Title of the Sermon: “That You May Attain Taqwā”– The Relationship Between Fasting and Taqwā
Elements of the Sermon:
1- Glad tidings for the people of taqwā
2- What is taqwā?
3- The relationship between fasting and taqwā
4- The intercession of fasting
All praise is due to Allah, who commanded His servants to have taqwā and promised them forgiveness, for He is the One worthy of taqwā and the One worthy of forgiveness. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger ﷺ. May Allah send abundant prayers and peace upon him.
To proceed: Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with true taqwā, and be mindful of Him in private and in secret.
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 in a state of Islam.” [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān 3:102]
O servants of Allah,
Do you not hear the glad tidings?
Allah, exalted and majestic, says:
وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
“And Allah is the Protector of the people of taqwā.” [Sūrat al-Jāthiyah 45:19]
And He says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
“Indeed, Allah loves the people of taqwā.” [Sūrat al-Tawbah 9:4]
And He says:
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
“And know that Allah is with the people of taqwā.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:194]
And He says:
إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
“Indeed, Allah only accepts from the people of taqwā.” [Sūrat al-Māʾidah 5:27]
And He says:
يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ الْمُتَّقِينَ إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ وَفْدًا
“On the Day We will gather the people of taqwā to the Most Merciful as an honored delegation.” [Sūrat Maryam 19:85]
And He says:
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
“Indeed, the people of taqwā will be in gardens and springs.” [Sūrat al-Ḥijr 15:45]
And He says:
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَنَهَرٍ
“Indeed, the people of taqwā will be in gardens and rivers.” [Sūrat al-Qamar 54:54]
And He says:
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي ظِلَالٍ وَعُيُونٍ
“Indeed, the people of taqwā will be amid shade and springs.” [Sūrat al-Mursalāt 77:41]
And He says:
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا * وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ
“And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect.” [Sūrat al-Ṭalāq 65:2–3]
And He says:
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْرًا
“And whoever fears Allah, He will make his affair easy for him.” [Sūrat al-Ṭalāq 65:4]
How blessed are the people of taqwā: Allah’s guardianship, His love, His companionship, His acceptance, His provision, His facilitation, His generosity, His relief, and the gardens of bliss.
Do you not wish to be written among the people of taqwā with Allah?
Here is the grace of Allah reaching you, as He has favored you—glorified be He—by enabling you to fast Ramaḍān, so that you may be granted taqwā from the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Allah says:
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 attain taqwā.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:183]
That is the greatest objective of fasting: that you be granted taqwā, that you emerge from Ramaḍān as a servant who possesses taqwā.
But what is taqwā, and who is the God-fearing servant?
Taqwā is to shield and protect the soul, and to safeguard it from the anger and punishment of Allah by fulfilling what He has commanded and avoiding what He has forbidden.
The God-fearing servant is the one for whom taqwā becomes an established quality and a firmly rooted trait. You see him, in his speech and actions, being mindful of his Lord because he knows that Allah sees him, so he does nothing except what pleases Him.
Perhaps you ask, O servant of Allah: What is the relationship between fasting and taqwā?
And I ask you: What is fasting?
Is it merely abstaining from food, drink, and desire?
Rather, fasting is abstaining from these desires for the sake of Allah, blessed and exalted.
This is the secret from which we begin: you leave something for Allah’s sake; you restrain your desires for Allah’s sake.
Have you not heard what Allah said in the divine narration?
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied: a good deed is multiplied tenfold up to seven hundred times. Allah, mighty and majestic, said: Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I alone reward it. He leaves his desire and his food for My sake.” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
This is the secret: he leaves his desire and his food for My sake.
Most people are unable to remain patient in the face of their desires, and it is this that leads them to Hellfire.
Reflect on the condition of people and you will see that Satan only gained mastery over them through the gateway of desires: disbelief, murder, oppression, fornication, theft, consuming usury, committing indecencies and evils, and severing family ties. Every evil has its root in human weakness before the world and its desires. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Indeed, among what I fear most for you are the desires of misguidance in your stomachs and private parts, and the misleading temptations of whims.” Narrated by Aḥmad.
These are the desires that seize people with their hooks and drag them into the depths of Hell.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire…” [full ḥadīth as previously translated] Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
Hellfire is surrounded by desires. How many people fail to restrain themselves from what Allah has forbidden and assume that they are weak-willed, while not realizing that they are strong through Allah and for Allah, and that if they are patient for Allah’s sake, they will remain upright. For Allah says:
وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ
“And for your Lord, be patient.” [Sūrat al-Muddaththir 74:7]
Therefore, fasting is not merely abstaining from food and drink; rather, it is restraint, patience, and disciplining the soul from everything that angers Allah. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ called Ramaḍān the month of patience, saying: “The month of patience, and fasting three days of every month is equivalent to fasting a lifetime.” Narrated by al-Nasāʾī.
