Among the twelve months of the Islamic year, Ramadan is the only month whose name is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. Allah Almighty says:
Translation:
“The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever among you witnesses the month must fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey, then (he should fast) a number of other days. Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you, and (He wants) that you complete the prescribed period and glorify Allah for having guided you, and that you may be grateful.”
(Basiratu’l Iman, Para 2, Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 184)
I narrate to you the sermon of the Noble Prophet ﷺ through which we can truly understand the greatness and excellence of this blessed month.
Respected listeners!
Hazrat Salman Al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that at the end of Sha‘ban, the Noble Prophet ﷺ addressed the Companions and said:
“O people! A عظیم (great) month is casting its shadow over you. It is a blessed month in which there is a night better than a thousand months. Allah has made its fasts obligatory and its night prayers voluntary. Whoever seeks nearness to Allah in this month through a voluntary act will receive the reward of an obligatory act performed in other months. And whoever performs one obligatory act in this month will receive the reward of seventy obligatory acts performed in other months. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is Paradise. It is the month of compassion. In this month, the sustenance of believers is increased. Whoever provides food for a fasting person to break his fast will have his sins forgiven and will be saved from the Fire, and he will receive a reward equal to that of the fasting person without any decrease in the fasting person’s reward.”
Hazrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Not everyone among us has the means to provide a full meal for a fasting person.” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Allah grants this reward even to the one who offers a fasting person a date, a sip of milk, or a sip of water to break the fast. And whoever feeds a fasting person to his fill, Allah will give him such a drink on the Day of Judgment that he will never feel thirsty until he enters Paradise. It is the month whose beginning is mercy, its middle is forgiveness, and its end is freedom from the Fire. Whoever shows kindness to his servant (employee) in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the Fire.”
Respected listeners!
This sermon of the Prophet ﷺ is clear and sufficient to understand the greatness and blessings of Ramadan. Reflect upon the fact that he described it as a great month casting its shade over you. Ramadan is like a vast, shady tree under which any tired and weary believer who comes finds peace. It grants tranquility and protects from the punishments of this world and the Hereafter.
In reality, although a fasting person remains hungry and thirsty throughout the day and stands in prayer at night (Tarawih), he still experiences a unique joy, peace, and spiritual delight. As the Prophet ﷺ said, “The fasting person has two joys: one at the time of breaking the fast and the other when he meets his Lord.” When a believer breaks his fast, happiness becomes visible on his face. The serenity and spiritual pleasure he feels can only truly be understood by the one who fasts. Upon successfully completing the fast and fulfilling this great act of worship, the heart overflows with joy.
As for the second joy, which will be experienced in the presence of Allah on the Day of Judgment, how can we possibly describe it in words? If Allah accepts our fasts, we are certain that on that Day our Lord will say: “O My servant, what I commanded you, you fulfilled seeking My pleasure in the world. Now I am pleased with you, and whatever you ask today, I shall grant.”
The Prophet ﷺ informed us in his sermon that this month showers such immense mercy that a voluntary act earns the reward of an obligatory one in other times, and one obligatory act earns the reward of seventy obligatory acts in other months. Therefore, no matter how much we thank Allah for granting us life to witness this month, it is not enough. Now we may gather as many rewards as we wish and ask whatever we desire from our Lord, for His mercy is spread like a shade—one only needs to step beneath it.
According to the Prophet’s ﷺ teaching, this sacred month will cultivate within us the strength of patience, which is a sign of a true believer. It awakens mutual compassion and love, which are the hallmarks of a Muslim society. Through its blessings, our sustenance will increase.
Congratulations that this blessed month has arrived and Allah has granted us the ability to gather here. The doors of divine mercy have been opened. The Prophet ﷺ told us that when the first night of Ramadan begins, the devils and rebellious jinn are chained, the gates of Hell are closed and none of them are opened, and the gates of Paradise are opened and none of them are closed. A caller announces: “O seeker of good, come forward! O seeker of evil, desist!” And every night, people are freed from the Fire by Allah.
We believe that according to the words of the Prophet ﷺ, the devils are chained, the gates of Hell are closed, and the gates of Paradise are open. A call is coming from Allah to spread your hands and fill them; an announcement of salvation from sins is being made. Now it remains for us to control our inner selves — and that is our responsibility.
So let us resolve that we will take full benefit of this opportunity. We will gather regularly, observe Tarawih with commitment, fast sincerely, strive to increase our good deeds, and develop patience within ourselves. We will transform hatred into love, practice selflessness toward one another, help the poor in every way possible, and bring comfort to those in distress.
If we truly make this commitment, then the shade of this blessed month will protect us forever from the hardships of this world and the punishment of the Hereafter.
May Allah grant us all the ability to act upon this.
Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds.
Maulana Rashid Hasan Qadiri
