Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) Sermon on welcoming the month of Ramadhan
O People!The month of Allah (Ramadhan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. This is the monththat is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; itsnights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours.
This is a month in which he has invited you. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipientsof the honors of Allah, the Merciful. In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the Sawab/thawab(heavenly reward) of 'Tasbeeh' (the praise of Allah on rosary beads), and your sleep has the thawabof worship.
Your good deeds are accepted in this month. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invokeyour Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you,observe fast, in this month, and recite the Holy Quran.
Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must bevery unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter). While fasting, remember the hunger andthirst of tomorrow in Qiyamat. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respects to your elders.
Have pity on those younger than you and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard yourtongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing(forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.
Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans they also may be treated withkindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins. Do raise your hands at the time of Salat(Prayers), as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answeredby Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything, it is accepted by Him.
O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him forIstighfar (repentance/forgiveness). Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, soprostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.
Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He willnot take to task such people who fast and offer Salat in this month and perform 'sajda' (prostration),and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
O People! If anybody amongst you arranges for the Iftar (food for the ending of the fast) of anybeliever, then Allah will give him a reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins.
Then the companions of Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "But everybody amongst us does nothave the means to do so?"
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) told them: - Keep yourself away from the Fire of Hell, by inviting for'Iftar', though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else. OPeople! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this month will walk over the 'Siraat' (Bridge)in 'Qiyamat', though his feet may be shaking.
Anybody who in this month may take light work from his servants (male or female), Allah will makeeasy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.
Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath inQiyamat. Anybody, who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall lookat him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah willbestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allahwill keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat.
Whoever offers 'Sunnat' (Recommended) prayers in this month, Allah willgive him a certificate of freedom from Hell. Whosoever offers one 'Wajib'Salat in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 suchprayers, which were offered by him in any other months.
Whosoever recites repeatedly 'Salat and salam (Salawat)' on me, Allah willkeep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of otherswill be tending towards lightness.
Whosoever recites in this month only one 'Ayat' (verse of the Holy Quran), he will be rewarded in amanner as if he had recited the full Holy Quran in the other months.
O People! The Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month. Do invoke that the gates may not beclosed on you, while the Gates of Hell are closed. Do invoke that these gates may never be opened.During this month Shaitan (Satan) is imprisoned so ask your Lord not to let him have power overyou.
Holy Prophet Muhammad's (saw) Teachings about the Month of Ramadhan
Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) said that Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) used to face the people andsay: "O ye people, when the crescent of the month of Ramadhan shines, all devils will bechained, the doors of heaven will open, while the doors of hell will be closed; prayers will beanswered... Then with the advent of the month of Shawwal, the believers will be told tocount their rewards... These rewards, I swear by God, could not be compared with materialrewards of money".
Yes, all these blessings are awarded by the blessing of the Holy Quran in the month ofRamadhan. But it is man who unties the devils by committing sins. It is he who opens thegates of Hell which Allah has closed.
The Prince of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S) said: "I asked Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) whatare the best deeds in the month of Ramadhan, and he (saw) answered: "The best deeds areto deter oneself from doing what Allah made unlawful" and he (saw) cried: I asked him whathe was crying for and he explained: "I am crying about what is going to happen to you in thismonth. I can almost visualize you praying to your God, when the most evil man in thehistory of mankind will stake you with his sword... The Prince of the Faithful then asked:"Would this ensure the safety and the wellbeing of my religion" To this Holy ProphetMuhammad (saw) answered: "Yes it would, but who ever kills you will be killing me, andwho hates you hates me, and who offends you is offending me. You are to me, in the sameposition as myself. Your soul is my soul, and your body is my body."
May Allah bestow on us his blessings and guide us to fast the month of Ramadhan prayingto Him and reciting His holy book.
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