Prophet’s sermon in receiving the month of Ramadan

The Month of Islam and Purity

On this occasion, we would like to recall the Prophet’s sermon that dealt with how to receive this month and how the believers would prepare themselves spiritually and socially to receive it, so as when the month begins, the believer would live Islam in his mind, spirit, and actions. For this month is, as expressed by Imam Ali bin Al-Hussein, in his supplication welcoming the advent of this month, the month of Islam and purity.

What did the Messenger say? The speech is divided into many parts; the first part describes the greatness of this month in which Allah wants to bestow His blessings, mercy, and forgiveness on His worshippers… He also wants to make them dine at His table, eating the best of food and drinking the best of drink. He is their host and there could be no better hospitality than that of Allah, the most Exalted. He is the one who created all physical and spiritual rewards.

In this regard, any reward or benefit we receive from other people is actually one of the rewards He bestowed on those people.

The Month of Blessing

The Messenger (p.) says: “O' people, the month of Allah (Ramadan) has approached you with His mercy and blessing”, even our existence is a mercy of Allah, along with everything else He has given us.

“And forgiveness”. Allah forgives in this month what He does not forgive all year long. "This is the month that is the best of all months in the view of Allah. Its days are the best among the days" the days that we live in praying and worshiping God, its nights are the best of nights where man spends the night, invoking Allah and asking Him to fulfill his needs, feeling the tranquility that Allah, the most Exalted, bestows on him. Its hours are the best of hours; every hour is equal to months, since it is filled with Allah's grace and forgiveness.

This is a month in which you have been invited by Him.

He is sending each of you an invitation card not like any other, since this one is from the Quran. “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil). The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction”; therefore, whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein. This is the invitation card but it is not inviting to food and drink, it is inviting as to a banquet of mercy, blessings, and forgiveness. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of honors of Allah, the Merciful.

What better honor could there be... If all people honor you but Allah despises you, it will be all worthless… You are being honored in this month, by Allah's call to come to Him and receive His blessings and forgiveness, when nothing could save you, except your good deeds.

Your breath in this month has the reward of Tasbih (mentioning the name of Allah, the most Exalted,) even enough you will not be saying it with your tongue… When you live true belief, your spirit will be remembering God. It is not like other people who might mention God with their tongue without living the meaning of this in their spirits.

Your sleep has the reward of worship. You sleep to enable your body to rest so that you can perform your duties towards Allah and fellow human beings the next day.

Your good deeds are accepted in this month. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your 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.

For the Quran is the light, and we have to recite Quran at all times and especially during the month of Ramadan, since it is the constitution of our doctrine, the basic guide of all our relations and dealings and the constitution of war and peace.

Therefore, we have to read it in a thorough way to understand it and abide by it.

Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter).

What you miss in Ramadan can not be compensated for all year long.

The Month of Giving

Then, there is a lot of people who feel hunger and thirst, and for whom Ramadan is not the month of overeating. Thus, in this month what we should remember while fasting, the hunger and thirst in the hereafter…because if we are faithful to Allah, we will not have to suffer from it.

"Give alms to the poor and needy”. Charity drives off calamities; it makes you live longer and heals your sicknesses.

In addition to the Khums and to alms giving, Allah has ordained that we have to pay a part of our money to the deprived and those who ask for aid.

“Pay respects to your elders. Have pity on those younger than you and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes.

Anybody who makes his servants (male or female) take light work, in this month, Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.

Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat

O People! The Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month. Do invoke that the Gates may not be closed on you, while the Gates of Hell be closed. Do invoke that these Gates may never be opened."

The previous parts of the Prophet's sermon summarize man's responsibility when he stands before Allah in this month, to receive the Holy Month of Ramadan so that he might be welcomed to the spiritual banquet Allah has invited him for.