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.
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