Title of Sermon: Ramadan is the Path to Salvation
Elements of Sermon:
Ramadan and salvation from the whims of the soul.
Ramadan and salvation from sins.
Ramadan and salvation from the lightness of the scales.
Ramadan and deliverance from the Fire.
All praise be to Allah, the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Appreciative, who bestows abundant rewards upon His servants and forgives their shortcomings through His mercy—thereby saving them from calamity and torment. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, alone without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah send abundant peace and blessings upon him, his family, and his companions until the Day of Resurrection.
After that, fear Allah, O servants of Allah, in true piety, and be ever mindful of Him in secret and in private, as He has enjoined:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims.”
— [Ᾱl ‘Imran: 102]
O servants of Allah,
In just a few hours the entire cosmos prepares for a magnificent event. As soon as the sun of the last day of Sha‘ban sets and the first night of Ramadan appears, the universe itself undergoes a profound transformation.
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (r) said:
“When the first night of the month of Ramadan comes, the devils are chained, the jinn are subdued, and the gates of the Fire are locked—none of them being opened—while the gates of Paradise are opened, with none being closed. And a caller is heard proclaiming: ‘O seeker of good, come in, and O seeker of evil, desist.’ And there are those whom Allah will deliver from the Fire. This happens every night.” (Narrated by Tirmidhi)
O servant of Allah!
If Allah has bestowed upon you the honor of witnessing Ramadan, then praise Him for granting you this magnificent opportunity for salvation!
You may ask: From what is this salvation derived? Ramadan is an opportunity to break free from the bondage of one’s own desires and to resist the lure of baser inclinations. The supreme objective of fasting is piety. As our Most Merciful Lord declares:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.” [al-Baqarah: 183]
The servants of Allah who cultivate piety are those whose hearts are enkindled by faith in Allah, who are firm in their conviction through His knowledge, who witness His signs, who love and revere Him, and who fear and hope in Him—all while being acutely aware of the Hereafter with its rewards and its retribution. Such believers erect for themselves a protective barrier between their souls and the punishment of Allah by diligently observing His commands and abstaining from that which is forbidden.
Fasting instills and fortifies this piety. It liberates the individual from the enslavement of his own desires, making him a master over his self—he governs his inner being rather than being ruled by it. In doing so, he becomes patient against his cravings and steadfast before his whims. For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) called Ramadan the “month of patience.” If you emerge from your fast having subdued the whispers of your own self, then rejoice in the promise of Paradise with your Lord. Allah reminds us:
وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَى * فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَى
“But as for one who fears standing before his Lord and restrains his soul from its desires, Paradise will be his refuge.” [al-Nāzi’āt:40–41]
And what of the one who spends his day fasting yet provokes the anger of the Mighty? What benefit is there in a fast if a person does not guard his heart and his limbs against that which Allah has forbidden? Did not the Prophet (r) say: “He who does not forsake false speech and wrongful deeds does not need Allah to forsake his food and drink.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari)
It is also narrated from the noble companion Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “When you fast, let your hearing, sight, and tongue also fast from lying and that which is forbidden. Avoid the harm of those who serve you, and maintain dignity and tranquility throughout your fast. Do not treat the day of breaking your fast the same as the day of fasting.” (Narrated by Ibn al-Mubarak)
Brothers and sisters in Islam,
Ramadan is a precious opportunity for salvation from the peril of sins. Sins are like wounds in the heart—barriers that repel Allah’s mercy. Yet many persist in neglect, increasing their transgressions and misdeeds. When Ramadan comes, however, Allah’s bounty increases; He opens the widest doors of mercy for His servants and bestows upon them His magnificent forgiveness, pardon, and mercy—indeed, He is the Bestower and the Accepter of repentance.
