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Khutbat al-Jumu`ah
ASIM
 
O Muslims, believers! This month is the month of Ramadan and we say it in Arabic “Ramadan kareem - Ramadan is generous.” Kareem comes from al-karam la-ilahi, the Lordly generosity. It means in Ramadan is the month of baraka, of blessings, it is the month of helping. It is the month of every good `amal, it is in that month. And in order that Allah swt will help us to remember Him, in this month He made us to fast that month. Because when you are fasting you will remember your Lord and you will remember how much favors He gave you during the year, at any time of day and night you are able to eat and drink. But in this month you are not able to eat and drink except certain hours in order to feel with the poor.
The name Ramadan came from ramada, which means to waive and erase, Ramadan is the month when Allah erases the sins from His servants. He rewards them as He gives them. And as Allah made Juma`h the best day of the week also He made Ramadan the best month of the whole year.

O Muslims! There are people who are hungry and there are people who are homeless and it is the responsibility of us all, and it is first of all the responsibility of the leadership and the people of authority to make sure that no one goes hungry.

Ramadan tests you to see how hard it is to fast. People say, “I am thirsty - I cannot fast. O I cannot, I have bad stomach, my stomach will get hungry.” Of course your stomach will get hungry; it is to make you suffer during the day. Even young children are fasting. Many Muslims today don’t know when is Ramadan and why is Ramadan. Your fast is for you. If you don’t fast you know where you will end up.

The Prophet (s) has emphasized on Ramadan a lot and I will quote a few incidents that are important. Before that I will tell you the story of Sayyidina `Umar (r) when he became amir al-mumineen, when he became second caliph of the Prophet (s). When he was given authority, when everyone gave him baya - it means voted for him to be leader, calipha - and he went home and he was crying, and not normalcrying, but deep crying. His wife looked at him and was thinking "is he crying from happiness or crying from something else?" She asked him, “O Umar! why are you crying?" He said, “O my wife you have to know that before I didn’t have responsibility. Now I am responsible for whoever is hungry and who has been killed and who has this and who has that. I will be asked by Allah swt ‘What have you done, O Umar for your fellow citizens? Did you leave them hungry?’”
He was hiding himself at night and carrying the food to people who are hungry. Look to presidents all over the world today. Do you see them dropping food to the homeless people. You cannot speak with them, they have hundreds of security [guards].

Sayyidina `Umar (r) didn’t need security. Allah was guarding him.

O Muslims are you helping with your fasting someone else? Especially food. You give them money they go waste it. You give them food they eat it. That is why it is very important for every one of us, not to say "O my fitra is 5 dollars or 7 or 10 dollars per person, I pay 50 and finished." That is 5 per person. Now that fitra is not giving food to poor people. Poor people you have to give food to make them happy. So give people food, donate food. There will be baraka there. Whenever they say Bismillahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Raheem that will be written for you as that food is for Ramadan.

 وجاء في حديث آخر إذا كان يوم القيامة أوحى الله إلى رضوان إنّي أخرجت الصائمين من قبورهم جائعين عطاشا فاستقبلهم بشهواتهم من الجنة فيصيح رضوان أيها الغلمان والولدان عليكم بأطباق من نور فتجتمع عنده أكثر من الكواكب بالفاكهة والأشربة اللذيذة فيستقبلون الصائمين والصائمات ويقال لهم كلوا واشربوا هنيئا بما أسلفتم في الأيام الخالية.

O Muslims, it is mentioned that when Judgment Day comes idha kaana yawm al-qiyama awha Allahu tala ila Sayyidina Ridwan - that I have brought out all those who fasted Ramadan first from their graves. I am bringing them hungry and I am calling them from the graves and I am making them hungry."

And you know when someone is hungry he immediately wants Maghrib to come quickly so he can break fast.

“I am making them thirsty coming from the graves. So quickly run to them and offer heavenly food from Paradise, and heavenly water from Paradise.” Wa yuqaaloo lahum kuloo w'ashraboo haniyyan bima aslaftum fee ayaamin khaliyyah -"And it is said to them: 'Eat ye and drink ye, with full satisfaction; because of the (good) that ye sent before you, in the days that are gone!'" [69:24]

So it is not question of fasting or not to fast, to give an excuse to yourself not to fast. I know many people from Arab countries who travel in Ramadan. Why? To break their fast.

