Khutbah: Sha‘ban and Preparing for Ramadan

All praise be to Allāh. He returns to His servants the seasons of goodness. And He prepares for them that which cleanses the souls and raises the ranks. And He eases for them that which nears them to the Lord of mankind. So from them are those who draw near to their Lord and are therefore elevated. And from them are those who are disgraced and deviated, and others whose desires degrade them to the lowest of positions. I praise Him – Exalted is He – and I thank Him. And I testify that there is no god but Allāh alone, having no partner. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave, messenger and chosen one. Successful is the one who is guided with his guidance and misguided is the one whose desires cause him to dislike him. May Allāh send benedictions and much peace upon him and upon his family and companions.

Let me start by posing you a question: if you were to receive news that someone from the top-class of society was going to visit your home in a few moments time, what would you do? Would you just leave your home as untidy as it is? Would you just remain sitting on your couch in your sleeping clothes, not bothering to look presentable or prepare food and drink for the high-profile guest you're about to host? I'm sure you wouldn't. You'd be hurrying to prepare the home and yourself in anticipation for the honourable guest you're about to receive, right?

Dear brothers and sisters! In less than one month's time, a noble guest shall be knocking at our door. A dignified, honourable guest, none other than the month of Ramaḍān – and what an excellent guest it is! Now is the time to step-up our preparations in receiving this noble guest before it arrives at our door, especially those who haven't begun preparing yet.

We all know that Ramaḍān is a time when the rewards of good deeds are multiplied. That's why we increase in our good deeds during Ramaḍān. However, don't wait until Ramaḍān to engage in all the acts of worship you think of doing. If you ask someone who's quit an addiction or a bad habit, or someone who developed a good habit, they'll tell you that they didn't just stop it at once; they did it gradually. Similarly with Ramaḍān: prepare yourself beforehand for the increased worships you plan on doing. If you don't, you risk burning out and being unable to cope with the load, and Ramaḍān is a month too great for risks. If you plan on reading the Qur’ān more but are not reading it regularly at the moment, start getting into that practice now. If you plan on quitting listening to ḥarām music, start now. Begin at a level you know you can maintain, then go further after a week, then again a week later. By the time Ramaḍān comes, you'll already be in stride, and you'll be able to gain more out of it than if you hadn't done this. And it'll become easier for you to maintain this good deed, or refrain from this bad habit, throughout the whole blessed month, something which will carry on into the rest of the year and perhaps even your life. And this is what we all should seek from a Ramaḍān: something that changes our lives forever.

There are many ways to prepare in advance. Waking up earlier before Fajr. Reading more Qur’ān. Praying all the sunnah prayers before and after the farḍ prayers. Giving more in charity and service to others. But perhaps the best way to prepare is by fasting, especially given that this is currently the month of Sha‘bān. Imām al-Nasā’ī and Imām Abū Dāwūd narrate that Usāmah ibn Zayd (raḍiya Llāhu ‘anhu) said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ), I do not see you fasting in any month more than in Sha‘bān.’ He said, ‘That is a month concerning which many people are heedless, between Rajab and Ramaḍān. It is the month in which people's deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’”

Pay particular importance to the 15th of Sha‘bān. Ensure that you spend it in worship, most ideally by offering extra prayers during its night, even if a little, and by fasting its day.

Dear believers! I remind you once again to prepare for the arrival of your noble guest. Ramaḍān is like a spiritual spring, a season of harvest, when the rains of Divine Mercy, Forgiveness and Favour shower in abundance, resulting in the crops and fruits to grow and bloom. Though the ones who enjoy the best crops and fruits are few. They are those who planted their seeds prior to this spring. Be from amongst those few. Start planting your seeds now.

Sawm in Sha‘ban

Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu ‘alā rasuli llāh, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh

The month of Sha‘bān is a month during which fasting (ṣawm) is recommended. The Prophet ﷺ was reported to have fasted most of this month.

