Khutba: Ending Ramadan in Victory

Ending Ramadan in Victory

Today is the last Friday in the month of Ramadhaan. Soon we will celebrate Eidilfitri inshaaAllah. Only one more day is left for us before we bid farewell to this blessed month. We do not know whether we will ever meet Ramadan again.

For those who have filled this month with ibadah and good deeds, you have gained. Those who have stayed up during the nights of Lailatul Qadr, a night better than a 1000 months, you have gained. You have gained because you know and understand that the life of this world is temporary. You have known that life in this world is an opportunity to reap rewards for the Hereafter. Those who have successfully completed reading the Quran in this month, you have gained. They were the ones who, despite their thirst from fasting, constantly recite the Quran. For them reward from Allah is assured, inshaaAllah.

Know that the true servants of Allah will weep when this blessed month has passed. They cry because the period for Allah’s special rewards and bounties has ended. And they cry because they do not know if they will ever meet Ramadhan again.
However, there are also those who are glad to leave this month. They are glad because they regard this month as a torture. A torture for not being able to eat and drink. A torture for having to reduce their own entertainment. They are the ones who are in loss. They are in loss because they have wasted the rewards of Ramadan. They fast because they follow others. They transgress the adab of fasting by committing sins. They spent their nights not with ibadah but with entertainment. They waste their time with celebrations that are unIslamic. Rasulullah s.a.w. has said that those who do not receive the Forgiveness of Allah s.w.t. in Ramadhaan are those who are the greatest of losers. Let us not be among them.

My dear brothers,
For those who feel that they have not done enough good deeds in this month, there is still a chance to repent and seek forgiveness from Allah s.w.t. Only one more day of ramadhan is left. Seize the opportunity from this single day to seek forgiveness from Allah sw.t. Seize this chance to increase your ibadah. Don’t let it go to waste.

Dear brothers in Islam,
For those who have not paid their zakatul fitrah, please do so. For surely the time left to pay it remains till the imam commences solatul Eidilfitri. For those who do not pay zakat fitrah, your deeds will be suspended between the earth and the sky and they will not reach Allah s.w.t. Zakat fitrah is our contribution to the poor and needy. It is for them to have the opportunity to feel happy celebrating the arrival of Shawwal. Zakat fitrah is also a means to cleanse our sins in Ramadhan.
In our enjoyment celebrating Eidilfitri, let us not forget its purpose and true meaning of Eidilfitri. Celebrating Eidilfitri is encouraged in Islam. It is the sunnah of Rasulullah s.a.w.. He had encouraged Muslims to wear new clothes to celebrate this great day. It has also been ruled that this day be the day for the strengthening of ties among Muslims.
But we must also know that the purpose of Eidilfitri is to celebrate our victory over our jihad in controlling our desires during Ramadan. It is the day of celebration for those who have spent their days in fasting and worshipping Allah s.w.t. For them it is their due to celebrate Eidilfitri.

Dear Brothers,
Islam has taught us the correct way of celebrating Eidilfitri. Islam has ruled that we perform takbir on the night of Eid from the setting of the sun to the time when the imaam raises his hands in takbiratul ihram for the Eid Salah. The takbir proclaims the greatness and glory of Allah s.w.t. Allah says in surah al-Baqarah ayat 185:

And glorify Allah for the Guidance He has given you and be truly grateful (for the bounties you have received)
It is sunnah for us to recite the takbir and tahmid as much as we can on this night. And know that this night, the night of Eidilfitri is the night that many forget to remember Allah. We are too busy making preparations to celebrate Eidilfitri, cleaning and decorating the house, preparing cakes and food. We are so busy until we forget that this night is filled with blessings and rewards. Related by Imam Shafie and Ibn Majah, Rasulullah was reported to have said,:
Whosoever performs their ibadah on the two nights of Eid purely for the sake of Allah s.w.t., his heart will not die even though he is dead.

Seize this opportunity especially for those who have missed the chance of Lailatul Qadar. Enliven this night with takbir and tahmid and pray as many sunnah prayers as possible. Distance ourselves away from mindless entertainment as much as we can. Don’t we want to end the month of Ramadhan with ibadah? Or do we want to end it with sins? We want to be record by the angels as servants who end Ramadhan in worship not in sin. So perform your best in your ibadah for the remainder of this Ramadhan. And May our deeds be granted boundless rewards by Allah swt.Ameen!

Hamilton; 17.08.2012