Rejoicing in Ramadan

https://www.khutbah.info/rejoicing-in-ramadan/ All Praise is due to Allah the Especially Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Generous, the Ever-Bestower. Accepting the repentance of those who repent. Opening the gates of righteousness for the doers of good. Giving those who ask and answering the supplicants. We praise Him for the rulings that He ordained. And for the seasons of goodness that He repeated.  For he has Great Beneficence, and expansive mercy. He generously gives and is the Giver of forgiveness. He recompenses for a little with a lot. And He forgives grave offenses. And He gives what He wants to whom He wants. For His treasures do not run out. And there is no withholder of His gifts. And no detainer of His graces. There is no adjuster of His decisions. And He is the Magnanimous, the Most Generous. And I bear witness that Mohammad is His servant and messenger. The Prophet of mercy, the guide to goodness and blessings and the warner from sin and punishment. He ﷺ deters people from the fire but they insist on plunging into it. Be conscious of Allah and obey Him. And repent earnestly, shed your sins, regret your shortcomings, be genuine with your Lord and perform your deeds only for His sake. For soon you will welcome the best and greatest month. It has immeasurable benefits and countless merits.

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ  ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ  وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ ,  وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا  ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ  فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ ,  وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ ,  وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ   وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ    

Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.

 يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102 

Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.

Oh people:

All Praise is due to Allah the Especially Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Generous, the Ever-Bestower. Accepting the repentance of those who repent. Opening the gates of righteousness for the doers of good. Giving those who ask and answering the supplicants. We praise Him for the rulings that He ordained. And for the seasons of goodness that He repeated.  For he has Great Beneficence, and expansive mercy. He generously gives and is the Giver of forgiveness. He recompenses for a little with a lot. And He forgives grave offenses. And He gives what He wants to whom He wants. For His treasures do not run out. And there is no withholder of His gifts. And no detainer of His graces. There is no adjuster of His decisions. And He is the Magnanimous, the Most Generous. And I bear witness that Mohammad is His servant and messenger. The Prophet of mercy, the guide to goodness and blessings and the warner from sin and punishment. He ﷺ deters people from the fire but they insist on plunging into it. 

Be conscious of Allah and obey Him. And repent earnestly, shed your sins, regret your shortcomings, be genuine with your Lord and perform your deeds only for His sake. For soon you will welcome the best and greatest month. It has immeasurable benefits and countless merits. And its goodness and virtue are beyond comprehension. And its blessings are boundless. For the deeds in it are many and the rewards are multiplied. So prepare for it in the required manner. And spend its days and nights by performing the most virtuous deeds. And show Allah goodness from yourselves.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ البقرة: 183-

Al Baqarah (2) 183: O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.

The person passes by periods of joy and periods of sorrow. And the greatest joy is rejoicing in and for Allah Almighty. For rejoicing in His Book, His remembrance, His ordainments, His seasons, His Favor and Mercy are not like rejoicing in something from this worldly life regardless of its goodness and quantity.  Because rejoicing in Allah Almighty and what connects to Him is a permanent joy that is not cut off. And a joy that remains and does not run out. But rejoicing in this worldly life and its enjoyment is without doubt a passing joy. And no matter what, it will be cut off by death. And the entire worldly life passes away and does not remain.

Indeed most people rejoice over what they have attached to this worldly life and do not rejoice in what is related to the hereafter. 

وَفَرِحُوا بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا مَتَاعٌ  -الرعد: 26   

Ar-Ra’d (13) 26: And they rejoice in the worldly life, while the worldly life is not, compared to the Hereafter, except [brief] enjoyment.

And rejoicing in the worldly life could be a cause of torment as Allah Almighty informed about a people that were punished after they rejoiced:

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا أَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْلِسُونَ  -الأنعام:44 

Al Anam 44: So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.

On the other hand, Allah Almighty commanded to rejoice in His religion:

قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ  -يونس:58 

Yunus (10) 58: Say, “In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.”

And rejoicing in the bounty and mercy of Allah Almighty includes rejoicing in His Book, the sunnah of His Prophet and the rest of His religion. And the people who rejoice in this regard in this worldly life will rejoice in the hereafter in their reward as Allah Almighty said: 

  فَرِحِينَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ  -آل عمران:170 

Al Imran (3) 170: Rejoicing in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty.