Imām al-Nasā’ī and Imām Abū Dāwūd narrate that Usāmah ibn Zayd (raḍiya llāhu ‘anhu) said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, I do not see you fasting in any month more than in Sha‘bān.’ He said, ‘That is a month concerning which many people are heedless, between Rajab and Ramaḍān. It is the month in which people's deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’”

Imām Muslim narrates that ‘Ā’ishah (raḍiya llāhu ‘anhā) said: “He ﷺ used to fast all of Sha‘bān; he used to fast Sha‘bān except a few days.”

Imām al-Nawawī said regarding this ḥadīth: “In the words, 'He used to fast all of Sha‘bān; he used to fast Sha‘bān except a few days', the second phrase explains the first, and indicates that the word 'all' means 'most of'.”

If one cannot fast most of the month, one should fast at least three days of the month, preferably the 13th, 14th and 15th days of the month. This applies to every lunar month.

‘Abdu llāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ (raḍiya llāhu ‘anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said to me: ‘It is sufficient for you to fast three days every month, because for every good deed you will have [the reward of] ten like it, so that will be like fasting for a lifetime.‘” (Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

This is as fasting three days is equivalent in reward to fasting 30 days, so if one were to fast three days of each month and do so for every month, it would be like fasting for a lifetime.

The scholars mention that fasting in Sha‘bān before Ramaḍān resembles praying the supererogatory prayers before the obligatory prayer, while fasting in Shawwāl after Ramaḍān resembles praying the supererogatory prayers after the obligatory prayer. Performing supererogatory actions makes up for any deficiencies in the obligatory actions that we have performed.

And Allāh Knows Best. And With Him is Ultimate Success.

Khutbah: Paradise Requires Sacrifice

Indeed, all praises and thanks are due to Allāh. We praise Him, we seek His Help and and we seek His Forgiveness. And we take refuge in Allāh from the evils of ourselves and from the bad of our actions. Whomever Allāh guides, none can misguide. And whomever Allāh misguides, none can guide. And I testify that there is no one worthy of worship except Allāh. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger. May blessings and peace be upon him and upon his family and companions.

To proceed:

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said:

‏ حُفَّتِ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ وَحُفَّتِ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ

"Paradise is surrounded by undesirable things and Hellfire is surrounded by temptations." (Narrated by Muslim and al-Tirmidhī)

Let me remind you: paradise requires sacrifice. Jannah is not cheap. You must put in hard work and great effort to attain it. I urge you to ponder about yourself and think: have I done enough? Am I worthy of this expensive commodity of Allāh?

Think: you stand in prayer with your face in the direction of the Qiblah, while your heart is directed to a different direction (i.e. dunyā). You fast, forbidding your stomach from food and drink, yet you do not forbid your other organs from what is ḥarām for them. You claim to love Allāh, yet you knowingly disobey Him day in, day out. And then you say, "I want His Jannah"?

Ponder: your Lord has prohibited you from looking at certain things, yet you look, you stare, you gaze at these very things like a dog looks at a piece of meat. Your Lord has prohibited you from listening to certain things, yet you listen, you give ears, you keep your ears open to these very things like a lidless bin which you constantly dump trash down. Your Lord has prohibited you from uttering certain things, yet you keep uttering these very things; you swear at, you mock at, you backbite others like a dog which can't stop barking. And despite your repeated disobedience of your Lord and then you deeming that as nothing significant, you're absolutely confident that He's kept in store for you Jannah?

Consider: you hear that the ṣaḥābah and awliyāʾ would stand all night in prayer, weeping and pleading to their Lord. You read that the ṣaḥābah and the awliyāʾ would be the most cautious when it came to matters of ḥalāl and ḥarām. You know that the ṣaḥābah and awliyāʾ devoted their entire lives for their Lord, and yet they were worried they would not earn the reward of their Lord. So what about you? What makes you think you've secured a spot in Jannah?

No, my brother! No, my sister! You don't just wish for Jannah – you prove that you are deserving of Jannah! If you want Allāh to save you from the Fire and admit you into His Jannah, you've got to demonstrate that want of yours. If you want Jannah, you've got to work for it, and work hard.

Dear brothers and sisters, this life is filled with tests, and you'll need to overcome these tests if you want Jannah. You'll need to pass them with flying colours. Allāh says:

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ

"Do the people think that they will be left alone just because they say, "We believe", and that they will not be tested?"

