Note: The following transcript was generated using AI and may contain inaccuracies.
It's Ramadan, and Allah descends.
Allahu Akbar!
He comes down and says:
"Is there anyone who wants something from Me? I will give it to them."
Allah is saying that to you.
Put your hand up!
Those of you who have work and still have to go to work—
Okay, that's a lot of you guys, mashallah.
And those of you who have school, put your hand up—
Mashallah.
I think the majority of you guys have something for you too.
The Closest You Can Be to Allah
The time that you are most closest to Allah is when you are in sujood.
Beg Him!
Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for everything you ever wanted.
There is no one between you and Allah—
Speak to Him directly.
Allah said:
"Tell My slaves, اُدْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ"
"Ask Me, and I will accept your du'a."
Opening Supplication
الحمد لله رب العالمين، له الحمد الحسن والثناء الجميل.
وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، يقول الحق وهو يهدي السبيل.
وأشهد أن محمدًا عبده ورسوله، آخر الأنبياء في الدنيا، أسرعهم وأجلهم يوم القيامة شأنًا وذكرًا.
صلى الله وملائكته وصالحون من خلقه، كما وحد الله وعرف به ودعا إليه.
Preparing for Ramadan with Intention
Yesterday and today—
I have been working on my personal schedule that I plan, inshallah ta'ala, to follow throughout Ramadan.
I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make this blessed month a successful one for each and every one of us.
My brothers and sisters,
If you haven’t sat down yet to write a schedule and plan how your Ramadan is going to be—
Then, inshallah ta'ala, I want to share with you my humble schedule.
And that might be a template for you.
Inshallah ta'ala, I know you guys will do better.
May Allah preserve and honor each and every one of you.
Step 1: Set Your Intention
The first thing we do—
Brothers, Ramadan has not come yet.
So, the first thing we need to do is work on our intention.
Now—
Here.
This moment.
Today.
Tomorrow.
It’s the niyyah (intention).
So these are steps we need to take for our intentions.
Put your hand up!
Those of you who have work and still have to go to work—
Okay, that’s a lot of you guys, mashallah.
And those of you who have school, put your hand up—
Mashallah!
I think the majority of you guys can come with an intention for that as well.
The Reward of a Good Intention
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"No one eats provision better than what they worked for."
There is no rizq better than the rizq you sweat for.
He used to eat from what he worked for.
So when you're going to work, know that this is something the Prophet of Allah Dawood عليه السلام used to do.
He would work and eat from what he earned.
Even though it's a blessed month of Ramadan—
What you’re doing is rewardable, but come with the right intention.
Don’t underestimate intentions!
Intentions are powerful.
Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"If My slave intends something, he talks to his nafs and says, 'I'm going to do this.'
If he says that to himself—
'I'm going to do this.'
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Even if he doesn’t do it, a reward will be written for him just because he told himself, 'I'm going to do this.'"
So now—
Let’s do that!
Let’s come with the intention that these are the things we’re going to do.
And even if we don’t get the opportunity to do it—
We still get the reward, inshallah.
Step 2: Keep Your Tongue Busy with Dhikr
My brothers and sisters,
The entire day when you’re driving—
Don’t be talking on the phone.
Don’t be conversing and texting.
Let your tongue be consistent on the remembrance of Allah.
A lot of people are driving, and they forget—
This is the time for dhikr!
Are we all together, brothers?
Adhkar while going to work.
Adhkar while coming back.
Your tongue stays busy.
These are the intentions we need to come with—
And this is how we fulfill those intentions.
Step 3: The Ramadan Schedule
I have written a schedule, inshallah ta'ala—
And I hope we can all follow through with it and even do better.
1️⃣ Khatm al-Qur’an – To finish the Qur’an this month.
Even if you struggle and you can’t read the mushaf—
And you have never studied the Qur’an—
And you don’t know how to read it—
Guess what?
Apportion time to listen to it.
Put your headphones in and say:
"Ya Rabbi, I didn’t memorize the Qur’an, but I will listen to Your words."
Not as background noise—No!
Sit down.
Cross your legs.
Open the mushaf.
And follow through with it.
If it’s transliteration, put your finger on it and follow.
2️⃣ Tawbah & Istighfar – Repentance.
My brothers and sisters,
If you look at the Deen—
You will find that the concept of Istighfar is connected to the doing of actions.
Even when you do good—
You still have to do Istighfar and ask Allah for forgiveness.
For example—
🔹 When you finish your Salah, what do you say?
