Sermon of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) in Ramadhan
The sermon (Khutbah) that the Greatest Messenger, Muhammad peace be upon him and his family (P), delivered on the last Friday of the month of Sha'bahn on the occasion of the advent of the holy month of Ramadahn.
The speech contains the loftiest and most noble human values put in the most beautiful words and elegant phrases. It is presented in the best style – which is the style and eloquence of prophethood.
We earnestly ask Allah Almighty to help us follow the Prophet (P) in words and deeds, for Allah is the helper and the supporter.
Al-Imam al-Ridha quotes his fathers who quote Imam Ali, peace be upon them all, who said:
“On the last of Friday of Sha'bahn the Messenger of Allah (P) addressed us in a speech saying:
“O people! The Month of Allah is drawing near to you with Blessing, Mercy and Forgiveness.
It is a month which is the best of the months to Allah . . . its days are the best days, its nights are the best nights, and its hours are the best hours.
It is a month in which you have been invited to the Hospitality of Allah, and you have been assigned to be amongst the dignitaries of Allah. In it, your breathing is praise (to Allah), and your sleep is worship (of Allah), and your (good) deeds are accepted (by Allah), and your prayers are answered. Therefore ask Allah, your Lord, with honest intentions and purified hearts to give you success to fast the month and recite His Book.
For the wretched, the most wretched, is he who is denied the forgiveness of Allah in this Great Month.
By your hunger and your thirst in it remind yourselves of the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgement.
Give charity to the poor and the destitute. Revere your elders and have mercy upon the young. Keep your ties with relatives, and protect your tongues. Close your eyes from that which (you are) not allowed to look at and cover ears from that which (you are) not allowed to hear. Sympathise with the orphans of the people, your orphans would be sympathised with.
Repent to Allah for your sins and raise your hands to Him in supplication during the times of your prayers, for they are the best hours . . . as during these times Allah looks at his worshippers with mercy. He answers them if they call Him in their intimate discourse and He responds to them if they seek Him, and He gives to them if they request from Him, and He answers their prayers.
O people! You are bound by your deeds, so release yourselves by seeking forgiveness (from Allah). Your backs are burdened by your sins, so lighten their load by prolonging your Sujoud (prostration).
You must know that Allah has sworn by His Honour that He would not punish those who perform prayers and prolonged prostrations, and that He would not frighten them by Fire on the day people rise to the Lord of the worlds.
O people! He who offers the meal for the breaking of the fast of a faithful in this month, to Allah it would be equal to setting a slave free, and it would constitute forgiveness for his past sins.”
It was said: “O Messenger of Allah! Not all of us are able to do that.” Then he (P) replied,
“Fear Allah (distant yourselves from the wrath of Allah) even by (giving) a drink of water (to the faithful who is about to break his fast), and distant yourselves from Fire even by (giving) a portion of a date (to the faithful who is about to break his fast).
O people! He who improves his manner and behaviour in this month, that would constitute a permission to pass through the Sirat (the path to Paradise ) on the day that (others') feet would slip off (the Sirat). He who lessens the burden upon those under his authority in this month, Allah would treat him lightly when called to account. He who prevents his bad deeds or harm from reaching others in this month, Allah would prevent His wrath from reaching him on the Day of Judgement. He who honours and venerates an orphan in this month, Allah would honour him on the Day of Judgement. He who keeps his (family) ties in this month, Allah would keep him to His mercy on the Day of Judgement. And he who breaks his (family) ties in this month, Allah would break His mercy from him on the Day of Judgement. And he who volunteers (an optional) prayer, Allah would write for him (a guarantee of) security from Fire. And he who performs an obligatory duty in this month, he would have the reward for the performance of seventy obligatory duties in other months. And he who repeats the call for divine blessing and salutation on me, Allah would increase his credits on the day when the credits (of people) decrease. And he who recites one ayah (verse) from the Qur'an in this month, he would have the reward of he who has recited the entire Qur'an in other months.
O people! The gates of the paradises are wide open in this month, so ask your Lord that He would not close them to you, and the gates of Fire are shut, so ask Allah that He would not open them to you. And the Satans are tied, so ask your Lord that He would not enable them over you.”
Amir-ol-Mo'meneen, (Ali) peace be upon him, said I stood up and said “O Messenger of Allah! What is the best of deeds in this month?” He (P) replied
“O Abal-Hassan! The best of deeds in this month is the fear of (committing) the things Allah has forbidden.”
Amir-ol-Mo'meneen continues, “then the Messenger of Allah wept, and I said, “What makes you weep?” The Messenger of Allah replied
“I weep for declaring as lawful the killing of you in this month . . . I can see (the day) that you are praying for your Lord while most wretched (individual) in the latter days, following the most wretched (individual) of the earlier days, the brother of the killer of camel of (the people of) Thamud, follows you and strikes you on the head.”
I said to him (P) “O Messenger of Allah! Will that be (accompanied) with the safety of my religion?”