This is a rhetorical question. You should already know the answer. Of course Allāh will test you.

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

"But We have certainly tested those before them, and Allāh will surely, surely make it clear as to those who are truthful (in their claim to belief), and He will surely, surely make it clear as to the untruthful." (Qur’ān 29:2-3)

Allāh also says:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ ٱلْبَأْسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصْرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ

"Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? Touched them poverty and hardship, and they were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, "When is the help of Allāh?" Unquestionably, the help of Allāh is near." (Qur’ān 2:214)

And He says:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ جَٰهَدُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ

"Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allāh has not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast?" (Qur’ān 3:142)

Dear believers! Listen up and take heed: whenever you want something, you've got to work for it. You don't just sit down all day wishing and waiting for a miracle to drop from the sky. You want good results at school, you work hard for them. You want a bright future, you work hard for it. The same applies for the Afterlife. You want Jannah, you work hard for it. I'm pretty sure that if you're serious about high exam marks, you won't just go around hoping for those marks while not studying for the exams or paying attention in class. Jannah works the same way. Jannah is not cheap. Jannah is expensive. It's price is striving in the Path of Allāh. You will need to strive against the trials and tests that come your way. And this will mean sacrifice. Sacrifice of your time. Your ego and desires. Your energy. Your friends and loved ones. Your life. Paradise requires sacrifice.

I conclude with the final verse of Sūrat Āli ‘Imrān:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

"O you who have believed, have ṣabr (patience and endurance), outdo others (i.e. your enemies) in ṣabr, persevere in acts of worship (or: be garrisoned), and fear Allāh, so that you may be successful." (Qur’ān 3:200)

Khutbah: Receiving Rajab

Indeed, all praises and thanks are due to Allāh. We praise Him, we seek His Help and and we seek His Forgiveness. And we take refuge in Allāh from the evils of ourselves and from the bad of our actions. Whomever Allāh guides, none can misguide. And whomever Allāh misguides, none can guide. And I testify that there is no god except Allāh. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger, may blessings and peace be upon him and upon his family and companions.

O Slaves of Allāh! I first and foremost advise you to fear Allāh and to remain conscious of Him at all times, for indeed he ought to be feared and obeyed at all times.

To proceed:

Allāh states:

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ

"Indeed, the number of months with Allāh is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allāh [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them." (Qur’ān 9:36)

The four sacred months that this verse refers to are Dhu al-Qaʿdah (Month #11), Dhu al-Ḥijjah (Month #12), Muḥarram (Month #1) and Rajab (Month #7), which is the month we have just entered.

Rajab is a sacred month. Know that in all the sacred months, good deeds are multiplied and extra-virtuous. Thus, I advise you to increase in worship in this month, whether by extra fasting, extra istighfār, extra charity or otherwise. Also, be extra-cautious of falling into sin as sin is considered graver in the sacred months. This is why Allāh tells us to "not wrong yourselves during them".

A sacred month is similar to a sacred place. It is recommended to bathe and purify oneself before entering the Sacred Precinct of Makkah, and while in it one is more conscious of the weight of one’s actions. Likewise with a sacred month – we try to enter it in a state of purity and we try to maintain that purity throughout through doing good and avoiding evil.

Use Rajab as a launchpad to prepare for Ramaḍān. Rajab is the key to the months of goodness which follow it. For that reason, Imām Abū Bakr al‐Warrāq said, “In the month of Rajab you sow the seeds, in Shaʿbān you irrigate them and in Ramaḍān you reap the harvest.”

O Honourable Believers! The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said:

 إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا أَذْنَبَ كَانَتْ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ فِي قَلْبِهِ

"When the believer commits sin, a black spot appears on his heart."