As soon as you say: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
What do you say right after?
أستغفر الله! أستغفر الله! أستغفر الله!
🔹 Why?
You just prayed!
Because there may have been mistakes in your Salah.
🔹 When Ramadan finishes, what do you do right after it?
You pay Zakat al-Fitr.
🔹 What did the Prophet ﷺ say about Zakat al-Fitr?
It is a purification for what?
For the mistakes and shortcomings that occurred during the fast.
It is a form of Istighfar.
Nabiullah Muhammad ﷺ—what was he told to conclude his life with?
Allah said:
"When the victory of Allah comes and the conquest, and you see people entering the deen of Allah in groups, then glorify the name of your Lord and ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of Repentance." (Surah An-Nasr: 1-3)
After 23 years of calling to the deen—
He ﷺ was told to ask Allah for forgiveness.
So there is a bond between istighfar and good deeds— Before and even after.
Now you need to repent.
If this cup is dirty, can you pour clean water inside it?
Yes or no?
No!
You need to clean yourself first.
Today and tomorrow is about istighfar—
Getting rid of all the nasty things— All the bad habits.
You need to purify yourself.
Are we all together, brothers?
Every single one of us—
We are full of sins.
May Allah forgive us for our mistakes and our shortcomings.
Step 4: Write Your Ramadan Schedule
The next step is to write a schedule—
Which is what we’re going to do today, inshallah ta'ala.
A practical step—
📝 Plan from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep.
In the morning, this is what I’ll do. In the afternoon, this is what I’ll do. In the evening, this is what I’ll do.
Plan everything so that you don’t waste time.
Even I have planned out what I will eat—
But that’s not something you guys need to know. 😄
But you should plan out what your iftar and suhoor will be—
So that you don’t waste time thinking about food.
Step 5: Boost Your Ramadan Spirit
You also need to start listening to:
🎧 Lectures 🎤 Reminders 📚 Videos
Regarding Ramadan—so that your spirit is up right now.
Download beneficial talks from speakers—
Listen to them about Ramadan and what you should do.
Because what is waiting for you is—
🌙 30 (or 29) days and nights of blessing and khair!
So, as we say in the UK—
Hype yourself up!
Get that energy up so that when Ramadan comes—
Inshallah ta'ala, you can make the most of it.
🛑 Learn the Do’s and Don’ts
✔️ What is halal? ❌ What is haram?
Start downloading and taking lessons today and tomorrow.
That’s your job!
For example—
📌 If a woman is pregnant, what does she do in Ramadan?
Does she have to pay fidya or make up her fast later?
If she is breastfeeding, what does she do?
Alhamdulillah!
There is a large range of scholars who have spoken about these topics.
You can download and benefit from them.
Are we all together, brothers?
Step 6: No Excuse for Ignorance!
You are not excused for ignorance—
When YouTube and online knowledge are available.
Knowledge is present—
You just need to sit down and start learning!
📍 If there are lectures and classes happening in your local masjid—
Even better!
🏡 Go and participate. 🎙️ Listen and learn, inshallah ta'ala.
Step 7: Plan Your Charity (Sadaqah & Zakat)
Look at the salary you earn— Your income and savings—
And set aside money for Ramadan charity.
💰 Every day, plan how much you will give.
For example—
This is how much I make per month— This is what I plan to give in Ramadan.
30 days of charity—
And increase it more in the last 10 nights!
Step 8: Plan Your Iftar Invitations
If you plan to invite someone for iftar—
📞 Notify them in advance.
Let them know:
🔹 "You’re going to break fast with me on this day." 🔹 "You’re going to be with me on that day."
Plan it all out—
The people who will break fast with you.
Even if you give a person just a date—
You get the full reward of their fast—
Without their reward being reduced.
You don’t need to provide a full meal—
Even just a date and water—
And you get the reward of their entire fast!
Are we all together, brothers?
I think it was during the COVID days when Ramadan began, and I was caught on the road. On the road, there was a man standing there, giving out water. This is the UAE. He was giving out water and dates. I just thought about it—subhanallah—as I was driving, how much reward that individual was earning. All he was giving out was water and dates, and everyone who received them was eating that date and drinking that water. He was just accumulating their reward. That is the wise person. At every corner, he looks for opportunities to gain more reward. At every turn, he asks, "What can I do in this month to seize its blessings?"
