الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين، نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين أما بعد
Shaikh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) said:
“We remind our brothers of the blessing of Allaah upon us that we have reached this month, we ask Him that He completes it for us with righteous action and acceptance. How many a person wished to reach this month yet did not reach it! How many a person was with us in the like of these nights last year and now has become subject to his actions in his grave! Whilst Allaah, The Glorified and Most High, has caused us to remain after our brothers who departed from us to the abode of recompense. Therefore we ask Allaah, The Most High, that He forgives them and that He does not put us to trial after them.
O brothers; indeed the prudent intelligent individual is he who eagerly takes advantage of the days in full advantage, and gains from its opportunities in profit, because time doesn’t show mercy, time goes by; it does not stop due to the excuse of the one who makes excuse; nor does it halt due to the slumber of the sleeper or the sickness of the ailing. It goes by every hour and at every moment.
Indeed; if your duration in the life of this world is lengthened, there diminishes for you the duration in the future. Every moment that passes – it further distances you from the world and draws you closer to the Hereafter, and thus; a prolonged lifespan is not to be rejoiced with except if the person has spent it in the obedience of his Lord. We ask Allaah to make us and you from these people.
Truly; the best of the people is the one whose life-span became prolonged and his action was admirable, and truly; the worst of the people is the one whose life-span became prolonged and his action was foul. Indeed every deceased one who passed away is regretful, so if he was a doer of good; he will be regretful that he could not have increased, and if he was a doer of bad deeds; he will be regretful that he could not have sought atonement (to seek the pleasure of Allaah). He, The Most High, said:
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ
((Until, when death comes to one of them, he says: “My Lord! Send me back. So that I may work righteousness in that which I have left behind!”)) (Al-Mu’minoon: 99-100)
He did not say: My Lord! Send me back so that I may build palaces, and marry women and acquire wealth and ride in magnificent cars, however; He said:
رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ
((My Lord! Send me back. So that I may work righteousness in that which I have left behind!))
This wealth that I left behind, allow me to return so that I may work righteousness in regard to it that would draw me close to Allaah, and this lifespan that I remain for if I return to the life of this world:
ارْجِعُونِ * لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ
((Send me back. So that I may work righteousness in that which I have left behind!))
Allaah, The Mighty and Majestic, says:
كَلَّا
((By no means!))
No return
كَلَّا ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا
((By no means! it is but a word that he speaks))
Truly, it is a word that he speaks
وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
((And beyond them is a Barzakh[1] [barrier] until the Day they are resurrected.)) (Al-Mu’minoon: 100)
In this blessed month there are righteous actions:
Obligatory fasting, fasting is one of the pillars of Islaam and its tremendous foundations.
In it likewise is the standing (in prayer), standing in its nights was established by the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) by way of his statement and his action, as for his establishment of it by way of his statement; then it is because he encouraged it, so he said:
مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
((Whoever stands [in prayer] in Ramadhaan out of true faith and seeking reward, then Allaah will forgive his previous sins for him.))[2]
As for his action, then he (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) stood with his companions for three nights; then he stayed behind; and he said:
أَنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ
((I was afraid that [my observing the prayer continuously] might make it obligatory upon you))[3]
Meaning; you may be unable to perform it.
So we should not be inattentive toward our fasting and become sluggish toward our standing (in prayer), rather the prudent one is he who is patient, he is patient upon the obedience of Allaah, it is due to this that there occurs in the hadeeth the title of this month as: the month of patience,[4] because this month has patience in it. Patience upon fasting, patience upon standing (in prayer), patience upon that which comes about from the suffering of hunger and thirst, especially in the long hot days – so it is the month of patience.
Likewise in this month; generosity and noble-mindedness and showing excellence are legislated, for indeed the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was the most generous of the people, and he was most generous in Ramadhaan. So be generous with your wealth – whether in the form of charity or zakaat, be generous with your body, aid your brothers, be generous with your rank, intervene for the one who deserves intervention, be generous even by way of the cheerfulness of your face, be generous with that which you are able. Since indeed Allaah is The Munificent, Bountiful (The One Whose generosity covers everything in existence), He Loves generosity.
Indeed this month should be taken advantage of in the various acts of obedience to Allaah, especially the recitation of the Qur’aan, for it has a distinguishing virtue for it in this month. It was due to this that the righteous Salaf from the scholars and Jurists and Muhadditheen (scholars of hadeeth), when the month of Ramadhaan would enter; they would abstain (from other engagements) and would direct themselves toward the Qur’aan – direct themselves toward the Qur’aan Al-‘Adheem. They would recite it as it should be recited, they would recite it in utterance and ponder over it in meaning, and put it into effect in action.
We ask Allaah, The Most High, that He betakes us and you to be with the righteous ones.
We ask Allaah, The Most High, that He accepts from us and from you the fasting and the standing (in prayer) and the rest of the acts of worship.”
وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين
(Abridged from Al-Liqaa-aat ar-Ramadhaaniyyah p.525-530)
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[1] Literally meaning: the interval; or the barrier/partition between this life and the Hereafter, i.e. the period in the grave. Allaah, The Most High, said:
وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
((And beyond them is a Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day they are resurrected.)) (Al-Mu’minoon:100)
Meaning: in front of them and before them is the Barzakh, and it is a partition between two things. Here its meaning is: the interval between the life of this world and The Hereafter, and within this Barzakh the (ones who in this life were) obedient will be in bliss whilst the (ones who in this life were) disobedient are punished. This is from their death until The Day they are resurrected. (Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan p.559)
[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no.37) and Muslim (no.759) with the wording:
مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
((Whoever stands [in prayer] in Ramadhaan out of true faith and seeking reward, then his previous sins will be forgiven for him.))
[3] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree (no.1129) and Muslim (no.761)
[4] For further reading on this refer to the following article: https://www.wrightstreetmosque.com/ramadhaan-the-month-of-patience/
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