And the believers rejoice in the obedience of Allah Almighty and in performing the obligatory and voluntary deeds for his knowledge that it is a means of salvation in the hereafter and attaining the highest ranks in paradise. And he rejoices in the seasons of obedience for what they contain of various acts of obedience, multiplication of reward and orienting the hearts to Allah Almighty. And for this reason, the Prophet ﷺ rejoiced in Ramadan and gave glad tidings to his companions (may Allah be pleased with them). For when he mentioned it, he  recounted what it contains of merits- all of it relating to salvation from sin and success through acts of obedience. As was related Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said when he was giving glad tidings to His companions:

قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَمَضَانُ، شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ، افْتَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ، تُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَتُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَحِيمِ، وَتُغَلُّ فِيهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ، فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ، مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ” -أَحْمَدُ:8991 

There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month, which Allah has enjoined you to fast. In it the gates of heavens are opened and the doors of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up. In it Allah has a night which is better than a thousand months; whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived. [Ahmad 8991]

The Prophet ﷺ gave glad tidings of the barakah (blessings) of Ramadan. Barakah is growth and increase. This indicates that acts of obedience increase in Ramadan just as acquiring good deeds increases. And their multiplication is to an extent only known by Allah Almighty. According to the Hadith Qudsi in which Allah Almighty said:

الصَّوْمُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ، يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَأَكْلَهُ وَشُرْبَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي -البخاري:1904، مسلم:1151 

Fasting is for Me and I shall reward for it. [A man] gives up his desire, his food and his drink for My sake. [al-Bukhari 1904, Muslim 1151]

And the Prophet ﷺ mentioned when he was giving glad tidings of Ramadan the obligation of fasting and this includes rejoicing in it. Because Allah Almighty loves what He obligated as Allah Almighty said in the Hadith Al Qudsi: 

وَذَكَرَ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-وَهُوَ يُبَشِّرُ بِرَمَضَانَ: فَرِيضَةَ الصِّيَامِ؛ وَهَذَا يَقْتَضِي الْفَرَحَ بِهَا؛ لِأَنَّ اللهَ -تَعَالَى- يُحِبُّ فَرَائِضَهُ، كَمَا قَالَ -سُبْحَانَهُ- فِي وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ” -الْبُخَارِيُّ:6502

And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. [alBukhari 6502]

And the Prophet ﷺ mentioned when he was giving glad tidings of Ramadan the opening of the gates of paradise and closing the doors of hell during it. And this indicates the satisfaction of the Most Merciful with His servants. And whom does not rejoice in the satisfaction of the Most Merciful with His servants?!

And when the Prophet ﷺ was giving glad tidings of Ramadan, he mentioned the chaining of the devils. And the devils tempt the children of Adam away from acts of obedience and adorning the forbidden. So in Ramadan, the devils are not able to tempt the believers, who venerate Ramadan, like they tempt in other times. The believers who are conscious of Ramadan’s sanctity and virtue. And therefore the repentance of the disobedient abounds in Ramadan. And repentance is a reason for the rejoicing of the Most Merciful. 

And who does not rejoice with something that is a reason for the rejoicing of the Most Merciful. The Prophet ﷺ said: 

لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ أَحَدِكُمْ، مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ بِضَالَّتِهِ إِذَا وَجَدَهَا” -مسلم:2675 

Allah is more delighted with the repentance of one of you, than one of you is, when finding his lost animal. [Muslim 2675]

And the Prophet ﷺ mentioned when he was giving glad tidings of Ramadan that Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Decree) is better than 1000 months. And it is a reason for the multiplication of rewards many-fold. And the reason for the long life of this ummah (nation) in acts of obedience. And even if it is limited to years. Therefore, great joy is required from this. For whom does not rejoice in a season that has a night in which a person worships in it is better than the worship of more than eighty years ?!

And the value of Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Decree) is not comprehended except by those knowing its virtue and greatness. And only the one who is aware of the virtue of worshipping at night and its place with Allah Almighty, realizes the importance of the rejoicing that is limited to Ramadan and the last ten days. And if the believers praised their Lord all eternity for the blessing of the Night of Decree and its being contained in the ten nights of Ramadan, they would not have offered sufficient gratitude to Allah Almighty. 

أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ  إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Second Khutbah

الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ,  وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ  , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ

All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.

Oh Muslims:

Ramadan is approaching and what it contains of great goodness and much rewards. Therefore, whoever observes it should praise Allah Almighty for that. And spend his time in the obedience of Allah the Exalted. So how many Ramadans have been lost by the multitudes of people who are now in their graves, who expended their lives in sins. They immensely regret their inattentiveness. And wish to return to the worldly life to increase in doing good. But they will not return. 

We ask Allah Almighty to make us among those who reach and observe Ramadan.  And to fast and observe the night prayers in the best manner. And we ask Allah Almighty to bestow upon us acceptance and reward in it. Indeed He is All Hearing, All Answering. 

هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed.  For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good

 عِبَادَ اللّهِ  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ  يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. 

اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا   وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة

Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein.  And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.  

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