The Messenger of Allah (P) replied,
“Yes, with the safety of religion.” He (P) then continued;
“O Ali! You are to me as myself . . . Fighting you is equal to fighting me and making peace with you constitute making peace with me. Whoever loves you, has loved me and whoever deserts you, has deserted me.”
http://www.shirazi.org.uk
The speech contains the loftiest and most noble human values put in the most beautiful words and elegant phrases. It is presented in the best style – which is the style and eloquence of prophethood.
We earnestly ask Allah Almighty to help us follow the Prophet (P) in words and deeds, for Allah is the helper and the supporter.
Al-Imam al-Ridha quotes his fathers who quote Imam Ali, peace be upon them all, who said:
“On the last of Friday of Sha'bahn the Messenger of Allah (P) addressed us in a speech saying:
“O people! The Month of Allah is drawing near to you with Blessing, Mercy and Forgiveness.
It is a month which is the best of the months to Allah . . . its days are the best days, its nights are the best nights, and its hours are the best hours.
It is a month in which you have been invited to the Hospitality of Allah, and you have been assigned to be amongst the dignitaries of Allah. In it, your breathing is praise (to Allah), and your sleep is worship (of Allah), and your (good) deeds are accepted (by Allah), and your prayers are answered. Therefore ask Allah, your Lord, with honest intentions and purified hearts to give you success to fast the month and recite His Book.
For the wretched, the most wretched, is he who is denied the forgiveness of Allah in this Great Month.
By your hunger and your thirst in it remind yourselves of the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgement.
Give charity to the poor and the destitute. Revere your elders and have mercy upon the young. Keep your ties with relatives, and protect your tongues. Close your eyes from that which (you are) not allowed to look at and cover ears from that which (you are) not allowed to hear. Sympathise with the orphans of the people, your orphans would be sympathised with.
Repent to Allah for your sins and raise your hands to Him in supplication during the times of your prayers, for they are the best hours . . . as during these times Allah looks at his worshippers with mercy. He answers them if they call Him in their intimate discourse and He responds to them if they seek Him, and He gives to them if they request from Him, and He answers their prayers.
O people! You are bound by your deeds, so release yourselves by seeking forgiveness (from Allah). Your backs are burdened by your sins, so lighten their load by prolonging your Sujoud (prostration).
You must know that Allah has sworn by His Honour that He would not punish those who perform prayers and prolonged prostrations, and that He would not frighten them by Fire on the day people rise to the Lord of the worlds.
O people! He who offers the meal for the breaking of the fast of a faithful in this month, to Allah it would be equal to setting a slave free, and it would constitute forgiveness for his past sins.”
It was said: “O Messenger of Allah! Not all of us are able to do that.” Then he (P) replied,
“Fear Allah (distant yourselves from the wrath of Allah) even by (giving) a drink of water (to the faithful who is about to break his fast), and distant yourselves from Fire even by (giving) a portion of a date (to the faithful who is about to break his fast).
O people! He who improves his manner and behaviour in this month, that would constitute a permission to pass through the Sirat (the path to Paradise ) on the day that (others') feet would slip off (the Sirat). He who lessens the burden upon those under his authority in this month, Allah would treat him lightly when called to account. He who prevents his bad deeds or harm from reaching others in this month, Allah would prevent His wrath from reaching him on the Day of Judgement. He who honours and venerates an orphan in this month, Allah would honour him on the Day of Judgement. He who keeps his (family) ties in this month, Allah would keep him to His mercy on the Day of Judgement. And he who breaks his (family) ties in this month, Allah would break His mercy from him on the Day of Judgement. And he who volunteers (an optional) prayer, Allah would write for him (a guarantee of) security from Fire. And he who performs an obligatory duty in this month, he would have the reward for the performance of seventy obligatory duties in other months. And he who repeats the call for divine blessing and salutation on me, Allah would increase his credits on the day when the credits (of people) decrease. And he who recites one ayah (verse) from the Qur'an in this month, he would have the reward of he who has recited the entire Qur'an in other months.
O people! The gates of the paradises are wide open in this month, so ask your Lord that He would not close them to you, and the gates of Fire are shut, so ask Allah that He would not open them to you. And the Satans are tied, so ask your Lord that He would not enable them over you.”
Amir-ol-Mo'meneen, (Ali) peace be upon him, said I stood up and said “O Messenger of Allah! What is the best of deeds in this month?” He (P) replied
“O Abal-Hassan! The best of deeds in this month is the fear of (committing) the things Allah has forbidden.”
Amir-ol-Mo'meneen continues, “then the Messenger of Allah wept, and I said, “What makes you weep?” The Messenger of Allah replied
“I weep for declaring as lawful the killing of you in this month . . . I can see (the day) that you are praying for your Lord while most wretched (individual) in the latter days, following the most wretched (individual) of the earlier days, the brother of the killer of camel of (the people of) Thamud, follows you and strikes you on the head.”
I said to him (P) “O Messenger of Allah! Will that be (accompanied) with the safety of my religion?”
The Messenger of Allah (P) replied,
“Yes, with the safety of religion.” He (P) then continued;
“O Ali! You are to me as myself . . . Fighting you is equal to fighting me and making peace with you constitute making peace with me. Whoever loves you, has loved me and whoever deserts you, has deserted me.”
http://www.shirazi.org.uk
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