“RAMADAN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY”
(A Khutbah by Imam Maleck Sarr)
In the name of Allah the Beneficent the Merciful
May Peace and Blessing be upon our beloved prophet Muhammad, his family, and his
companions and to all of those who will follow their footsteps until the Day of
Judgment.
It is again a great honor and an outstanding blessing to witness the month of Ramadan
again in our short life. All Praise is due to Allah. None can thank Him enough for His
favors unto us. We are indeed blessed. Ramadan is a particular month that requires a
particular attention as we ask Allah Almighty to grant us His favor of fasting this great
month that equals none.
Ramadan is one of the twelve Muslim months. It is a month which is venerated in the
Islamic religion, and it is distinguished from the other months by a number of
characteristics and virtues, including the following:
1 – Allah has made fasting this month the fourth pillar of Islam, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind
and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So
whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is
present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…” [al-Baqarah 2:185]
It has been narrated in as-Saheehayn (al-Bukhari, 8; Muslim, 16) from the hadeeth of
Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Islam is
built on five (pillars): the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; establishing prayer; paying zakah; fasting
Ramadan; and Hajj to the House (the Ka’bah).”
2 – Allah revealed the Qur’aan in this month, as He says in the verse quoted above
(interpretation of the meaning):
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind
and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)” [al-
Baqarah 2:185]
And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree).” [al-Qadr
97:1]
3 – Allah has made Laylat al-Qadr in this month, which is better than a thousand
months, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree).
And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is?
The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allah
in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4
months).
Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allah’s Permission with
all Decrees,(All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until
the appearance of dawn” [al-Qadar 97:1-5]
“We sent it (this Qur’aan) down on a blessed night [(i.e. the Night of Al-Qadr) in the
month of Ramadan the 9th month of the Islamic calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning
[mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship
and in Our Oneness of worship]” [al-Dukhaan 44:3]
Allah has blessed Ramadan with Laylat al-Qadr. Explaining the great status of this
blessed night, Surah al-Qadr was revealed, and there are many ahaadeeth which also
speak of that, such as the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to
fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and
the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a
thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.”
Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 2106; Ahmad, 8769 classified as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Targheeb, 999.
And Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends Laylat al-Qadr in
prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1910; Muslim, 760.
4 – Allah has made fasting Ramadan and spending its nights in prayer out of faith and
in the hope of reward a means of forgiveness of sins, as was proven in al-Saheehayn
(al-Bukhari, 2014; Muslim, 760) from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah according to which
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan
out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” And al-
Bukhari (2008) and Muslim (174) also narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the nights of
Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be
forgiven.”
The Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is Sunnah to pray qiyam at night in
Ramadan. Al-Nawawi said that what is meant by praying qiyam in Ramadan is to pray
Taraweeh, i.e., one achieves what is meant by qiyam by praying Taraaweeh.
5 – In this month, Allah opens the gates of Paradise and closes the gates of Hell, and
chains up the devils, as is stated in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhari, 1898; Muslim, 1079),
from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are
opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.”
6 – Every night Allah has people whom He redeems from the Fire. Imam Ahmad
(5/256) narrated from the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “At every breaking of the fast, Allah has people
whom He redeems.” Al-Mundhiri said: there is nothing wrong with its isnaad; and it was
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 987.
Al-Bazzaar (Kashf 962) narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has people whom He redeems every
day and night – i.e., in Ramadan – and every Muslim every day and night has a prayer
that is answered.”
7 – Fasting Ramadan is a means of expiation for the sins committed since the previous
Ramadan, so long as one avoids major sins. It was proven in Saheeh Muslim (233) that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers,
from one Jumu’ah to the next and from one Ramadan to the next are expiation for (sins
committed) in between, so long as you avoid major sins.”
8 – Fasting in Ramadan is equivalent to fasting ten months, as is indicated by the
hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim (1164) narrated from Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari: “Whoever fasts
Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be like fasting for a lifetime.”
Ahmad (21906) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, a month is like ten months, and fasting six days after
al-Fitr will complete the year.”
9 – Whoever prays qiyam in Ramadan with the imam until he finishes, it will be
recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer, because of the report
narrated by Abu Dawood (1370) and others from the hadeeth of Abu Dharr (may Allah
be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: “Whoever prays qiyam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for
him that he spent the whole night in prayer.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Salat
al-Taraaweeh, p. 15
10 – ‘Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj. Al-Bukhari (1782) and Muslim (1256)
narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said to a woman among the Ansar, “What kept you from doing Hajj with
us?” She said, “We only had two camels that we used for bringing water.” So her
husband and son had gone for Hajj on one camel, and he left the other for them to use
for bringing water.” He said, “When Ramadan comes, go for ‘Umrah, for ‘Umrah in
Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj.” According to a report narrated by Muslim, “… is
equivalent to doing Hajj with me.”
11 – It is Sunnah to observe i’tikaaf (retreat for the purpose of worship) in Ramadan,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) always did that, as it
was narrated in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to spend the last ten days of
Ramadan in i’tikaaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i’tikaaf after him.”
Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1922; Muslim, 1172.
12 – It is mustahabb in the sense of being strongly recommended in Ramadan to study
the Qur’aan together and to read it a great deal. You may study the Qur’aan together
by reciting it to someone else and by having someone else recite it to you. The
evidence that this is mustahabb is the fact that Jibreel used to meet the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) every night in Ramadan and study the Qur’aan with
him. Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6; Muslim, 2308.
Reading Qur’an is mustahabb in general, but more so in Ramadan.
13 – It is mustahabb in Ramadan to offer iftar to those who are fasting, because of the
hadeeth of Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives
iftar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the
fasting person’s reward in the slightest.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807; Ibn Maajah,
1746; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 647. see question no: (
12598 )
I hope and pray that we would take these blessed days as opportunities not to be
missed and as we fast, let us remember our brothers and sisters around the world that
may not be in the same situation in which are.
Thank you and May Allah bless us all with a blessed Ramadan.