In the dunya, when we see people who invest and think like that, we say, "Allah, this guy is a great money maker." But when it comes to the akhira, we should have the same mindset. Every opportunity is a means to get closer to Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, in this blessed month. These are the things you should do before Ramadan begins, inshallah ta'ala.
Now, Ramadan has begun. This is called the schedule of the fasting person. This schedule is not limited to those who are fasting. Even someone who is unable to fast for any reason can follow it. It does not mean that you miss out on the reward.
We start before fajr because, as Muslims, the night precedes the day. The night comes first. Qiyam begins at night.
Your taraweeh, brothers and sisters—do not neglect your taraweeh. Start with the imam and finish with the imam. Some people leave after four raka'at, others after eight. My brother, it's only 29 or 30 nights. Billahi alayk, can you not dedicate these 30 or 29 nights fully to Allah? Start with the imam—Allahu Akbar—and finish with him. And guess what? If you do that, you will receive the reward of praying the entire night, even if you go home and sleep afterward. But you must finish with the imam.
Finishing with the imam does not mean leaving with the first imam. There are two imams—one leads the first four, and the second leads the next. You can't say, "I'm with the first imam, so after his four raka'at, I'm out." No. Finishing with the imam means completing the entire salah. Are we all together?
From the first raka'ah to the last, you complete it. Whether it's 11 raka'at or more, you start from the beginning and finish it. Allah praises the righteous people:
"أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ"
"Is the one who is devoutly obedient during the night, prostrating and standing in prayer, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like the one who does not]? Say, 'Are those who know equal to those who do not know?' Only those who understand will take heed." (Az-Zumar 39:9)
Are they equal—the one who knows his Lord and the one who does not? Who is the one who knows his Lord? The one who stands in prayer at night, begging:
"تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًۭا وَطَمَعًۭا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ"
"They arise from their beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend." (As-Sajdah 32:16)
And do you know what, my brothers and sisters? It is Ramadan, and Allah descends—Allahu Akbar—and He says:
"Is there anyone who wants something from Me? I will grant it to them."
Allah is saying this to you. And yet, at that very moment, you are walking out of the masjid—while He, subhanahu wa ta'ala, is calling you. Are we all together, brothers? That is the month of Ramadan. We should stay until the last rak’ah. Only after the imam says, "Assalamu alaykum, assalamu alaykum," do we leave the masjid.
The second thing, my brothers and sisters, that you should not miss is your program. So, we started with tahajjud. The second is suhoor. Do not miss suhoor. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged it. He said:
"تَسَحَّرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي السَّحُورِ بَرَكَةً"
"Have suhoor, for indeed there is blessing in suhoor."
Never skip suhoor. And when you have suhoor, have the intention for it, as you will be rewarded for it. I told you—Ramadan is about seizing opportunities. The Prophet ﷺ emphasized it, and I will tell you something, my brothers and sisters. I have personally seen this and heard it from others: those who have suhoor generally remain active. They do not feel as drained throughout the day. That is the wisdom behind it—Ramadan is a time to stay awake, work, and be productive. So, have a good meal at suhoor.
Number three: after suhoor, seek forgiveness—al-istighfar—until the adhan of fajr. After eating suhoor, please do not go back to sleep. Engage in istighfar. Allah says about the believers:
"وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ"
"And in the hours before dawn, they seek forgiveness." (Adh-Dhariyat 51:18)
"Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, tawba," before the day of Ramadan begins. Are we all together?
Then, when the adhan of fajr is called, do not rush to the masjid immediately. For the men, first pray two raka'at at home. The Prophet ﷺ said:
"رَكْعَتَا الفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا"
"The two raka'at of fajr are better than this world and everything in it."
Imam Muslim narrated this in his Sahih.
Once the adhan has been called, do not think, "There are still twenty or twenty-five minutes until iqamah." No. You have prayed? Put on your shoes, gather your family, and say, "Let's go," and head to the masjid early.
The Prophet ﷺ said in the hadith:
"وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي العَتَمَةِ وَالصُّبْحِ، لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا"
"If the people knew the reward of praying Isha and Fajr in congregation, they would come even if they had to crawl."
Even if you can't walk, you would still come. Once you enter the masjid and sit down—if you arrive early—pray tahiyyatul masjid. That’s another opportunity for reward. Once you have prayed tahiyyatul masjid, take your time in ruku', and beg Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, for everything you desire.
"أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ"
"The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration."
So in sujood, beg Him. Ask Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, for everything you have ever wanted. There is no one between you and Allah—speak to Him directly.
"وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ"
"And your Lord says, 'Call upon Me, I will respond to you.'” (Ghafir 40:60)
Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) used to say, "I do not carry the burden of whether my du’a is accepted or not. That is not a burden I bear. Rather, I know that if I make du’a, my du’a will be accepted because Allah said, 'وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ'—'Ask Me, and I will respond to you.’"
So if you are not receiving, it means you haven’t even asked.
When you enter sujood, that is your moment. Beg Allah, because that is when you are closest to Him, subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Once you have finished your two raka’at, remember that you are still between the adhan and the iqamah. The iqamah has not yet been called. Sit down, raise your hands, and make du’a.
The du’a made between the adhan and iqamah is not rejected. It is always accepted. Again, the du’a between the adhan and the iqamah is not rejected. It is not rejected. It is accepted.
And there are so many things we need to ask Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, for. We need to beg Him regarding our personal situations. We need to beg Him for our Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine and other places across the world.
This is your opportunity! Beg Allah to rectify the condition of the Ummah.
After making du’a, sit down and begin reciting Qur’an. When the iqamah is called, stand and pray in jama’ah.
Once you complete the Fajr salah and say "As-salamu alaykum", do not move from your position.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever prays Fajr in congregation and then remains in his place remembering Allah until the sun rises, and then prays two raka’at, he will receive the reward of Hajj and Umrah—complete, complete, complete."
Do you want to miss this opportunity in the month of Ramadan? No!
As I said before, now is the time to search for every possible good deed you can perform throughout the day.
My personal advice: Remain in your place until the sun rises, pray two raka’at, then go home and recite Qur’an until Dhuhr.
Each Juz of the Qur’an can be recited in 30 minutes at a good pace. If you recite quickly, it takes about 20 minutes. If you dedicate just 30 minutes a day, you can complete one Juz daily and finish the entire Qur’an in one month.
But my strong advice: This month is the month of the Qur’an—recite as much as possible!
It was said about Imam Ash-Shafi’i that he would complete the Qur’an once in the morning and once in the evening—not including his prayers and Qiyam.
He completed the Qur’an 60 times in Ramadan!
Think about that—60 times!
If we calculate: If each Juz takes 30 minutes, then reading two complete Qur’ans a day would take about 15 hours. And yet, that was separate from his Qiyam, Suhoor, and Iftar!
Meaning, all he did was recite the Qur’an.
If you can do that, fa ni’ma maahi! (That’s amazing!)
If you can't, then follow the seven-day Qur’an completion program. This was the practice of the Sahabah.
The seven-day plan is as follows:
It's called "فَمِي بِشَوْق" (Fami Bishawq). Each letter represents a Surah range:
1️⃣ فَ - Fatiha to Ma’idah (First day) 2️⃣ مِ - Ma’idah to Yunus (Second day) 3️⃣ بِ - Yunus to Isra’ (Third day) 4️⃣ شَ - Isra’ to Shu’ara (Fourth day) 5️⃣ وَ - Shu’ara to Saffat (Fifth day) 6️⃣ قَ - Saffat to Qaf (Sixth day) 7️⃣ النَّاس - Qaf to Nas (Seventh day)
Following this method, you can finish the Qur’an in one week.
Are we all together, brothers?
There's a level. There are the serious, more serious ones. What do you want to do? Ten Juz every day.
How do you do ten Juz every day?
1️⃣ You start from Suratul Baqarah or Suratul Fatiha and go up to Suratul Anfal. "وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِن شَيْءٍ". Ten Juz. 2️⃣ Then you start from "وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِن شَيْءٍ" and take it to Suratul Naml. "فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ". That’s the second day. 3️⃣ The third day, you start from "فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ", from Suratul Naml, and you take it to Suratul Nas.
Ten, ten, ten.
Are we all together, brothers?
That’s three days, and you finish it.
Then there are those who want to finish it once every day—meaning thirty times in Ramadan.
Those, what do they have to do? They start from Fatiha to Nas. صح?
The point is, my brothers,
"فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ"
Try your best, and the intention is to finish as much as you can, and Allah will give you the reward.
How do you do Fami Bishawq?
You have to sit one time and do it. I prefer that.
But what you could do is, تقريبًا, approximately, it's about four, sometimes a bit more.
You can read it after every Salah:
- After Fajr, you read a portion.
- After Dhuhr, you read a portion.
- After Asr, you read a portion.
- After Maghrib, you read a portion.
- After Isha, you read a portion.
You can divide it up like that if you want to.
