https://www.khutbah.info/the-school-of-ramadan/ Abu Dharr and Muadh, may Allah be pleased with them, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: Be conscious of Allah wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it, and behave with good character towards people.[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1987, Grade: Hasan] This great comprehensive Hadith combines everything that a Muslim needs in the area of righteousness and rectification; their righteousness in what is between them and Allah, their righteousness within themselves and their righteousness in interacting with other people. And whoever reflects upon the school of fasting will find that it achieves the three matters included in this great comprehensive hadith.
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ , وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ , وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102
Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Oh people:
Abu Dharr and Muadh, may Allah be pleased with them, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْت وَأَتْبِعْ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقْ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ
Be conscious of Allah wherever you are, follow a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it, and behave with good character towards people.[Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1987, Grade: Hasan]
This great comprehensive Hadith combines everything that a Muslim needs in the area of righteousness and rectification; their righteousness in what is between them and Allah, their righteousness within themselves and their righteousness in interacting with other people. And whoever reflects upon the school of fasting will find that it achieves the three matters included in this great comprehensive hadith.
اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْت
Be conscious of Allah wherever you are
Fasting is a great school for achieving consciousness of Allah. For Allah Almighty opened the verses of fasting in Surah Al Baqarah by saying:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ -البقرة:183
Al Baqarah (2) 183: O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become Allah-conscious.
And Allah Almighty concluded the verses of fasting in the same surah with:
كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ -البقرة 187
Al Baqarah (2) 187: Thus does Allāh make clear His verses [i.e., ordinances] to the people that they may become Allāh-conscious.
And it was related in the Qudsi Hadith, that Allah Almighty said:
الصِّيَامُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ
Fasting is for me and I reward for it. [Bukhari 1894, Muslim 1151]
Because of what fasting achieves in terms of consciousness of Allah and that it is the key in the interaction between people and their Lord, may He be glorified.
وَأَتْبِعْ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا
Follow a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it
Ramadan is the best school for purifying and cleansing one’s soul. The Prophet ﷺinformed:
مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ- متفق عليه
Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins. [Bukhari 2014, Muslim 760a]
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ-متفق عليه
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]
And the Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
Whoever observes the Night of Decree in prayer out of faith and in anticipation of the reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. [Bukhari 1901, Muslim 760a]
But people in this worldly life either advance the purification of their souls or destroy them as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed:
كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو فَبَائِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُعْتِقُهَا أَوْ مُوبِقُهَا
Every person goes out in the morning and trades their soul, either setting it free or destroying it. [Muslim 223]
That is every person either seeks to destroy their soul or free it. So whoever strives in the obedience of Allah has sold their soul to Allah and freed it from His torment. And whoever strives in the disobedience of Allah has traded their soul for disgrace and ruined it with sins that lead to Allah’s wrath and punishment.
And success is in purifying one’s soul. Allah Almighty said:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا * وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا -الشمس 9-10
Shams (91) 9-10: (9) He has succeeded who purifies it, (10) And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].
And the Prophet ﷺ sternly warned against letting Ramadan pass without attaining forgiveness. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
وَرَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَمَضَانُ ثُمَّ انْسَلَخَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُغْفَرَ لَهُ
And may a man upon whom Ramadan enters and then passes, before he is forgiven, be humiliated. [ Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3545, Grade: Hasan]
وَخَالِقْ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ
And behave with good character towards people.
Ramadan is a school for attaining virtuous morals. Indeed it is a blessed school for cultivating and refining the souls upon every virtuous moral and esteemed behavior. For the Prophet ﷺ said:
وَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ وَلاَ يَصْخَبْ فَإِنْ سَابَّهُ أَحَدٌ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَائمٌ
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]
And Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺsaid:
مَنْ لَمْ يَدَعْ قَوْلَ الزُّورِ وَالْجَهْلَ وَالْعَمَلَ بِهِ فَلاَ حَاجَةَ لِلَّهِ فِي أَنْ يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وَشَرَابَهُ
Whoever does not give up evil and ignorant speech, and acting in accordance with that, Allah has no need of him giving up food and drink.[Bukhari 6057]
That is that person did not benefit from the school of fasting to refine their behavior and improve their treatment of others.
So let us make the most of the great school of fasting. For the Prophet ﷺ sternly warned against being like the one who does not benefit and only gets hunger from their fasting and only hardship and fatigue from their night prayers. The Prophet ﷺsaid:
رُبَّ صَائِمٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ صِيَامِهِ إِلَّا الْجُوعُ وَرُبَّ قَائِمٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ قِيَامِهِ إِلَّا السَّهَرُ
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)]
And this happens when the person misses benefiting from this great school, in achieving these three attainments, consciousness of Allah Almighty, and rectifying oneself, and rectifying one’s treatment of others.
أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Khutbah
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ
All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
Oh Muslims:
The days of Ramadan are limited and pass by quickly. And the last ten nights of Ramadan are upon us. And it is from the favor of Allah that a person reaches these ten nights. And this requires sincere determination and keenness to organize one’s time and beware of time wasters such as occupying oneself with excessive socializing, the internet and social networking. Allah Almighty said:
وَذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا -الأنعام 70
Al An’am (6) 70: And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded.
And one should be cautious from the scourges of laziness and procrastination, and preoccupying oneself with things that can be done after the noble month, and from preoccupation with the important rather than the most important.
The Prophet ﷺ used to strive hard in the last ten nights. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَجْتَهِدُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مَا لاَ يَجْتَهِدُ فِي غَيْرِهِ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to strive hard (in worship) in these (last) ten (nights of Ramadan) to a greater extent than at any other time. [Muslim 1175]
Also, Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ شَدَّ مِئْزَرَهُ وَأَحْيَا ليلَهُ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهله
When the last ten days of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to tighten his lower garment (refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay up at night, and awaken his family (to pray). [Bukhari 2024, Muslim 1174]
Also the Prophet ﷺ, in seeking Laylatul Qadr, used to perform ‘itikaf (seclusion) in the Masjed during the last ten days of Ramadan, until Allah took his soul. And it is not the same night each year. Rather it shifts. So it could be the night of the 27th or the night of the 21st or it could another of the ten nights. For that reason, it is necessary to strive on all ten nights. And whoever does that will definitely observe Laylatul Qadr and attain its reward. And whoever observes it gets rewarded even if they do not know that it is Laylatul Qadr.
And in seeking Laylatul Qadr one should seek forgiveness plentifully and especially say:
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ اَلْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
O Allah, You are pardoning and you love to pardon, so pardon me
For Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ عَلِمْتُ أَيَّ لَيْلَةٍ لَيْلَةُ اَلْقَدْرِ, مَا أَقُولُ فِيهَا? قَالَ: قُولِي: اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ اَلْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
O Messenger of Allah, if I knew what night Laylat al Qadr is, what should I say? He said: Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and you love to pardon, so pardon me. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3513]
So seek the mercies of your Lord during all of the ten blessed nights. And strive every single night. And be keen to perform plenty of good deeds as they are multiplied as if they were deeds done for 1000 months. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّ هَذَا الشَّهْرَ قَدْ حَضَرَكُمْ وَفِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ الْخَيْرَ كُلَّهُ وَلاَ يُحْرَمُ خَيْرَهَا إِلاَّ مَحْرُومٌ
This month has come to you, and in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived.[Sunan Ibn Majah 1644, Grade: Hasan (Albani)]
Oh Allah accept our fasting, night prayers and all our good deeds. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Answering.
هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا
O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good
عِبَادَ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.
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