Did the Prophet ﷺ not say: “Whoever does not abandon false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need for him to abandon his food and drink”? Narrated by al-Bukhārī.
And did the Prophet ﷺ not say: “Fasting is not merely abstaining from food and drink; rather, fasting is abstaining from idle speech and obscenity. If someone insults you or behaves ignorantly toward you, then say: ‘I am fasting! I am fasting!’” Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah.
O fasting one, be mindful throughout your day of for whom and for whose sake you are fasting. Let your heart bear witness to the majesty, perfection, and kindness of Allah. Let your heart be conscious that Allah hears your words, sees the glance of your eyes, witnesses the actions of your limbs, and knows the inner thoughts of your soul.
Remember—so that you may have taqwā—that you will meet Him, that you will stand before Him, and that He, exalted be He, is swift in reckoning and severe in punishment.
Listen to what Allah says to you:
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“And fear Allah, and know that Allah is Knowing of all things.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:231]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
“And fear Allah, and know that Allah sees all that you do.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:233]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
“And fear Allah; indeed, Allah knows what is within the chests.” [Sūrat al-Māʾidah 5:7]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is fully aware of what you do.” [Sūrat al-Māʾidah 5:8]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
“And fear Allah, and know that to Him you will be gathered.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:203]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ مُلَاقُوهُ
“And fear Allah, and know that you will meet Him.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:223]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ
“And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is swift in reckoning.” [Sūrat al-Māʾidah 5:4]
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
“And fear Allah, and know that Allah is severe in punishment.” [Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:196]
O fasting one, have you heard of this glad tiding?
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Indeed, Allah has those whom He frees from the Fire at every breaking of the fast, and that is every night.” Narrated by Ibn Mājah.
Have you ever asked yourself: What is the secret behind emancipation from the Fire at every ifṭār in Ramaḍān?
The secret is that the servant who truly fasts has freed himself from enslavement to his desires. He becomes a free master, a servant of Allah alone—no forbidden pleasure or base desire enslaves him. Rather, he rises above all of that, so his heart no longer prostrates except to his Lord. Thus, his reward is of the same nature as his deed: he freed himself from enslavement to desire, so Allah frees him from the Fire.
O fasting one, fast with your heart and your limbs for Allah—out of love, fear, hope, and reverence—so that your soul may be freed from servitude to desires and your self may be freed from the Fire. For people are as the Prophet ﷺ said: “All people go forth; one sells his soul and frees it, and another sells his soul and destroys it.” Narrated by Muslim.
O brother in Islam,
If you feel pain for the afflictions of your brothers across the world, and if you see the nations gathering against our Muslim ummah, violating its sanctities, then know that the first step toward victory over enemies is to gain victory over the desires of our own souls—to take control of them. Otherwise, how can one remain steadfast when flames ignite, if his resolve collapses in the face of a fleeting pleasure?
Did the Prophet ﷺ not say: “And know that in patience over what you dislike there is much good, and that victory comes with patience”? Narrated by Aḥmad.
May Allah bless me and you through the Great Qur’an, and benefit me and you by what it contains of verses and wise reminder. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness; indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Second Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family, his companions, and all who follow his path.
O servant of Allah,
Tomorrow the Hour will be established, and you will stand before your Lord to be questioned about your deeds. How will it be with you when you see your fasting standing before you, interceding for you with your Lord? So perfect your fasting, that it may stand as an intercessor for you on the Day of Resurrection.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for the servant on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: ‘My Lord, I prevented him from food and desires during the day, so allow me to intercede for him.’ And the Qur’an will say: ‘I prevented him from sleep at night, so allow me to intercede for him.’ He said: ‘So they will both be granted intercession.’” Narrated by Aḥmad.
The avenues of goodness have arrived: fasting and night prayer, prayer and Qur’an, charity and maintaining family ties. O seeker of good, come forward, so that you may be recorded with Allah among the people of taqwā, among those freed by the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “When the first night of the month of Ramaḍān arrives, the devils are chained, the rebellious jinn are restrained, the gates of the Fire are closed and none of them are opened, and the gates of Paradise are opened and none of them are closed. And a caller calls out: ‘O seeker of good, come forward! O seeker of evil, desist!’ And Allah has those whom He frees from the Fire—and that is every night.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhī.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor the Muslims, and destroy the Zionist criminals. O Allah, send down tranquility into the hearts of those striving in Your path, rescue Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of the religion—by Your power, O All-Powerful, O Most Firm.
O Allah, grant us security in our homelands, rectify our leaders and those entrusted with our affairs, and place our authority in the hands of those who fear You, are mindful of You, and follow Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
O servants of Allah, remember Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening. And the last of our supplications is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds.