Reflect upon these three great authentic sayings of the Prophet (r):
“Whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and with the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
“Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan with faith and in hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
“Whoever stands in prayer on the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) with faith and in hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Fasting, nightly prayers during Ramadan, and worship on Laylat al-Qadr—if these acts are performed with the sincere belief that Allah alone ordained them and that He has promised immense reward, then Allah will forgive all your sins out of His mercy and grace. Truly, the greatest loss is that of the one who is deprived of the blessings of this season; the door is opened to him, yet he does not enter. It is reported that the angel Gabriel (r) once said: “Let the servant’s nose be deprived, if he enters Ramadan, he may not have his sins forgiven.” Then the Prophet (r) supplicated on his behalf, and his prayer was answered with, “Ameen.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad)
O servants of Allah,
Ramadan is also an opportunity for salvation from the lightness of our deeds on the Day of Judgment. For on that Day, every servant’s deeds will be weighed. Allah says:
وَالْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ فَمَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ * وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَظْلِمُونَ
“And the weighing that Day will be the truth. So, whoever's scales are heavy, those are the successful. And whoever's scales are light, those are the ones who have lost their souls for what they used to earn.” [al-A’rāf: 8–9]
Among the most significant deeds that will add weight to your scale is a fast observed in the true spirit for Allah. The Messenger of Allah (r) said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied: a good deed is rewarded tenfold up to seven hundred times. But Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, said: ‘Except for fasting, for it is Mine, and I shall reward it. He leaves his desires and his food for My sake.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Indeed, the reward of fasting with Allah is far greater than even seven hundred times any other deed. In truth, only Allah knows the extent of its reward, favor, and blessing.
Consider this beautiful narration: Talha ibn Ubaidullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that two men came to the Messenger of Allah (r) that converted to Islam sincerely, yet one exerted himself far more than the other. The one who strove with greater intensity was martyred in battle, while the other lived for a year thereafter before passing away. Talha said: “I saw in a dream that I was standing at the gate of Paradise with them. Then, a person emerged from Paradise and gave permission for the one who died later, and afterward another came out and gave permission for the one who was martyred, and then he returned to me and said: ‘Return, for your time has not yet come.’”
The people marveled at this, and when the Messenger of Allah (r) heard of it, he asked: “What is it that you marvel at?”
They replied:
“O Messenger of Allah, this man exerted himself more, was martyred in the way of Allah, yet the other entered Paradise before him!”
The Prophet then asked:
“Did not the latter remain a year after him?”
They answered: “Yes.”
He then inquired: “And did he observe Ramadan by fasting?”
They said: “Yes.”
“And did he perform such and such prayer with prostrations during that year?”
They affirmed: “Yes.”
Then the Messenger of Allah (r) said: “The distance between their rewards is greater than the distance between the heavens and the earth!” (Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Majah)
He who reaches Ramadan and fasts is elevated by Allah and granted precedence. So, do you not praise Allah for bestowing upon you this blessed month and for enabling you to fast?
May Allah bless me and you with the guidance of the Glorious Qur’an and benefit us with its verses and wise reminders. I ask Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you—so seek His forgiveness, for He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Second Sermon
All praise be to Allah, and may prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who follow him.
O servants of Allah,
Have you heard about the so-called “Hellfire People”?
The Prophet (r) said: “There will come a time when groups of people will be struck by the Fire for the sins they have committed, and then Allah will admit them into Paradise by the virtue of His mercy. They will be known as the ‘Hellfire People.’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari)
Some of the believers, because of their sins, will fall into Hell, where the Fire will seize them. And what is the nature of that Fire? It is an overwhelming deluge that erases every pleasure of this world. The Prophet (r) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, the best of the delights of the people of this world will be brought from among the dwellers of the Fire; then the Fire will stain them, and it will be said: ‘O son of Adam, have you ever experienced any good? Have you ever known any bliss?’ They will reply: ‘No, by Allah, O my Lord.’” (Narrated by Muslim)
Thus, the advice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to his beloved daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was: “O Fatimah, save yourself from the Fire.” (Narrated by Muslim)
In Ramadan, you are granted approximately thirty opportunities to secure a guarantee of deliverance from the Fire. The Prophet (r) said: “Indeed, with every breaking of the fast there are those who are freed, and this occurs every night.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah)
These are but a few of the abundant outpourings of Allah’s mercy upon the earth and the heavens. The Prophet (r) also said: “Do good throughout your lives and expose yourselves to the blessings of Allah’s mercy, for indeed, Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, has blessings of His mercy with which He grants favor to whomever He wills among His servants.” (Narrated by al-Tabarani)
O Allah, support Islam and exalt the Muslims; destroy the Zionist wrongdoers. O Allah, send down tranquility into the hearts of those striving in Your cause, save Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of Your religion by Your might, O Strong, O Steadfast.
O Allah, grant us safety in our homelands, reform our leaders and those entrusted with our affairs, and enable our allegiance to be with those who fear You, who are conscious of You, and who follow Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us goodness in this world and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.
