✨First Khutbah in Ramadan

When Ramadan enters, the gates of heaven are opened, the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained. [Bukhari 1899, Muslim 1079]

Ramadan is a month in which goodness increases and good deeds are multiplied and mercies descend. And the Prophet ﷺ said:
Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins. [Bukhari 2014, Muslim 760a]

Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins. [Bukhari 37, Muslim 759]

The month of Ramadan has;
Al Qadr (97) 3: The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

The Prophet was keen about it and sought it out. For that reason, the Prophet ﷺwould seclude in the Masjed during the last ten nights of Ramadan and say:
Look for Laylat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree) in the last ten nights of Ramadan. [Bukhari 2020, Muslim 1169]

Allah Almighty said:
Al Baqarah (2) 185: The month of Ramaḍān [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’ān, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the crescent of] the month, let him fast it

And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the most generous of people, and he was most generous in Ramadan when Jibril met him. Jibril use to meet him every night during the month of Ramadan and study Quran with him. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was more generous in doing good than the generous wind. [Bukhari 6, Muslim 2308]

And Umrah is recommended in Ramadan. For the Prophet ﷺ said:
For Umrah in Ramadan is (equal in reward) to Hajj. [Bukhari 1782, Muslim 1256]

Ramadan is the month of private worship. For a person may refrain from food, drink, and all things that break the fast but is not actually fasting, because they have not intended to fast, or because their heart is devoid of iman (faith), or because they do not perform the obligatory prayers. So Allah Almighty attributed fasting to Himself saying:
Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting which is (exclusively) for Me, and I will reward him for it. And the breath of one observing fasting is better to Allah than the fragrance of musk. [Bukhari 5927]

And the Prophet ﷺ said:
Every good deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied. A good deed will be multiplied ten times up to as many as seven hundred times, or as much as Allah wills. Allah says: ‘Except for fasting, which is for Me and I shall reward for it. He gives up his desire and his food for My sake.’ [Muslim 1151e]

And despite these virtues and rewards, a fasting person may only attain hunger from their fasting. The Prophet ﷺ said:
There are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there are those who pray and get nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night. [Sunan Ibn Majah 1690, Grade: Sahih (Albani)]

This is because such a person combined fasting with performing sins, false speech, idle talk and wasting time. Such a person is in loss. The Prophet ﷺ said:
May the one upon whom Ramadan enters but is not forgiven be humiliated.[Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 646, Grade: Sahih]

The believer that is keen to attain the mercy of their Lord in Ramadan makes plenty of supplications before Ramadan that they are able to receive the month in a state of wellbeing, strength, peace, safety and security. For there were those wishing to fast the month of Ramadan, but are not able to do so for valid reasons. While there are others whose passing cut off their hopes of reaching the month. And there are Muslims who fast in fear due to the lack of security.

And be grateful to Allah Almighty for His favor upon you for letting you reach Ramadan. And supplicate much to Him the Almighty that He completes His favor upon you by granting you success to excel in fasting and praying at night. And ask Allah the Exalted plentifully for help in performing acts of worship with proficiency and sincerity. For a person is weak and is completely dependent upon the help of Allah.

Then if the month passes, we should ask Allah Almighty to accept our fasting, night prayers and good deeds and to overlook our mistakes, errors and missteps and to not make us among the losers. For this is the way of the righteous. They perform righteous deeds and safeguard them from errors and deficiencies. And in spite of that they are fearful that Allah Almighty may not accept their deeds. Allah Almighty said:
Al Mu’minun (23) 60: And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord

The fasting person who is keen to attain the bounties of Allah Almighty in Ramadan must make the best use of their time in seeking the pleasure of their Lord. So they should not waste a part of Ramadan or even one moment within it. They should occupy their time with acts of obedience such as prayer, remembrance of Allah, reciting and reflecting upon the Quran, and night prayer and giving and acts of goodness. The Prophet ﷺ said:
If a man prays with the Imam until he leaves, that will be counted for him as if he spent the whole night in prayer. [Sunan an-Nasa’i 1364, Grade: Sahih]

And the fasting person who is keen on attaining the forgiveness of their Lord in the month of Ramadan shall avoid idle speech, quarrelling and disputing as the Prophet ﷺ instructed:
When anyone of you is fasting, let him not utter evil or raise his voice in anger and if anyone insults him or wants to fight, let him say, I am a person who is fasting. [Bukhari 1904, Muslim 1151d]

The one keen to free themselves from the Fire in Ramadan should not occupy themselves with time-wasters and sinful matters. For fasting does not mean to only refrain from eating, drinking and intimate relations. Rather, it is to constrain the sight from looking at the forbidden. And to restrain the hearing from listening to the prohibited. And to restrain the tongue from uttering obscene, evil and cheap speech. And to restrain the hands from extending to what Allah Almighty has forbidden. And restraining the feet from going to what incurs the wrath of Allah the Exalted.

Oh Muslims : So be conscious of Allah Almighty and obey Him and supplicate plentifully. For the Prophet ﷺ said:
There are three whose supplication are not rejected, the supplication of a parent, the supplication of a fasting person and the supplication of a traveler. [Sahih Al Jami’ 3032, Grade: Hasan]

And Allah Almighty said:
Al Baqarah (2) 186: And when My servants ask you, [O Muḥammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.

And Allah Almighty has placed this verse in the middle of the verses about fasting in Surah Al Baqarah.

So be keen to make plenty of supplications throughout the month and not just at the time of breaking the fast. And repeatedly ask your Lord over and over. And supplicate the supplication of one who is in utter and utmost need. And do not be stingy with yourselves. For your Lord is near, merciful and answering.

We ask Allah Almighty to make us among those who occupy themselves with what raises their ranks with their Lord and make the most out of these blessed days. May Allah Almighty accept our fasting, prayers and good deeds. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Answering.

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