Following is the English translation of the Sermon of the Messenger
of Allah before the commencement of the Holy month of Ramadhan:
“O People! The month (Ramadhan) of Allah has come with
His mercies, blessings, and forgiveness. Allah has decreed this month the best
of all months. Its days are best among the days, its nights are the best among
the nights and its hours are the best among the hours. This is a month in which
you have been invited by Him (to fast and to pray). Allah has honored you in
it. In it every breath you take is (has the reward of) ‘Tasbih’ (the praise of
Allah), your sleep is worship, your good deeds are accepted, and your
invocations answered. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord in right earnest with
your hearts that are free from sin and evil. And pray that Allah may help you
to keep fasts and recite the Glorious Qur’an. Indeed! Miserable is the one who is deprived
of Allah’s forgiveness in this great month. While fasting, remember the
hunger and thirst on the Day of Judgement. Give alms to the poor and needy. Pay
respect to your elders, have sympathy for your youngsters and be kind towards your
relatives and kinsmen. Guard
your tongue towards unworthy words, and your eyes from scenes (forbidden) and
your ears from sounds that should not be heard. Be kind to orphans so that if
your children become orphans, they also will be treated with kindness. Do repent to Allah for your
sins and supplicate with raised hands at the times of prayer as these are the
best times, during which Almighty Allah looks at His servants with mercy. (He)
Answers if they supplicate, Responds if they call, Grants if they ask, and
Accepts if they entreat. O People! You have made your conscience the slave of
your desires. Make it free, by invoking Him for forgiveness. Your back is breaking under the heavy
load of your sins, so prostrate yourself before Him for long intervals and make
it lighter. Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name
of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who perform
Salaat and Sajda (prostration), and that He will guard their bodies against the
Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment People! If anyone amongst you arranges for the Iftar (food for ending
fast at sunset) of any believers, then Allah will give him the reward as if he
had set free a slave, and He will forgive his previous sins. Keep
yourself away from the fire of hell, though it may consist of half a date or
even some water if you have nothing else. O People! Anybody in this month
cultivates good manners, will walk over the Sirat (bridge leading to Paradise)
on the day when feet will tend to slip. Anybody who in this month may take
light work from his servants, Allah will make easy his accounting, and anybody
who does not annoy others in it, Allah will keep him safe from His Wrath on the
Day of Judgement. Anybody who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in it,
Allah shall look at him with kindness on that Day. Anybody who treats his kinsmen in it,
Allah will bestow His Mercy on him on the Day of Judgement, while anyone
maltreats his kinsmen in it, Allah will keep him away from His Mercy. Whoever
offers recommended prayers in it, Allah will save him from hell, and whoever
offers obligatory in it, his rewards will be that of seventy such obligatory that
were observed in other months. Whoever recites repeatedly blessings (Salawat) on
me in it, Allah will keep the scales of his good deeds heavy (on Judgement Day)
whilst the scales of others will be tending to lightness. Whoever recites in this month an Ayah
(verse) of the Holy Qur’an, his reward will be that of reciting the whole
Qur’an in other months. O People! The gates of Paradise remain open in this
month. Do pray to your Lord that they may not be closed for you. While the gates
of hell are closed, do pray to your Lord they may never be opened for you.
Satans have been hand-cuffed; invoke our Lord, not to let them dominate you.”
The
Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is
the best of the deeds in this month?” He (s.a.w.a.s.) replied, “The best of the
deeds in this month is to be far from what Allah has forbidden.”
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