Title of the Sermon: Ramadan Has Come to an End
Elements of the Sermon:
The joy of fasting people.
Messages to the successful ones.
Messages to those who fell short.
Zakāt al-Fiṭr: a purification for fasting people.
All praise be to Allah, the Most Forgiving, the Most Appreciative. He pardons slips, forgives missteps, accepts good deeds, and rewards even the little with immense grace and multiplied blessings. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. May Allah’s peace and abundant blessings be upon him.
To proceed:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, with the fear He is truly due, and be mindful of Him in private and public, as He says:
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 as Muslims.” [Āl ʿImrān: 102]
O servants of Allah,
Our Lord, exalted is He, says:
قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
“Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy—in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.” [Yūnus: 58]
Blessings from Allah have become abundant and sweet.
O you who fasted with faith and in hope of reward—glad tidings to you!
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The fasting person has two joys: when he breaks his fast, he rejoices in it, and when he meets his Lord, he rejoices in his fasting.” [al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
The fasting person rejoices at the time of breaking his fast because Allah enabled him to complete it, for which Allah has promised immense reward. And he rejoices upon meeting his Lord for the fasting he offered, when he sees the recompense and beautiful reward.
If the people of this world rejoice in their worldly possessions and adornments, then the people of faith rejoice in their faith and Islam, in the Qur’an, and in obedience to the Most Merciful.
Soon the fasting people will rejoice upon meeting Allah, the Most Appreciative, the One who said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied, each good deed by ten up to seven hundred times. Allah the Exalted said: Except for fasting, it is for Me and I will reward it. He leaves his desire and food for My sake.” [Muslim]
There, the fasting and devout will rejoice, when their fasting and recitation of the Qur’an precede them and intercede on their behalf before the Sovereign, the Just Judge.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for the servant on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: O Lord, I kept him from food and desires during the day, so let me intercede for him. And the Qur’an will say: I kept him from sleep during the night, so let me intercede for him. He said: So they will be allowed to intercede.” [Aḥmad]
O you who fasted—only a few hours remain before Ramadan departs from us, this noble guest. So, who among us is accepted, that we may congratulate him, and who among us is rejected, that we may console him?
As for you, O accepted one—then congratulations, endless congratulations.
And as for you, O rejected one—may Allah compensate your loss.
Ramadan came, and a caller called out: “O seeker of good, come forward! O seeker of evil, desist!”
Ramadan came, and the gates of Paradise were opened, and the gates of Hell were closed.
Ramadan came, and Allah bestowed His grace upon whomever He willed among His servants and freed them from the Hellfire.
Ramadan came, and the marketplace of forgiveness was opened. So, who among us was forgiven, that we may rejoice with them? And who was deprived, that we may mourn for them?
These are the final messages.
O you whom the Most Generous enabled and you turned to Him—fasting your days with faith and in hope of reward, praying your nights with faith and in hope of reward...
O you who recited the Book of Allah during the nights and at the ends of the days...
O you whom Allah guided to acts of obedience, remembrance of Him, giving in His path, and doing good deeds—these messages are for you:
The first message: Praise Allah for His guidance, and thank Him for His help and facilitation. Our condition, by Allah, is exactly as the Prophet ﷺ said while digging the trench: “By Allah, if it were not for Allah, we would not have been guided, nor would we have fasted, nor prayed.” [al-Bukhārī]
Whoever finds goodness and success should praise Allah, for the Prophet ﷺ, whenever he saw something he liked, would say: “All praise is due to Allah, by whose favor righteous deeds are completed.” [Ibn Mājah]
The second message: Beware of being self-impressed or arrogant about your deeds, for this is the mount of Iblīs and a pitfall for many. The one who is self-impressed and arrogant about his own actions is surely ruined.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Three things are destructive: a greed that is obeyed, a desire that is followed, and a person being self-impressed.” [al-Ṭabarānī]
And how can a servant be impressed with a deed while he does not know if it has been accepted or rejected? Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous.
Ibrāhīm the beloved service of Allah (Khalīlullāh), together with his son Ismā‘īl, raised the foundations of the Sacred House, and their tongues were constantly humble and imploring, saying:
رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
“Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” [al-Baqarah: 127]
The Prophet ﷺ used to say after finishing the Fajr prayer: “O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, goodly provision, and accepted deeds.” [Ibn Mājah]
Indeed, the righteous do not feel secure because of their prayers, fasting, or striving in Allah’s path. Rather, their hearts tremble in awe, hopeful for Allah’s mercy, fearful and anxious about His punishment.
Have you not heard the verses our mother ʿĀ’ishah once asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about? Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْتُونَ مَا آتَوْا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ رَاجِعُونَ * أُولَئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ
“And those who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord—it is they who hasten to good deeds, and they outstrip others therein.” [al-Mu’minūn: 60–61]
ʿĀ’ishah said: “O Messenger of Allah, are they the ones who drink wine and steal?”
