This Friday still falls within the atmosphere of the month of Sha‘ban, ahead of the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan. The theme of this week’s Friday sermon is “The Virtues of the Month of Sha‘ban, the Path Toward the Light of Ramadan,” written by Ali Farkhan Tsani, a journalist of the MINA News Agency, who also serves as an Al-Quds Ambassador.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِيْ أَنْعَمَنَا بِنِعْمَةِ الْاِيْمَانِ وَالْاِسْلَامِ وَعَلٰى نِعَمِهِ فِي شَهْرِالشَّعْبَانِ. وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلٰى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ خَيْرِ الْأَنَامِ. وَعَلٰى اٰلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ الْكِرَامِ.
أَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوْسُ السَّلَامُ, وَأَشْهَدُ اَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا وَحَبِيْبَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ صَاحِبُ الشَّرَفِ وَالْإِحْتِرَام
أَمَّا بَعْدُ: فَيَاأَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ, اِتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوْتُنَّ اِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُوْنَ
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وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُونِ يَاأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
Honorable Friday Congregants, may Allah bestow His mercy upon us all.
All praise is due to Allah alone. Let us continually offer our gratitude to Allah for all His blessings and favors that He has bestowed upon us.
May peace and blessings always be upon our noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), along with his family, his companions, and all those who faithfully uphold his Sunnah until the end of time.
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Furthermore, the khatib delivers a reminder to himself and his family, as well as to all those present, to continuously strengthen our faith and piety toward Allah, so that we may live in happiness, safety, and well-being in this world and in the Hereafter.
Piety (taqwa) is the best provision for us in meeting Allah Subhanahu wa Ta‘ala, as mentioned by Allah in His words:
وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُونِ يَاأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
Meaning:
“Make provision, for indeed the best provision is piety. And fear Me, O you who are endowed with understanding.” (Qur’an, Al-Baqarah [2]: 197)
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Honorable congregants, may Allah have mercy upon us.
We are still in the month of Sha‘ban, a calm yet deeply meaningful month that stands right before the arrival of the noble guest called Ramadan. It is not merely a marker of time, but a month of preparation, a month of spiritual purification, a month in which hearts are invited to prepare themselves to welcome the outpouring of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness.
The word Sha‘ban is derived from shi‘ab, which means a narrow path leading to the summit—a climbing path that is not always easy, yet promises a beautiful view at its peak. Thus, Sha‘ban is a spiritual ascent laid out by Allah for His believing servants, so that they do not enter Ramadan with shocked, exhausted, or empty souls.
In this month, we begin to train ourselves, to arrange our steps, and to strengthen the breath of worship. Gradually, we accustom ourselves to voluntary fasting, such as on Mondays and Thursdays. We increase our recitation of the Qur’an, engage more in remembrance (dhikr) and sending blessings upon the Prophet, cultivate goodness, ease the burdens of others, expand our charity in the path of Allah, and strengthen care and solidarity—especially toward the struggle for the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Baitul Maqdis, and the independence of Palestine.
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Sha‘ban teaches us that Ramadan is not a destination to be reached hastily, but a summit that must be prepared for with sincerity and dedication.
The virtues of the month of Sha‘ban are widely explained in the hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ and the explanations of scholars. Among them is that Sha‘ban is the month in which deeds are raised.
It was narrated from Usamah bin Zaid that he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,
“O Messenger of Allah, I have never seen you fast as much as you do in the month of Sha‘ban.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, “That is a month that many people neglect, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is the month in which deeds are raised to the Lord of the worlds, and I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting.” (Narrated by An-Nasa’i and Ahmad)
Sha‘ban is a month that is often overlooked, overshadowed between two great months. Yet it is precisely in this quiet month that our deeds are raised before Allah. How beautiful it is if that record of deeds is lifted while we are close to Him—engaged in worship, in earnest devotion, and in fasting.
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Honorable congregants, may Allah have mercy upon us.
The month of Sha‘ban is also a month full of blessings. Sha‘ban is among the months whose blessings were specifically prayed for by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, alongside Rajab and Ramadan.
He would supplicate:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِى رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ
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“O Allah, bless us in the months of Rajab and Sha‘ban, and allow us to reach the month of Ramadan.” (Narrated by Ahmad)
This supplication is not merely a request for a long life, but a hope that we are granted spiritual readiness, good health, and strength of faith to meet Ramadan with a living and awakened heart.
Furthermore, the month of Sha‘ban is known as the month of the reciters of the Qur’an. Some scholars refer to Sha‘ban as Shahr al-Qurra’, the month of Qur’an reciters, while Ramadan is known as Shahr al-Qur’an, the month in which the Qur’an was revealed.
For this reason, the righteous predecessors had a noble practice. During the months of Sha‘ban and Ramadan, some of them would close their shops and businesses—not because their love for worldly life had faded, but because their love for the Qur’an had surpassed all else.
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They wished to attain greater devotion, to have more time and spaciousness to read, study, and reflect upon the verses of Allah. Sha‘ban thus becomes a period of training, so that when Ramadan arrives, the tongue is already accustomed to recitation and the heart is familiar with the light of revelation.
Therefore, do not waste the month of Sha‘ban. It is a gentle invitation from Allah for us to ascend calmly, to purify our steps, and to prepare our souls, before finally reaching the summit of Ramadan with hearts ready to receive the light.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم، فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرحيم.
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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