Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) Sermon
on welcoming the month of Ramadan
O People! The month of Allah (Ramadan) has
approached you with His mercy and blessings. This is the month that is the best
of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days;
its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the
hours. This is a month in which he has invited you. You have been, in this
month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful. In this
holy month, when you breathe, it has the Sawab/thawab (heavenly reward) of
'Tasbeeh' (the praise of Allah on rosary beads), and your sleep has the thawab
of worship. Your good deeds are accepted in this month. So are your invocations.
Therefore, you must invoke your Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are
free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you, observe fast, in this month,
and recite the Holy Qur'an.
Verily! The person who may not receive the
mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very unfortunate having an
end as bad (in the Hereafter). While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of
tomorrow in Qiyamat. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respects to your
elders.
Have pity on those younger than you and be
kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against unworthy
words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and
your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.
Be kind to orphans so that when your
children become orphans they also may be treated with kindness. Do invoke that
Allah may forgive your sins. Do raise your hands at the time of Salat (Prayers),
as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we
are answered by Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for
anything, it is accepted by Him.
O People! You have made your conscience
the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him for Istighfar
(repentance/forgiveness). Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your
sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.
Do understand fully well that Allah has
promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such
people who fast and offer Salat in this month and perform 'sajda' (prostration),
and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
O People! If anybody amongst you arranges
for the 'Iftaar' (food for the ending of the fast) of any believer, then Allah
will give him a reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor
sins.
Then the companions of the Prophet
(S.A.W.) said: "But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so?"
The Prophet told them: - Keep yourself away from the Fire of Hell, by inviting
for 'Iftaar', though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if
you have nothing else. O People! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this
month will walk over the 'Siraat' (Bridge) in 'Qiyamat', though his feet may be
shaking.
Anybody who in this month may take light
work from his servants (male or female), Allah will make easy his accounting on
the Day of Judgment.
Anybody who does not tease others in this
month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody, who respects
and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with
dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah
will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen
in this month, Allah will keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat.
Submitted By: Atif Nawaz Mughal