First Sermon:
Indeed, all praises are for Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), we praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) from the evils of ourselves and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) guides, there is none to lead him astray, and whomsoever He leaves astray, there is none to guide him. I bear witness that there is no true god except Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) Alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].
[Aal-i-Imran: 102]
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.
[An-Nisa: 1]
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا * يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. (70) He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.
[Al-Ahzab: 70-71]
After this,
O Servants of Allah! Indeed, Allah Almighty has bestowed His grace and favor upon His servants by enacting such commandments in religion for them, which provide them with the best and greatest rewards and purify their souls and provide health and well-being to their bodies. And listen! One of the great acts of worship which the All-Wise and All-Knowing Lord has enjoined upon His servants is fasting. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
[Al-Baqara: 183]
This verse is a gracious invitation from the Merciful Lord to the believers, calling their attention to the magnificence and grandeur of this duty in various ways. Some of them are as follows:
Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) had made this worship obligatory on the previous nations as well. This commandment of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) emphasizes the obligation of this worship and highlights its virtues and importance. This verse also indicates that performing this worship will result in abundant blessings and demonstrates Allah’s love for this worship and those who perform it. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) made it obligatory on all His servants so that they could benefit from its blessings and rewards.
One of the reasons why this duty is considered great is that Allah Almighty has declared its purpose to be the attainment of piety. And attaining piety is His commandment, which He has given to us and to the previous nations. As Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says:
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ
And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And We have instructed those who were given the Scripture before you and yourselves to fear Allah.
[An-Nissa: 131]
Without a doubt, the verses of the Holy Qur’an indicate that only the good deeds of the righteous will be accepted in this world, and they alone will be granted salvation in the Hereafter. Fasting, as a means of piety, has been made obligatory by Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) upon all people, both past and present. Therefore, it is easy to understand the significance and importance of this act of worship, which has been established by the Almighty Lord as a fundamental component and a great pillar of Islam. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has promised abundant reward and compensation for those who perform this act of worship, and His love for it is apparent in the reserved special virtues for those who fast frequently, which motivates them to be happy with this worship.
A great Hadith Qudsi (Divine hadith) reveals some of the virtues of fasting, as narrated by the most trustworthy and reliable of narrators, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who has narrated it directly from Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ). Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said:
“Allah said, ‘All the deeds of Adam’s sons (people) are for them, except fasting which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.’ Fasting is a shield or protection from the fire and from committing sins. If one of you is fasting, he should avoid sexual relation with his wife and quarreling, and if somebody should fight or quarrel with him, he should say, ‘I am fasting.’ By Him in Whose Hands my soul is’ The unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1904)
In this great Hadith Qudsi, Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has revealed that the reward for fasting is boundless. This principle, that good deeds are multiplied from ten to seven hundred times, does not apply to fasting. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) will reward the fasting person in a hidden and unaccountable way because the person kept their worship hidden, purified it for their Lord, sought His pleasure, hoped for His reward, feared His punishment, did not entertain any suspicion of hypocrisy in their intention, and did not hope for any worldly benefits like people’s attention and praise. What can be said about this worship which Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has attributed to Himself and whose reward and compensation He will grant?
One of the virtues of fasting mentioned in this great hadith is that fasting is a shield. This means that fasting will save the person who observes it from Hell and keep them safe from it. This is because Hell (may Allah save us and all of you from it) is surrounded by desires, and desires are fueled by ease and indulgence. Fasting enables the fasting person to abandon their desires so that their Shytaan and their nafs (inner self) become weak, and they do not disobey their Lord. It is as if they are protected from sins through this method. In this way, fasting is the shield in this world from sins and in the hereafter from Hellfire.
In this blessed hadith, a virtue of fasting is mentioned that the smell of a fasting person’s mouth is purer in the sight of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) than the fragrance of musk. This smell is produced due to an empty stomach. Though this smell may not be appreciated by people in this world, it is pure and pleasing to Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) because it is a result of obeying Allah and seeking His pleasure. It is like the blood of a martyr, which will appear as blood on the Day of Judgment but will have the fragrance of musk.
Another virtue of fasting mentioned in this hadith is that the fasting person feels happy at the time of opening the fast and will be pleased to meet Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) on the Day of Resurrection. The reason for this happiness during the breaking of a fast is that the previously prohibited things, which the soul naturally desires, such as food, water, and sexual pleasure, are once again permitted. These are prohibited during fasting causing a sense of longing, and their permission again, especially if desperately needed, leads to happiness.
And the fasting person will be happy when he meets his Lord because he will receive the full reward for his fasting, while he will be most in need of goodness at that time. As it is mentioned in the Hadith Qudsi: ‘Fasting is for Me and I will reward it.’ One of its meanings can be that no one can take away the reward of the fasting person through retribution, and he will receive it in full till he enters Paradise.