Or what you could do is read it all in the morning.
And what you will find, my brothers and sisters, is that Wallahi, your energy, heart, and mind, everything is just going to be good.
What do you do once you finish reciting the Qur’an?
As the Prophet ﷺ mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawood, you ask Allah to place Barakah in your day.
A lot of people forget that.
Once you finish reciting your portion of the Qur’an, and you've read it maybe up to Dhuhr, as I said, beg Allah and say:
"O Allah, I ask You for the good of this day. O Allah, I ask You for the opening of this day, the Barakah and the victory of this day, and the guidance of this day. And I seek refuge in You from the evil that is within this day and also the evil which is after it."
Then I will say, brothers:
Dhuhr, you go to sleep.
Dhuhr, you pray and you go to sleep with the Jama’ah.
You come to the Masjid again, and you pray Salatul Dhuhr, and then you go and sleep.
This sleep that you're going to sleep—come with the intention.
Remember, you don't want to waste anything. Everything is reward.
So before you go to sleep, you're saying, you're coming with the intention that this sleep is for what?
It’s for your Qiyam, your Siyam, and to get nearness to Allah Tabaraka wa Ta'ala.
Mu'adh ibn Jabal said:
"I come with an intention for my sleep just the same way I have an intention when I pray and I fast."
Allahu Akbar.
Even my brothers and sisters, a lot of brothers provide for their wives and they provide for their children, and they're missing the reward because they don't even come with the intention.
And do you know how much you lose out by not coming with the intention?
Everything you do,
"حَتَّى مَا تَجْعَلُ فِي فَمِ امْرَأَتِكَ."
Even the food that you place in the mouth of your wife, you can get reward for it.
Everything is an Ajr.
Lakin, with an intention.
I do want to say, those brothers who are wealthy—just saying, putting it out there because some people are going to watch this—those of you who are wealthy, some brothers might have businesses.
They don't work a 9-to-5 job. They've got a business.
They would close their business if they knew that month, the rent can be paid.
But they make the rent from what?
If they work.
If they work, that money that they worked for is what they use to pay their rent.
So if they close in the month of Ramadan, they're not going to get money for rent.
So they have to work.
People whose situation is like that—if Allah has given you wealth, and you say:
"Listen, I know you're a person who's going to fast and pray and read a lot of Qur’an. And I know what's imprisoning you and preventing you from doing that is your company and your business that you have to run. How about this? I will pay your rent and the costs that need to be paid. Go in the masjid, inshaAllah, participate with us in these righteous deeds."
If Allah has given you wealth, and you do that for someone, you get the reward of that person's fasting.
Do it for people who are going to do ibadah—not a brother who's just going to go home and sleep.
Someone you know who's going to do good deeds and benefit from it.
Who you know is known to be a pillar in the masjid.
Like a pillar, meaning the pillar never leaves the masjid.
He's like that, he's always there praying.
But what's stopping him is that he's got a job.
If you can lift that burden from him, you'll get the reward.
And this month is about reward.
One of the things that the Prophet was praised for, and I'm going to talk about that inshallah, is his generosity. كان أجود الناس وكان أجود ما يكون في رمضان. The Prophet was generally a generous person, and his generosity would increase and it would go more in the month of Ramadan. Are we all together, brothers? It would just go up. He would give and he would give. What you give in this month, والله الذي لا إله غيره, يوم القيامة, this is going to be the thing to help you. If you come with the intention, every دينار درهم that you give, أصلاً this money was money Allah gave you, and He's testing you with it to see what you're going to do with it. If you give, what you're going to get is so much.
I was pondering over the verse, those people Allah said,
"إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنْكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِنْ رَبِّنَا يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا فَوَقَاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّاهُمْ نَظَرَةً وَسُرُورًا."
Allah said about these people, "إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ." We feed you for the sake of Allah. "إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنْكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا." Don't say thank you to us. Don't show us gratitude. This is not for you; it's for Allah. Look what they said, "إِنَّا نَخَافُ." The reason why we're doing this is we're scared. What are you scared of? "إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِنْ رَبِّنَا." We're scared of our Lord Allah. "يَوْمًا عَبُوسًا قَمْطَرِيرًا." A day where its punishment is severe.
Wallahi, my brothers, look what Allah then says,
"فَوَقَاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَلَقَّاهُمْ نَظَرَةً وَسُرُورًا."
