Brothers and sisters, Obeying Allah brings the greatest reward and the highest benefit, and His pleasure is the best reward and the best pursuit. Jannah is surrounded by makarih (hardships), and Jahannam is surrounded by shahawat (desires).
You will receive your [full] reward on the Day of Judgment, and whoever is saved from the fire and [is made to] enter into Jannah has [indeed] succeeded. So, fear Allah in what He has commanded, and refrain from what He has prohibited and warned against.
Brothers and sisters in Islam, Among the blessings and favours of Allah is that He has designated for His servants special seasons for goodness and acts of devotion. He has multiplied the reward for [these] acts of worship during these seasons and has urged them to seize these opportunities, to make use of their time, to seek the moments of divine mercy, and to hasten to [perform] good deeds.
So, race towards goodness, and hasten to [the] forgiveness of your Lord and a Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth.
Brothers and sisters, The month of Ramadan has come to you, the best of times, and the greatest of seasons for worship.
It is a month of worship, repentance, and seeking forgiveness; a month of obedience, returning to Allah, and humbling oneself before Him.
Brothers and sisters, Welcome the month of Ramadan with happiness, grateful for Allah’s grace and blessings, hoping for His forgiveness and mercy.
Welcome the month of repentance with repentance, the month of generosity with generosity, the month of the Qur’an with the Qur’an, the month of du’aa (supplication) with du’aa (supplication), the month of obedience with obedience, and the month of rahmah (mercy) with rahmah (mercy).
Brothers and sisters, take heed, for Ramadan is before you. [This] is the time to embrace and immerse yourself in the journey of worship, place your hopes in the blessings of this sacred month, and strive to perform [good] deeds. Work hard [now to] improve your condition, and Allah will improve your affairs.
Brothers and sisters in Islam, Shaytan is indeed your enemy, so take him as an enemy. He will exert all his effort in the seasons of goodness and the blessed times to mislead people from the right path, to prevent them from receiving the mercy and forgiveness of Allah, and to turn them away from the obedience of their Lord. He will [ultimately] deprive them of much goodness.
The wise person is the one who holds himself accountable and works for what comes after death, while the foolish one follows their desires and relies on false hopes from Allah.
So, hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed for you.
It will be easier on the Day of Judgment if you take account of yourself today. Prepare [yourselves] for the ultimate presentation when you will stand before Allah, and nothing will be hidden.
May Allah bless us all through the Qur’an and Sunnah, and allow us to benefit from their wisdom and guidance.
I say these words and ask Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you. So, seek His forgiveness, for He is Al-Ghafoor, Ar-Raheem (the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful).
Brothers and sisters in Islam, prepare yourselves for the month of Ramadan, for it is a month of worship and devotion, a month for repentance and [humbly and sincerely] turning to Allah.
It requires proper time management, preparing the nafs (inner-self), genuine commitment, determination, and hard work to achieve Allah’s pleasure.
One of the most important things that helps to prepare for Ramadan is to repent for past mistakes, seek forgiveness for sins, and resolve to clear any debts or responsibilities, while avoiding doubtful matters and desires.
The doors of tawbah (repentance) are wide open, and Allah extends His hand at night to accept the repentance of those who sin during the day, and extends His hand during the day to accept the repentance of those who sin at night, until the sun rises from the west.
Brothers and sisters, beware of heedlessness, for it is a serious disease, leading to Allah’s anger and distress, cutting off the connection between the servant and their Lord.
It makes them unaware of their sins, prevents them from abandoning their wrongdoings, and keeps them from repenting and seeking forgiveness. They do not recognize what is good, nor do they condemn what is evil.
They go through seasons of goodness and blessed opportunities, while in the slumber of heedlessness, unaware. They see but do not reflect, they are reminded but do not take heed, and they are warned but do not change [for the better].
Blessed are those who fast during Ramadan with [sincere] faith anticipating [Allah’s reward], for they will enter Paradise. Blessed are those who pray during Ramadan with [sincere] faith anticipating [Allah’s reward], for they will enter Paradise.