The First Friday Of Ramadan

EsinIslam Ramadan

Ramadan Explorer

Sheikh 'Abdullah ibn Salih Al Qussayyar

The first sermon:

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help. We ask for Allah's forgiveness, His Guidance, and we repent to Him. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of ourselves and the evils of our actions, whom Allah guides no one can mislead and whoever has been misled no one can guide.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger (peace be upon him), may Allah send peace and blessing on his family and Companions.

O people, fear your Lord and thank Him as He expanded your lifetime until you realized this honorable month and great season in which activity is renewed in obedience, and competition takes place among the believers in pursuit of the most precious objective through the honorable goods. So, they offer righteous actions to find them on the Day of Resurrection. How many bounties Allah bestows on His Servants in this month and how many hearts, which are heedless, are revived.

O Muslims:

The month of Ramadan is the month of fasting and Qiyam. Allah guaranteed for those who fast and stay up for worship to forgive their past sins. It is the month of charities, generosity and sympathy, and Allah loves the doers of goodness. It is a month which begins with mercy, its middle is full of forgiveness, and its end contains release of Hell; How great these prizes are! So, glad tidings are for the people of faith and charity.

O Muslims:

Of the favor of Allah on His Servants in this honorable month that the reward of actions are doubled, so whoever draws nearer to Allah in that month by good actions is as if he has performed an obligatory duty elsewhere, and whoever performs an obligation therein is as if he has performed seventy obligations elsewhere. As actions are doubled in this month, the reward of actions is also doubled out of Allah's bounty, for He us the Most Merciful. So, whoever offers food for a fasting person his sins shall be forgiven and he shall be released from Hell-Fire. It was reported in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Going to 'Umrah in Ramadan equals performing Hajj." In another narration, "performing Hajj with me," and Allah provides sustenance to whomever He wills without expense.

This month contains also Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power) which is better than a thousand months, and whoever stays up for worship out of faith, seeking the reward from Allah his past sins shall be forgiven. So, how easy is the action and how much is the reward from Allah, the Generous, the Giver.

O Muslims:

Of the great favors of Allah in this month is that Allah (Glory be to Him) revealed His Plain Book as a mercy for the world, a light for pathfinders, a sermon for those who take heed, and a guidance for the pious to guide people to what is right. This book reminds people of Allah, the great and generous Lord, a plea against liars, a warner to disobedient people, guides and exhorts to goodness, and warns against evil. Allah makes it a healing to chests and criterion to the people of faith when things become gloomy. "Alif-Lam-Ra. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. (This is) a Book, the Verses whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge, etc.), and then explained in detail from One (Allah), Who is All-Wise and Well-Acquainted (with all things)." [Surat Hud: 1].

"Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allah)." [Surat Fussilat: 42].

Whoever holds firm with it will servive, whoever asks for guidance therein shall be guided, and whoever turns away from it shall fall into destruction. So, recite it and hold firm with it, for it helps those who hold firm with it on the Day of Resurrection. It will argue for him, intercede for him until he enters Paradise, and push those who turn away from it into Hell. "So, hold you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) fast to that which is inspired in you. Verily, you are on a Straight Path * And verily, this (the Qur'ân) is indeed a Reminder for you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) and your people (Quraish people, or your followers), and you will be questioned (about it)." [Surat Az-Zukhruf: 43 - 44].

O Muslims:

Of the virtues of this generous month and great favors of Allah in this great season is that it was a time for victory to the people of faith over the people of Satan. In this month, the battle of Badr took place in which Allah provided victory to His Servants over their enemies despite the few number Muslims had. So, the battle of Badr was the first epic in the history of Islam when disbelief lowered its head. Allah reminded His Servants of this incident in His Saying: "And Allâh has already made you victorious at Badr, when you were a weak little force. So fear Allâh much that you may be grateful." [Surat Al 'Imran: 123].

In this blessed month, Allah opened Makkah, the city of security, at the hand of His Prophet and the master of His Prophets and Messengers, and Allah purified it from idols and polytheists, and Allah made it an abode for Islam forever. That was the conquest at which the angels of the heaven rejoiced as many people entered into the religion of Allah in groups and the phase of the world shined. The Muslim nation needs to renew these memories to restore holding firm with Islam to get up from stumbles and receive leadership of all nations in all continents.