Allah saved them because of that. Allah saved them because of that, the punishment of the hellfire. This money, my brothers and sisters, the best investment is the money that you give for the sake of Allah. You've never lost that money. It's waiting for you on the other side, a day when you're most in need of it. So give. If Ramadan is opening your hand, فُقَرًا, take people to your house, feed them, give them food, invite people.
And it's that moment, if someone is a new Muslim, take that responsibility of breaking their fast. صَلَاةُ الْعَصْرِ, when it comes, before it comes, you pray four rak'ah before Asr. How much do you pray? Four rak'ah. According to a riwayah, the Prophet, he said,
"رَحِمَ اللَّهُ مَرَأً صَلَّى قَبْلَ الْعَصْرِ أَرْبَعًا."
May Allah have mercy upon a slave who prays four before Asr. The masajids generally do a little reminder after Asr. The country sits and listens. If your local masjid does not do that, the area doesn't do that, no problem. I would tell you to go home and listen. Set yourself a target of either covering تفسير جزء عمّ or سيرة النبي. Something—go on a program that you've always wanted to get to the end of and set yourself that as the time that you study.
Take a notebook and study. I would say what you study at that time, let it be something that is related to the Quran ideally. That's related to the Quran. Things like that. Take that, and also what you're taking, let it not be ahkam and all of things that are going to be practical. The videos and the lectures you're listening to—things which are practical you can go and straight away act upon.
So that time until iftar, what do you do? Study. Tell your children to do the same. If you guys want to share a book with them or a lesson, mashallah. Those of you who speak Arabic, read the kitab by Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen called Majalis Ramadhaniya. Sheikh Ibn Al-Uthaymeen has a Risala. If your Arabic is even more advanced and higher, I would tell you to read the kitab La Ta'if Al-Ma'arif, what he has written on the Waza'if of Shahr Ramadan.
I tried to cover it in the last two days, but I didn't finish it. It's a lot of pages—it's about 128 pages—but you can finish it every day if you set yourself a portion for the entire month of Ramadan. You can go through it, inshallah ta'ala.
Salatul Maghrib enters. When Salatul Maghrib enters, break your iftar with dates and water. And me personally, brothers, I would not advise you to munch. Munching is eating. I would not advise you to eat because it would show in your brothers vomiting, burping in the Salah, and they are stressing the other people around them—the smell that's coming out and all of that, right?
So what would I say, brothers? Eat basic. And when you go into the Masjid for Maghrib, don't leave the Masjid until Fajr. Are we all together? This is Ramadan. If you do leave, let it be to go home and sleep. For me, Dhuhr and Asr, maybe a little bit after Asr would do me good for the day. But if you feel like you need a lot of sleep, and that's how Allah created you—Allah creates people differently.
Then what you do is stay in the Masjid until Tarawih, until you pray Tarawih. From Maghrib until Tarawih, Salam Alaikum, Salam Alaikum, Tarawih, go home and sleep and wake up before Suhoor. Are we all together, brothers? That time that you're sitting between Maghrib and Isha, you get the reward of somebody who's praying, even if you're not praying, right?
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Anyone who prays a Salah does not leave his position."
You pray Maghrib, you did not leave your position, and you're sitting waiting for the other prayer. You are as though someone who's engaged in Salah, even if you're not praying. You're sitting there, you're just doing your Adhkar. Are we all together, brothers?
In between those times, based on people's schedules, the following things are what I would encourage you all to do:
- Keep knowledge of your neighbors. How are they? Send them Iftar and give them Iftar.
- Call family relatives, see how they're doing.
- If your family relatives are on the way to the Masjid or walking back, go and visit them. You get reward for it. Ask them about their well-being.
- If Allah has given you wealth, the best Sadaqah is the Sadaqah that you give to your relatives.
- So if you give money to your sister and her family and say, "This is for you, your brother-in-law, this month, inshallah ta'ala, this is shopping for your Ramadan," etc.
- Your relatives, your parents, your dad, your mum—do that, my brothers and sisters.
The thing that I will advise you all to stay away from, and I will encourage the sisters—brothers, do not use this opportunity for your wives to cook you dishes after dishes. Ittaqillah, she needs to worship Allah as well.
It's not fair she's spending her time in the kitchen while you enjoy the blessings of Ramadan. She’ll get rewarded, no doubt, but she spends the whole day in the kitchen, and this is not increasing her Iman. Don't burden your wife with all these different dishes. Are we all together?
When you bring people as guests, it's not a bad thing that you give them a decent, normal meal. Don't go out of your way. Are we all together?
