Abdurrahman Adesokan - 3-25-22

As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi ta'ala wa barakatuhu. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi ta'ala wa barakatuhu.

Brothers and sisters in Islam, we give thanks to almighty Allah for all his blessings and we pray to Allah to continue to guide us, to forgive all our sins and accept all our efforts in the deen of Allah.

We bear witness that there is no other god worthy of worship except Allah and that Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is his messenger and his servant. May the peace and blessings of Allah continue to shower upon Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, his companions, his households and his followers till the day of resurrection.

Preparing for Ramadan: Three Major Acts of Worship

Brothers and sisters in Islam, as we are expecting the month of Ramadan that is knocking on our doors, there are three major actions, three major ibadahs that we as Muslims, we must be ready for it. We must prepare ourselves for it.

What are these three major ibadahs? These are the major actions during the month of Ramadan. The first of it is the ibadah in general and the second of these deeds is the ma'ruf, kindness towards people, towards others and the third of it is at-tazallul wa't-tadarru' bi'd-du'a to Allah during the month of Ramadan.

We pray to Allah to give us the opportunity to witness the Ramadan and to fast in the month of Ramadan as we are praying to Allah to accept all our deeds during the month of Ramadan.

The Foundation: Quranic Verse on Fasting

Brothers and sisters in Islam, if you look at the ibadah, the ayah of fasting in surah al-Baqarah verse 183, it combines all these ibadahs because Allah says:

Allah says, "O you who believe, كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ - Fasting is decreed upon you. It's obligatory upon you. كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ - As it was decreed on women before you. لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ - So that you can attain the taqwa of Allah."

The most important thing after our iman in Allah is the taqwa. And that taqwa contains all ibadahs.

The First Ibadah: Fasting

Starting from fasting, the most important thing in the month of Ramadan. May Allah make it easy for us. Prophet Muhammad said that, Allah says in hadith al-Qudsi:

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

"The fasting is for me, and I'm the one to reward you for your fasting."

And Prophet Muhammad said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

"Whoever that can fast the month of Ramadan, with the iman in Allah, fasting for the sake of Allah. وَاحْتِسَابًا - While he or she is expecting his reward from Allah alone, not from his father, not from his mother, not from the husband or wife, but he or she is expecting the reward from Allah. Prophet Muhammad said, غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ - All the sins that he committed, before the month of Ramadan, will be forgiven."

May Allah make it easy for us, and count us among those that we fast, during the month of Ramadan.

The Night Prayer and Worship

And the second of the ibadah, is our Qiyam, our Nawafil, Qiyam-ul-Layl, Qiyam-ul-Tarawih, At-Tahajjud li Allah. All these A'mal-un-Nabilah, are expected from the believers, to prepare themselves for it, and to do it for the sake of Allah.

Remember, that Prophet Muhammad also said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari)

"Whoever that can partake in the Qiyam-ul-Layl, during the month of Ramadan, Allah will forgive all the sins, that he or she committed, before the month of Ramadan. And that is the Tarawih."

Let us be part of it. If you are living far away from Dawah center, wherever we are living, we should not eat too much, so that we can have the energy, to partake in the Qiyam-ul-Layl. Do not let the shaytan send you away. I tell some people, we just pray two rak'ahs, that's enough, it is not compulsory, let me go.

No, with all this Nawafil, Allah will complete all of the deeds for you, all of the wajibat for you. Let us encourage one another, to partake in Tarawih, to pray the whole Tarawih that we are praying, and to try the Qiyam-ul-Layl, and Allah will reward us for that.

Reading the Quran

Among the ibadahs during the month of Ramadan, that we have to prepare ourselves with, is the reading of the Quran. Because Ramadan is Shahr-ul-Quran. That is the month of Ramadan, in which we are having in it the Laylat-ul-Qadr, in which Allah revealed the Quran in it for us.

Brothers and sisters in Islam, remember the hadith of Prophet Muhammad where he said that, for every letter that you are reading, al-hasana will be written for you. And he said, I didn't mean Alif, Laam, Meem, as letter, but Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter. Imagine, if somebody can read one Juz' of the Quran in a day, how many hasanat will be recorded for him.

We should not let the Shaytan send us away from the reading of the Quran. We are having it on our phones, we are having it on our computers. May Allah make it easy for all of us.

Feeding the Fasting

Among the ibadahs of the month of Ramadan, is the feeding. Feeding for the Muslims that are fasting. Remember that Prophet Muhammad said, if you can feed those that are fasting during the month of Ramadan, Allah will give you the reward of those that are fasting, without decreasing any reward out of their rewards. May Allah make it easy for all of us.

The Second Deed: Ma'ruf - Kindness Towards People

Brothers and sisters in Islam, among the deeds that we must be ready for during the month of Ramadan, is the Sunnat ul-Ma'ruf. Being nice, being kind, being generous to people during the month of Ramadan.

If you look at the hadith of Ibn Abbas. And Abdullah ibn Abbas said, Prophet Muhammad said: In this hadith of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them. He said, Prophet Muhammad is the best among the mankind, in terms of kindness, in terms of generosity towards people. And he said, especially during the month of Ramadan, Prophet Muhammad is the best of mankind, in terms of being generous to people. Let us emulate Prophet Muhammad in this.

In another hadith of Ibn Umar. He narrated that a man came to Prophet Muhammad. And he said, and Prophet Muhammad said, he said, Prophet Muhammad said, or you send away the joy, the anger from him. And Prophet Muhammad said, I love it. It is more than for me to stay in this masjid for a good one month in I'tikaf.

And Prophet Muhammad continued regarding that hadith. Prophet Muhammad said, that can go with his brother or his sister. In taking care of a need, Allah will keep his feet firm in the day of Qiyamah. The feet of people will be shaking.

I say this saying, and I ask forgiveness for my family and for you. Ask forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Second Khutbah

The Third Deed: Dua - Supplication to Allah

Brothers and sisters in Islam, another deed that we have to get used to during the month of Ramadan is for us to use the opportunity of the month of Ramadan to pray to Allah. To request from Allah.

The ulamas say that maybe because of the love for the dua. Allah ended the ayat of qiyam with ayah of dua. When Allah says:

Allah says, "If any of my servants, if they ask you about me, tell them that I am closer to them than anything else. And I answer the prayer of any da'i, of any caller that calls to Allah. Tell them also to answer the call of Allah. Let them believe in Allah. So that all of them can be guided."

May Allah make it easy for all of us.

Conclusion: The Three Pillars of a Successful Ramadan

My brothers and sisters in Islam, we are reminding one another about three major deeds during the month of Ramadan that can make our Ramadan the most successful one.

Number one, the ibadah is a key. We have to be constant in our ibadah. May Allah make it easy for all of us.

The second thing is the ma'ruf. Doing good, be nice to people. Have cheerful faces. Prophet Muhammad said, "Do not belittle any of the good deeds. Even by just meeting your brothers with cheerful faces."

We pray to Allah to accept all this from us. Let's use the opportunity of the month of Ramadan to pray to Allah. We pray to Allah to answer our prayers, to make it easy for all of us, to provide for all our needs. May Allah make it easy for all of us.

We pray to Allah to answer our prayers, to make it easy for all of us, to provide for all of us. Fill those people with Allah's favor. Build their faith and their families and make all the believers, men and women, enter Your Paradise, the Paradise of bliss. And may Allah send His peace and blessings upon our master Muhammad.

Qumu ila salatikum - Stand up for your prayer, and all praise is due to Allah.