Indeed, over the months and years, we have blackened our hearts with with many of these black spots due to our sins. Now in any month of the year, you shouldn't be delaying the time when you clean these black spots, though this is the case particularly in this month. Use this month especially to polish off and clean these black spots, so that once Ramaḍān arrives, you meet it with a clean heart. And the way to polish off these black spots is by seeking Allah's Forgiveness and turning to Him in tawbah. The ḥadīth continues:

 فَإِنْ تَابَ وَنَزَعَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ صُقِلَ قَلْبُهُ فَإِنْ زَادَ زَادَتْ فَذَلِكَ الرَّانُ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ

"If he repents and gives up that sin and seeks forgiveness, his heart will be polished. But if [the sin] increases, [the black spot] increases." (Narrated by Ibn Mājah)

So take more time to seek forgiveness from Allāh and repent to him during this month. Remember that this is one of the sacred months, wherein the merit of good deeds are multiplied and the weight of bad deeds are heavier, so be mindful of that.

Khutbah: Time is Running Out

All praises and thanks are due to Allāh, the one who placed in His obedience honour for the lowly slave, and in His disobedience distance from Him as well as humiliation. I testify that there is no god except Allāh alone, without a partner – the King, the Generous, the Majestic. And I testify that our master Muḥammad – the seal of Messenger-ship, the guide – is His Slave and Messenger. May blessings and peace be upon him and upon his family and companions throughout the mornings and evenings.

To proceed:

O slaves of Allāh! I first and foremost advise you to fear Allāh, the Honourable, the Ultimate King, the Master of the day on which every single human being will be questioned as to how he spent the short time he had on this earth. I urge you to prepare your baggage for this day, for there are no second chances after this day.

Honourable believers! Allāh states in His book:

 أَرَضِيتُم بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا مِنَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ فَمَا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ

"Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little." (Qur’ān 9:38)

Do you really prefer this temporary life, with the little that it has to offer, over the next? Do you really want to spend your time here enjoying this temporary prison world at the expense of the never-ending delights the Hereafter has to offer?

No, my brothers and sisters! Indeed, this life was made to be a preparation ground for the more real and everlasting life of the next world. And time is running out to make use of it. Time is running out. So make use of it wisely. Remember that you can die at literally any time. Would you like it if you died while you were disobeying your Lord? Think about this every time you intend on doing something.

But how do we make use of the limited time we have in the most effective manner? Allāh gives us the answer in Sūrat al-‘Aṣr, a sūrah that is one of the shortest but also one of the most profound in meaning. Allāh starts the sūrah off with:

وَٱلْعَصْرِ

"[I swear] by time." (Qur’ān 103:1)

Allāh uses the word al-‘aṣr. This has many connotations, too many to be mentioned here. But one of them is the idea that time is running out. When it's ‘aṣr time, isn't it close to the end of the day? The Arabic word for juice is ‘aṣīr. Juice that is being squeezed out. Likewise, time is being squeezed out of your hands. Then Allāh says:

إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ

"Verily, the human being indeed is in a state of loss." (Qur’ān 103:2)

Every single human being. Drowning in a state of loss. For sure. But then Allāh places exceptions. He says:

إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ

"Except for those who have believed and performed good deeds and advised each other to the truth and advised each other to ṣabr." (Qur’ān 103:3)

The first thing you do to save yourself from drowning in loss is to believe. Once you plant the tree of belief, the fruits will start blossoming. The fruit of belief is good actions. However, it's not enough to just be good. Others are drowning in loss too. You need to save them. So you advise them to the truth. But then after a while you start finding all this difficult, or that those you're advising to the truth are finding keeping on the truth difficult, or that those you're trying to advise aren't even listening. So you advise them to ṣabr. To patience, to perseverance, to commitment, to constancy. These four are just the bare minimum you are required to do to save yourself from drowning in loss. If you're not doing them then you'll be in serious trouble later on.

So I remind you again, O slaves of Allāh, that this life is short. This life is temporary. The ākhirah is better and everlasting. It's waiting for you. Though time's running out to achieve the best of what it has to offer. Don't waste your time here in this world. Remember, you can die at literally any second. You will die at literally any second. Make use of your time. Especially since you have the school holidays coming up. Don't waste it. Don't just let it pass by. Use it in a beneficial and productive way. Never put yourself into a situation where you wouldn't want the Angel of Death to take your soul at that very moment. The Muslim is a wise person. Use your time wisely. Time is running out, and every single one of us is definitely in loss. Except those of us who have believed, perform good deeds, advise each other to the truth and advise each other to ṣabr.