I remember a brother told me—and this is a Sheikh I really look up to—his name is Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Abdul Mohsin Al-Abad, Hafidhahullahu Ta'ala. I love this man so much, and anyone who sees him will know that he got it.
It's a true story. A brother told me there was an invitation that happened in his house. It was either a high-ranked ruler from Indonesia or Malaysia; I don't remember which of the two. I'm sorry, Malaysians and Indonesians, don't get offended if you mix one with the other, but I love you all.
So one of them came and visited him in his house, and the food that Sheikh Abdul Razzaq gave them was what he normally eats. When they sat down, the brother said,
"Wallahi, the food we ate was so basic."
And he said to him, "Wallahi, that's what we eat, and that's all we have."
Takalluf, burdening yourself, putting pressure on your wife, putting pressure on yourself, and doing too much—Wama Ana Mina Al-Mutakallifin. It's wrong.
And it's also wrong that in the month of Ramadan, there’s food we connect to Ramadan.
If I see samosas today, I think of Ramadan. Who else is like that?
There are dishes that when we see them, we think, "Ramadan, right?"
Brothers, what’s the meaning of Ramadan? It’s Al Imsak—to refrain.
And we've learned Ramadan is about what we eat, this kind of food, and so it’s Ramadan.
When you start seeing so many dishes cooked that are not cooked outside the month of Ramadan, stay away from food. It’s what’s going to slow you down.
Qahtani said in his Nuriya,
"Don't feed yourself too much,"
and inshallah, I would encourage you all to follow a good diet in this month.
It’s an opportunity to learn to stay away from oily stuff and don't kill your body and yourself.
I want to talk about something I know you're all used to; you hear it a lot, but the reminder truly benefits the believer.
My brothers and sisters, there is nothing greater than this blessed month that's coming our way. We have to feel this; we have to know it.
It’s an opportunity, it’s a Fursah, and the Furas, the opportunities, don't come very often.
It is an opportunity; you can change your life. You can become something else.
A lot of us don’t yet realize what is coming to us.
My brothers and sisters, Ramadan is a blessed month, the greatest month in the entire year.
Out of the 12 months, the best month is which month? Ramadan.
And if you look at all of the previous prophets, who is the best of all of them? Nabi Allah Muhammad.
And if you look at all of the previous scriptures, which scripture is the best? The Quran.
And look at this, my brothers and sisters, all three of them combined in the month of Ramadan.
Nabi Allah Muhammad, the Quran first came down on him in which month?
In the month of Ramadan.
The Quran first of all came down in the month of Ramadan.
It started on the Prophet in the month of Ramadan.
Are we all together, brothers?
This month, that’s why it’s unique.
The best speech, the greatest speech, the real miracle came down in this blessed month.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, He said:
"Shahru ramadan alladhi unzila fihi alquran hudan linnasi wa bayyinatin min alhuda walfurqan."
The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran came down.
So there is a strong bond between the Quran and the month of Ramadan, and we will talk about that later.
But there is no other month that the Prophet ﷺ said the following about.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Man saama ramadana imanan wa ihtisaba ghufira lahu ma taqaddama min dhanbih."
No other month—anyone who fasts the month of Ramadan with two conditions:
- In a state of Iman
- Doing it for Allah's sake alone, subhanahu wa ta'ala, hoping for reward from Allah
Then:
"Ghufira lahu ma taqaddama min dhanbih."
Your sins will be forgiven.
Is that it? No.
"Man saama ramadana imanan wa ihtisaba ghufira lahu ma taqaddama min dhanbih."
And if you stand—so in the daytime you are fasting, and at night what are you doing?
You are praying, you are standing up in prayer, your sins will also be forgiven.
But two conditions: Imanan wa ihtisaba.
Is that it? No.
The Prophet ﷺ said it again, salawatullahi wa salamun alayhi.
He said:
"Man qama laylatul qadri imanan wa ihtisaba ghufira lahu ma taqaddama min dhanbih."
Bukhari and Muslim both narrated these three hadiths in their Sahih from Hadith Abu Huraira.
Even Laylatul Qadr, guess what?
Fast in the month of Ramadan, your sins will be forgiven.
Pray at night, imanan wa ihtisaba, your sins will be forgiven.
And Laylatul Qadr, your sins will be forgiven.
How could this month finish and your sins have not been forgiven?
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"Raghi ma anf," may the nose of a person be dusted,
"Dakhala ramadhan," the month of Ramadan entered, and you haven’t been forgiven.