O Muslims:

Blessings which Allah deposited in this month for His Servants are plenty, so praise Allah for His good judgment and thank Him for what He guided you to, and compete in all gates of goodness, and beware to waste chances. If you really had known what Allah saved for you in that month, you would have wished that the entire year is Ramadan. "Say: "In the Bounty of Allâh, and in His Mercy (i.e. Islâm and the Qur'ân); - therein let them rejoice." That is better than what (the wealth) they amass." [Surat Yunus: 58].

So, be of the grateful and beware of the actions of denying disbelievers. "And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe." [Surat Ibrahim: 7].

So, fear Allah, worship Him, pray your five daily Salah to please Him, pay Zakah of your money to show gratitude, and fast your month seeking the reward from Allah. Compete in righteous actions which He legislated for you sincerely, repent to Allah of your past sins, open the gates of mercy to yourself, and pursuit the reasons of forgiveness by removing enmity and hatred from your hearts, abandoning conflict and disputes, pardoning people and reconciling between Muslims.

Let it be known that fasting is only ordained for a person to have piety and prevent his organs to transgress Allah's Limits. So, a person should leave out any sinful word and forbidden action such as: Backbiting, tale bearing, lying, slander, cheating and deception, oppression, decreasing weights and measurements, usury, bribery, and all kinds of bad actions that prevent the acceptance of charity and answering invocations.

A fasting person should keep away from forbidden looks and listening to songs, for listening to music decreases the reward of a fasting person and bring about different types of sins; if there is a defect except depriving the doer from the pleasure of reciting the Qur'an, it will be enough.

During that month, do frequently four qualities: Two of them to please your lord which are: To bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and seeking forgiveness. The other two which you cannot do without are: Asking Allah for Paradise and seeking refuge against Hell-Fire.

Be keen to invoke Allah at breaking the fast, for a fasting person has an answered invocation at the time of breaking the fast.

I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan: "And when My Slaves ask you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright." [Surat Al Baqarah: 186].

May Allah bless the Glorious Qur'an for you and me, and may Allah make us benefit from Ayahs and Wise mention.

These are my words to you, and I seek Allah's Forgiveness for you and me of every sin, so seek His Forgiveness, for He is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.

Second Sermon:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the world [i.e., people]. The Most Gracious the Most Merciful. The Master of the Day of Judgment. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner. He loves benefactors and rewards the givers. I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, the trustworthy and truthful, and the adviser (peace be upon him).

O fasting people, fear Allah and know that fasting has etiquettes and manners, so hold firm to them so that you will come on the Day of Resurrection having more reward than others. Of these manners is the Pre-Dawn Meal where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Observe the Pre-Dawn Meal, for it contains a blessing." Food is not called Suhur (Pre-Dawn Meal) except it is eaten with the intention of fasting before dawn. It was reported in the Hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "My nation is still in goodness as long as they delay the Pre-Dawn Meal." It was reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The separation between our fasting and the fast of the People of the Scriptures is the Pre-Dawn Meal." It was reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah and His Angels send peace and blessings on those who have the Pre-Dawn Meal."

Of the manners of fasting:

A fasting person should beware of idle talks by avoiding cursing and insult, and when someone curses or insults him, he should say: "I am fasting, I am fasting," and should not slander him back. If this is the manner which you should adopt with those who insult you, so do not start with it.

O Muslims:

Of the manners of fasting, a fasting person should hasten the breaking of the fast when he ascertains sunset, for the most beloved servants to Allah are those who hasten the break of the fast as it is contradictory to extremism and the customs of the People of Scriptures and whims, so people are still in goodness as long as they hasten the break of the fast.

Of the etiquettes of breaking the fast is that a fasting person should break his fast by eating fresh dates, but if he cannot find any, he should drink sips of water, so do not start with something else as much as you can.

Manners and etiquettes are plenty for those who like to follow as mentioned by Muftis, preachers, guides, and reciters in masjids.

"And of them there are some who say: Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!" [Surat Al Baqarah: 201].

O servants of Allah, "Verily, Allâh enjoins Al-'Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allâh Alone ? Islâmic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsân [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allâh, totally for Allâh's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet peace be upon him in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allâh has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help), and forbids Al-Fahshâ' (i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is prohibited by Islâmic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He admonishes you, that you may take heed." [Surat An-Nahl: 90].

So, remember Allah, the Ever-Magnificent so that He may remember you and thank Him for His Favors to increase them for you. Indeed, the mention of Allah is greater, and Allah knows what you are doing.
 

EsinIslam Ramadan Team

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