One of the virtues of fasting is that there is a special gate to heaven for those who fast, and no one except them will enter it. As our beloved Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Raiyan, and those who observe fasts will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection and none except them will enter through it. It will be said, ‘Where are those who used to observe fasts?’ They will get up, and none except them will enter through it. After their entry the gate will be closed and nobody will enter through it.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1896)
Hudhaifa (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said, “I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying:
“The affliction of a person in his property, family and neighbors is expiated by his prayers, fasting, and giving in charity.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1895)
The meaning of this hadith is that a person is usually afflicted with trials and tribulations, whether it be due to their wealth, children, their own self, or their neighbors. As a result, they may fall short in fulfilling their obligatory rights or become negligent of obeying Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), due to being preoccupied with them. If this happens, then fasting serves as an expiation for their sins.
O Allah, you have given us the Shar’iah, provided us with guidance, facilitated ease for us, and created us in a nation with great blessings and countless virtues. I express my gratitude to You for all these things.
May Allah Almighty make His Book of Guidance and the Sunnah of His Prophet beneficial for me and for all of you. With this, I conclude and ask for forgiveness for myself and for all of you.
Second Sermon:
Pure and perfect praises are for Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the servant of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ,
After praising Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and sending peace and blessings upon His Messenger ﷺ,
Muslims! It is extremely important for a person to protect his worship from things that invalidate it or reduce its reward so that they can reap its full benefits and feel its sweetness.
The person who preserves his fast the most is the one who guards his tongue, remains obedient to his Lord, and stays away from futile things the most. That is why the Prophet (SW), who was extremely compassionate towards his Ummah, said:
“Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1903)
This hadith clearly indicates that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) wants the fasting person to not only abstain from halal food, water, and sexual desires but also from what is unlawful and forbidden, such as giving false testimony, lying, backbiting, and slander. He must abandon all actions that involve lying, such as cheating in buying and selling and dealings, and seeing forbidden things. Likewise, he must abandon ignorance and foolishness, such as abuse, slandering, obscenity, and bad language. Whoever leaves all these things while fasting will achieve the purpose of the obligation of fasting and receive its benefits and effects. He becomes pious, and his soul becomes pure. His limbs move for the things that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) likes, and his soul becomes obedient to attain Allah’s pleasure. He attains the sweetness of worship and enjoys performing worship. Muslims! In the remaining moments of this day, send blessings and peace upon the Imam of Humans and Jinns, and the leader of messengers and prophets, so that the command of the Lord of the Worlds may be implemented and the reward of sending blessings upon the noblest of all creations may be obtained.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.
[Al-Ahzab: 56]
O Allah, confer peace, blessings, and mercy upon our leader and Imam Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib ﷺ, always and forever, as long as the night and day continue to pass. Confer your blessings upon the pure and noble family of the Prophet ﷺ as well.
O Allah, be pleased with the four rightly guided caliphs who were guided imams, Abu Bakr Siddique (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), who was a companion of Your beloved Prophet, Umar Farooq (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), who was the conqueror of lands, Uthman (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), who was martyred in his home, and Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), who was extremely brave in battles and a pious person, and be pleased with all the companions of Your Prophet who were righteous and pious.
O Allah, by your grace, make all our deeds good, make them purely for your sake, and do not mix them with any kind of hypocrisy or showing off.
O Allah, make faith beloved to us, instill it in our hearts, make disbelief, immorality, and sin hateful to us, and include us among the rightly guided people.
O Allah, help us to reach the month of Ramadan in good health and make us among those who fast and return to You. Grant us abundant reward, forgiveness, and mercy in this blessed month, O Most Merciful.
O Allah, give us the ability to avail ourselves of your mercy and protect us from the causes of your displeasure and punishment.
O Allah, have mercy on all our deceased, forgive them, provide them with the best hospitality, and send their souls to the highest levels of paradise.
O Allah, bestow honor and strength upon Islam and the Muslims, humiliate the polytheists and idolaters, and frustrate the efforts of the enemies of Islam.
O Allah, make our country and all Islamic nations a beacon of peace and security.
O Allah, grant success to our leaders, the servants of the Two Holy Sanctuaries, in their preferred endeavors, and guide them towards virtuous and righteous deeds.
O Allah, assist them and their successors in deeds that benefit the Muslims and are in the best interest of the nation. O Gracious and Merciful One!
Our Lord is pure and free from the accusations made by the ignorant. May peace and security descend upon all the messengers. Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, is deserving of all praise.
Masjid al-Nabawi:
Sheikh Khalid Al-Mohanna
25 Shaban 1444 AH, corresponding to 17 March 2023
