Advice for mid-Ramadan

Fellow Muslims! You are now in the midst of a matchless month. It is a great and noble month with uncountable merits and virtues. It is a season rich with gains for those who partake in good deeds as it destroys those who transgress and commit sins in it.

It is a month that excels other months by a night that is better than a thousand months. Blessed be the one who sincerely fasts in that month, invokes Allah in the morning and evening and wake up during the nights of the months praying and devoting his life to Allah.

The first half of Ramadan is now gone. Try then to make good use of the remaining half before the month ends. Hasten to use the remaining days in thanking Allah for His blessings and try harder to do righteous deeds and repent to Him for the hours of the month are hurriedly coming to an end. Do good deeds during the remaining days, you will be forgiven of the evils you did before; but if you persist in these devil deeds, you will be punished for the past sins and latter ones.

Whoever holds fast unto the Rope of Allah and makes good use of his time will be victorious and free from all evils; and the miser and unfortunate is the one who sins during these remaining blessed days for his lot will certainly be ignominy, distress and regret and woe accursed will he be on a Day that the negligent people will shed bitter tears; a day that Allah will say, “O My slaves! These are only your deeds which I enumerate for you and upon which I will reward you. So whoever finds good reward there from, let him thank Allah and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself.”

Ramadan days are the cream of worldly days. He who is blessed in these days is indeed the fortunate one and he who is deprived of their blessings is indeed the unfortunate one. He who does not work for his final abode in these days has wronged himself and will be blameworthy. The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, one day ascended the pulpit and said, “Aameen, Aameen, Aameen”.  He was asked “O Messenger of Allah! You ascended the pulpit and said, “Aameen, Aameen, Aameen?” He answered, “It was Jibreel who came to me and said, ‘Whoever lived to witness Ramadan and yet was not forgiven his sins; and as a result entered Hell, may Allah keep him away (from His mercy). Say, ‘Aameen!’ And I said “Aameen.”  (Ibn Khuzaymah).

O you who are negligent in good deeds in this Ramadan, are you sure that you will live to witness the next Ramadan? Give this month therefore its due and fear Allah in public and private.

Fellow Muslims! Days of Ramadan ought to be honoured. Do you guard yourselves from idle talks and immoral looks? Do you prevent your limbs from pastime and wild deeds? Have you prepared provisions that are suitable for your journey to the Hereafter or are you among those who engage in deeds which displease Allah and wander in this world as if they are created for nothing but the enjoyment of this life? Beware, lest the harmful things will be dearer to you. In this month, guard your eyes, tongues and the rest of your limbs from sins. Though it is incumbent on you to do that at all times, it becomes more biding during the month of Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah said: “Whoever does not refrain from false sayings and deeds, Allah has no need of his abstention from food and drink.” (Al-Bukhari).

Jaabir bin Abdillaah al-Ansaaree said: “When you fast, let your ears and tongue also fast by keeping away from lying and forbidden things. Do not harm your neighbour. Let tranquility and peace be your habit and let there be difference between your fasting and non-fasting days.”

Try to rectify your past mistakes and shun your pastime. Join the righteous people in their acts of worship and fill your life with obedience to your Lord. Endeavour to perform the congregational night prayer (Taraaweeh) for the remaining part of the month, for the Prophet said: “Whoever performs the congregational night prayer during Ramadan with faith and in sincerity, his past sins will be forgiven.”

Ramadan is a month of reflection over the Glorious Qur’an. It is an opportunity for perfecting its recitation and reviewing what has been memorised of it. The Messenger of Allah said: “Always review what you have memorised of the Qur’an for it escapes from people’s hearts faster than the cattle when it escapes with its tying rope.” He also said: “The example of the one who memorises the Qur’an is like that of the tied camel. If it is constantly checked and retied it will remain but if it is left, it will escape.” (Al-Bukhari & Muslim).

Fellow Muslims! Allah has honoured you with this noble Book. Reflect over its verses, follow its injunctions and do not rush its reading.

Further, the righteous predecessors used to recite the whole of the Qur’an many times and when Ramadan came, they would recite more. Angel Jibreel used to meet the Prophet every night during Ramadan and study the Qur’an with him but during his final year on the earth, he reviewed the Qur’an with him twice.

Fellow Muslims! Ramadan is the month of liberation from Hell and misery. The Messenger of Allah said: “The Almighty Allah - at every time of breaking the fast - frees some of His slaves from Hell.” Try therefore, as much as you can to free yourselves from Hell, for this is the time for repentance and sincere entreating to Allah. This is a month in which Allah accepts the invocations of His slaves!

Allah says, “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance.” (At-Tahreem: 8).

Go to the door of forgiveness, you will find it opened. Pay the price of Paradise with your bodies and souls and turn back to Allah as long as you live.

Dear Muslims! Finally, I‘tikaaf is a Sunnah (a Prophetic practice) full of benefits and great goals. The greatest of its goals is to severe all ties from fellow creatures and devoting one’s time to the Creator. It has positive impact on the mind and reforms and refines the heart. It is more emphasised in the last 10 days of Ramadan because of Lailatul Qadr (the Night of Decree). ‘Aa’ishah, radhiAllah ‘anha, narrated that “The Messenger of Allah used to do I‘tikaaf during the last 10 days of Ramadan until he died and his wives did it after him.” (Bukhari & Muslim).

(Excerpted from a Khutbah by Salaah al-Budair. Article source: www,alminbar.com)