He replied: “No, O daughter of al-Ṣiddīq! Rather, they are the ones who fast, pray, and give charity, yet they fear that it will not be accepted from them.” [al-Tirmidhī]
Beware of boasting about your acts of obedience or feeling superior because of them. Allah says:
وَلَا تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ
“Do not confer favor [upon others] seeking more.” [al-Muddaththir: 6]
How can the servant feel entitled by his own deeds when it is Allah—the Bestower of all grace and generosity—who says:
يَمُنُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ أَسْلَمُوا قُلْ لَا تَمُنُّوا عَلَيَّ إِسْلَامَكُمْ بَلِ اللَّهُ يَمُنُّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ هَدَاكُمْ لِلْإِيمَانِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
“They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam. Say, ‘Do not consider your Islam a favor to me. Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you that He guided you to faith, if you should be truthful.’” [al-Ḥujurāt: 17]
Tomorrow, when you witness the Day of Resurrection with your own eyes, when you see Paradise and Hellfire—only then will you see how insignificant your deeds truly were. The Prophet ﷺ said: “If a man were dragged on his face from the day he was born until the day he dies—old and frail—in obedience to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, he would still consider it insignificant on the Day of Resurrection.” [Aḥmad]
And what is the value of your deeds when you consider them in light of your sins and shortcomings—or when you compare them to the immense and countless favors of Allah upon you?
The third reflection: Remain steadfast in obedience to Allah and do not be like the woman who unraveled her yarn after it had been spun with strength. Indeed, Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ
“Indeed, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast—the angels will descend upon them, [saying]: ‘Do not fear and do not grieve, but receive good tidings of Paradise which you were promised.’” [Fuṣṣilat: 30]
If Allah has blessed you to perform righteous deeds during the month of blessings, then seek His help to remain firm upon His commands—fulfilling the obligations and avoiding prohibitions. Seek His help in performing righteous, everlasting deeds such as night prayers, reciting the Qur’an, remembering Allah, and giving in charity.
Allah says in a sacred ḥadīth: “My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory deeds until I love him.” [al-Bukhārī]
The Prophet ﷺ advised ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both) and said: “O ʿAbdullāh, do not be like so-and-so who used to stand for prayer at night, then abandoned it.” [al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
One of the great blessings is that Allah enables you to perform good deeds. In Ramadan, hearts turn toward Allah, and the servant finds many helpers upon goodness. It is true that the state after Ramadan will not be the same as during it—but do not cut off from acts of worship. Do not be like the people who were given blessings but did not preserve them.
ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated about the Prophet ﷺ: “Whenever he performed a deed, he would make it consistent.” [Muslim]
And know that the most beloved deeds to Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small. This is what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us. [Muslim]
So set for yourself a daily portion from the Book of Allah, and a few units of night prayer, even if small. Be consistent, seek Allah’s help, and do not give up. Worship your Lord until death comes to you.
The fourth reflection: You have become a free, noble master—so beware of becoming a captive once again.
You have fasted nearly thirty days. You restrained yourself from desires. And by Allah’s will, you have joined the ranks of those about whom Allah said: “He leaves his desires and his food for My sake.”
So you became, through that, a master and a free soul. Do not return to being a captive after having attained freedom and nobility.
You left what is ḥalāl for the sake of Allah who commanded you—so is it befitting to return to what is ḥarām after Ramadan?
May Allah bless me and you through the Noble Qur’an, and may He benefit me and you with what is in it of verses and wise reminders. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness—for indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Sermon
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and all who follow him.
The final reflection: To those who were negligent and fell short, to those who turned away and were distant—pause and hold yourself to account. Reflect on how you neglected the season of blessings and mercy. Did Allah not say:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ
“O you who believe, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow.” [al-Ḥashr: 18]
And despite every shortcoming, as long as Allah allows you to breathe, the door is still open before you. Return to Him in repentance—full of hope and regret—determined to reform yourself and improve. Indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful, the One who accepts repentance.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “No one is doomed with Allah except the truly ruined.” [Muslim].
It is the one who runs away, who turns his back, who does not seek Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “All of you will enter Paradise, except the one who flees from Allah like a camel fleeing from its master.” [Aḥmad].
The gates of Allah’s mercy do not close after Ramadan. If Ramadan has passed, Allah remains—He does not perish.
Our Prophet ﷺ informed us that Allah calls out to His creation every night, saying: “I am the King, I am the King. Who is there who calls upon Me so I may respond to him? Who asks of Me so I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness so I may forgive him?”
And this continues until dawn. [Muslim]
And finally, O servants of Allah:
Do not forget Zakāt al-Fiṭr, for Allah has made it a purification for the fasting person and a provision for the needy—a favor from the Most Merciful.
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made Zakāt al-Fiṭr obligatory as a purification for the fasting person from idle speech and obscenities, and as food for the poor. Whoever gives it before the prayer, it is accepted as Zakāh, and whoever gives it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity.” [Abū Dāwūd].
It is obligatory on every Muslim—young and old, male and female—a measure (ṣāʿ) of staple food, given to a poor or needy person.
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made Zakāt al-Fiṭr obligatory—a ṣāʿ of dates or a ṣāʿ of barley—upon the slave and the free, the male and the female, the young and the old among the Muslims. And he commanded that it be given before the people go out to the prayer.” [al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
Our Lord, accept from us—indeed You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. And turn to us in forgiveness—indeed You are the Accepting of repentance, the Most Merciful.
O Allah, grant victory to Islam and honor to the Muslims. Destroy the criminal Jews. O Allah, bring tranquility to the hearts of those striving in Your path. Rescue Your oppressed servants, and raise high the banner of religion by Your might, O Powerful, O Strong.
O Allah, grant us safety in our lands. Reform our leaders and those in authority over us, and place our leadership in the hands of those who fear You, obey You, and seek Your pleasure.
Our Lord, grant us goodness in this world and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