How can it happen that a month, in no other month in the year, does Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala free from the Hellfire people like in this blessed month of Ramadan?
Every single day, there are a number of people who have been taken off the list of the people of Hellfire and they've been put on the list of the people of Jannah.
Opportunity, it's a goal, something to look forward to.
That’s why the Messenger ﷺ, before Ramadan enters, he would tell his companions glad tidings.
He would say to them:
"Atakum Ramadan, shahrun mubarak."
Ramadan has made its way to you, a blessed month is coming.
"Faradallahu alaikum," Allah has made it obligatory on each and every one of you,
"Siyamahu," fasting it.
"Tuftahu feehi abuwabu ssama," the doors of the heavens are opened.
"Wa tughlaqu feehi abuwabu al jaheem," and the doors of the Hellfire are closed.
The doors of Jannah are opened, and the doors of the Hellfire are closed.
"Wa tughallu maradatu al shayateen," and the tyrant devils are locked up.
"Lillahi feehi utaqa," Allah has in this month of Ramadan people in which He frees their necks from the Hellfire.
"Feehi laylatun khayrun min alfi shahr," there is a night within this month better than a thousand months.
Look what then the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Man hurima khairaha faqad hurim."
Anyone who is prohibited, prevented from this blessing, then what have you been given in life?
If you’ve been prevented from seizing this month and benefiting from it, then honestly, there is nothing in your life that you would truly seize.
This hadith, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in his kitab Lataif al-Ma'arif, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in his Majmoo al-Fatawa, they mention that this hadith is an evidence that you give glad tidings to the people regarding the month of Ramadan.
When Ramadan enters, you give the people glad tidings; it's a sunnah, just like the Prophet ﷺ here said:
"Atakum shahrun mubarak."
Look what he said, Ibn Rajab said:
"Ba'du al ulama hadhal hadithu aslun fi tahniati annasi ba'dihim ba'da bi shahri Ramadan."
This hadith is an evidence that you give glad tidings to the people that the blessed month of Ramadan has come, because wallahi, brothers, you give glad tidings to someone regarding a blessing that they've achieved.
If you've reached Ramadan, wallahi, that's a blessing.
So when Ramadan enters, message all the people that you know and say:
"Atakum shahrun mubarak,"
A blessed month has come, and give them the advice that the Prophet ﷺ gave them.
My brothers and sisters, those who, from amongst you, Allah has given wealth, this month is a month where you, if you can, go Umrah.
The Prophet ﷺ said to a woman from the women of Ansar, he said to her:
"Fa idha ja'a Ramadan, fa atamiri."
If the month of Ramadan comes, go and do Umrah.
Why?
Because a Umrah in Ramadan,
"Ta'dilu hajjah,"
And in riwayah,
"Ta'dilu hajjatan ma'i,"
It's equivalent to going to Hajj.
Another wording says it's equivalent to going to Hajj with the Messenger ﷺ.
So it's a month you plan out what you're going to be doing step by step.
The doors of Jannah are open.
Wallahi, my brothers, what is it that the believer lives for?
What is your goal in life?
Why are you here?
What are you trying to achieve in this world?
Is it not to attain Jannah?
Is that not what you want?
Ya my brothers, the salah that we pray, the fasting, the silatul arham, the ties of kinship, all the good that we do, may Allah accept it from us.
The hadaf and the ghaya, the purpose and the objective behind it is what?
What is it?
To enter Jannah.
Then Ramadan is that opportunity.
The doors of Jannah are open.
Rawat Shaykhan, Bukhari and Muslim both narrated hadithi Abu Huraira, the Messenger ﷺ he said:
"Idha ja'a Ramadan, if the month of Ramadan enters,
futtihat abu waabul jannah,"
The doors of Jannah are opened,
"waghulliqat abu waabun naar,"
And the doors of the Hellfire are closed and locked.
We hear this hadith; you even heard it this Friday sermon.
It was spoken about, but really fathom it, wallahi, brothers.
Think about it.
The doors of Jannah are opened, and the doors of the Hellfire are closed, meaning it's a month where it's a path to Jannah.
That's it.
So for you to create a route to the Hellfire, there's a bad chip inside you, there's a bad heart that you have.
The doors are locked, the shayateen are chained up.
All you just have to do is exert the effort and work very hard.
Anything I've said that was wrong or incorrect is from me, as shaytan, and Allah and His Messenger ﷺ are both free from it.
Asalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu.
uhu.