Allah said in Holy Qur'an:  فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ

“whoever is sick or traveling may make up days later.” [2:184 also 2:185]

So they make excuse to not fast, by saying they are traveling. Why? Because short hours. They like to play tricks. In winter short hours they make it up.

Because Ramadan is coming now in summer the hours might be very long. Some people might fast 18 hours.

I know a person who fast the whole year, he breaks only 5 days, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha and ..The whole year is fasting and he is from the desert of Syria and Iraq. He died a long time ago. Five days a year he is breaking fast. And for us we say “I am sick, I am dying.” We say, “Help me.” Beat him! Beat him with your tongue.

وقال علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه: لو أراد الله أن يعذب أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ماأعطاهم رمضان وقل هو الله أحد.

"Wa qaala `Aliyun wa law arad-Allah an yu`adhiba umamta Muhammad ma ataahum Ramadan." Sayyidina `Ali (r) said, "If Allah wanted to punish the Ummat of the Prophet (s) he would not have given them Ramadan." Ramadan is a fence for safety. Like a seat belt. You are stuck by that in your place in heavens, no one can take you to punishment. He said, "Allah would not have given them Ramadan and he would not have given them qul huwa Allahu ahad."

Are we reciting qul huwa Allahu ahad three times a day or not? If we are not do it, and if we are increase it as much as you like.

وسأل موسى عليه الصلاة والسلام ربه: يارب أكرمتني بالتكليم فهل أعطيت أحداً مثل ذلك؟ فأوحى الله تعالى إليه : ياموسى إن لي عباداً أخرجهم في آخر الزمان وأكرمهم بشهر رمضان فأكون أقرب لأحدهم منك، لأنك كلمتني وبيني وبينك سبعون ألف حجاب فإذا صامت أمة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى ابيضت شفاههم واصفرت ألوانهم أرفع الحجاب بيني وبينهم وقت إفطارهم.. ياموسى طوبى لمن عطش كبده وأجاع بطنه في رمضان..

Qaala musa, ya rabbee, you have favored me that I talk with you directly takleem, did you give anyone like that to talk with You directly? Because Sayyidina Musa was Kaleemullah, he had no intercessory angels between him and Allah. Allah gave to him and Allah does what He likes.

Allah said, “Inna lee `ibadan ukhrijahum fee akhira z-zaman - I have servants and I am keeping them now but I will bring them at the Last Days of this world.”
“wa ukrimahum bi shahri Ramadan fa akoonu aqrab li-ahadihim minka - I will favor them with the month of Ramadan, ... and I will be nearer to them than to you. That is why I gave them Ramadan. When I was talking to you, there was between you and Me 70,000 hijab, (veils) and when Ummat an-Nabi fasts, hatta abyadat shifahahum until their lips become white. When  their lips become white (it means you are so thirsty. All these lips begin to have cuts, wounds because there is no water. Now they cheat they say we put this makeup. They sell it in the pharmacy. What is it? Chapstick. They keep putting it on. It doesn’t break the fast, because it has no taste and no color. Allah wants you to have white lips. And people say we have bad smell (in our mouths). No Allah wants you to have that bad smell and the angels are happy with that smell.)

"Those who become pale until their lips are white, and their color becomes yellow, arfa` al-hujjub baynee wa baynahum wa asfarat alwaanahum arfa` al-hujub baynee wa baynahum waqt iftaarhim- I take away the veils between Me and them, at the moment of breaking fast."

وقال كعب الأحبار أوْحى الله إلى موسى عليه السلام إنّي كَتبْتُ على نفسي أنْ لا أَرُدَّ دعْوَةَ صائمِ رمضانَ.

"Ya Musa, if they ask Me in prayer I will answer them."
Say Allahuma rabba haadhihi dawata at-taama was-salaat al-qa’imah ati Sayyidina Muhammadi’l-waseelah wa’l-fadeelah wa’d-darajat ar-rafee`a wa’b`athu’l-maqaam al-mahmoud alladhee wa`datahu... as soon as Allahu Akbar [is recited], no du`a, no prayer. Dates are in the mouth. Wait one minute, 2 minutes! Make salawat on the Prophet and make du`a for whatever you need.
And then He said, tooba liman atasha batanahu .. good tidings to the one who was fasting and thirsty, dying from it. Allah will bless us in Ramadan with baraka of Sayyidina Muhammad.
Istaghfirullah al-adheem….
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