise)
on the day when feet will tend to slip.
For anyone who during this month eases the workload of his servants,
Allah will make easy his accounting, and for anyone who doesn’t hurt
others during this month, Allah will safeguard him from His Wrath on
the Day of Judgement. Anyone who respects and treats orphans with
kindness during this month, Allah shall look at him with kindness on
that Day. Anyone who treats his kinsmen well during this month, Allah
will bestow His Mercy on him on that Day, while anyone who ill-treats
his kinsmen during this month, Allah will keep away from His Mercy.
Whoever offers the recommended prayers during this month, Allah will
save him from Hell, and whoever observes his obligations during this
month, his reward will be seventy times the reward during other months.
Whoever repeatedly invokes Allah’s blessings on himself, Allah will
keep his scale of good deeds heavy. Whoever recites during this month
an ayat (verse) of the Holy Qur’an, will get the reward of reciting the
whole Qur’an in other months.
O people! the gates of Paradise remain open during this month. Pray to
your Lord that they may not be closed for you. While the gates of Hell
are closed, pray to your Lord that they never open for you. Satan has
been chained, invoke your Lord not to let him dominate you.’ Ali ibn
Talib (RAA) said: "I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what are the best
deeds during this month ?’ He replied: ‘O Abu-Hassan, the best of deeds
during this month is to be far from what Allah has forbidden’.
Found online at: http://www.sbia.info/mambo/content/view/95/1/
