Sha'ban: A Preparation for Ramadan

First Sermon: All praise is due to Allah, the Most Generous and the Bestower of favours. He has blessed us with seasons of mercy and forgiveness, goodness, and benevolence. We bear witness that there is nothing worthy but Allah, the Almighty and the Most Honourable. We also bear witness that our master, Muhammad, is His Messenger and a mercy to all creation. May Allah's blessings, peace, and mercy be upon him, his family, his companions, and all who follow them in righteousness. To proceed: I advise you, servants of Allah, and myself to have taqwa of Allah, as He says: فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ So have taqwa of Allah and rectify that which is between you and obey Allah and His Messenger if you should be believers. O Worshippers: We are in the midst of a great month, a month in which the blessings of our Lord continue to flow, and His gifts manifest. It is the month of Sha'ban, which is flanked by two esteemed months: Rajab, the sacred month, and Ramadan, the honoured month. Our Prophet ﷺ was keen on seizing the opportunities in this month and drew our attention to it by saying: ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ، بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ That [i.e. Sha’ban] is a month to which people do not pay much attention, between Rajab and Ramadan. [Ahmad] Through this, he ﷺ taught us the importance of vigilance in our lives and the necessity of making good use of the sacredness of our time in a manner that will ultimately benefit us. So, servants of Allah, avail yourselves of the blessings of this month and be eager to make the best use of its moments. As your Prophet ﷺ advised: تَعَرَّضُوا لِنَفَحَاتِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ، فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ نَفَحَاتٍ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ Take advantage of the moments of gentle breeze from the mercy of Allah. Verily, Allah has moments of gentle breeze from his mercy. Among the virtues of Sha'ban is that it is the month in which your deeds are presented to your Lord and Creator. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked why he fasted extensively in Sha'ban, and he responded: هُوَ شَهْرٌ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ It is a month in which deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, and I love that my deeds are raised while I am fasting. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ اسْتَكْمَلَ صِيَامَ شَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا رَمَضَانَ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ فِي شَهْرٍ أَكْثَرَ مِنْهُ صِيَامًا فِي شَعْبَانَ I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ complete a full month of fasting except Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than in Sha'ban. [Bukhari and Muslim] So, increase in fasting during Sha'ban, in obedience to the Most Merciful and as preparation for Ramadan, following the example of the Prophet ﷺ. Servants of Allah: This is a month in which your sins are forgiven, your misdeeds are erased, and your records are filled with good deeds. In it is a blessed night—the night of the middle of Sha'ban—where Allah looks upon His servants, checking the purity of their hearts and the sincerity of their souls, then showers them with His mercy and grants them vast forgiveness. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيَطَّلِعُ فِي لَيْلَةِ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ، فَيَغْفِرُ لِجَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ؛ إِلَّا لِمُشْرِكٍ أَوْ مُشَاحِنٍ Indeed, Allah looks upon His creation on the night of the middle of Sha'ban and forgives all of them, except the idolater and the one who harbours hatred. So, O people of pure hearts, hasten to remove resentment and enmity, avoid jealousy and hatred, for they create a barrier between you and Allah’s pardon. This is a call to everyone who has disobeyed their parents, cut ties with their siblings, taken others’ rights unjustly, or wronged anyone in society: Rush to mend relations, return rights, and seek reconciliation. O people, forgive one another, set aside your disputes, maintain kinship ties, and treat your family, neighbours, and friends with kindness. Allah says: وَأَصْلِحُوا ذَاتَ بَيْنِكُمْ And amend that which is between you He also says: وَافْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ And do good so that you may succeed. So, train your bodies in obedience during this noble month, purify your hearts and souls, and increase in acts of kindness so that you may be successful in Ramadan and enter the gates of Paradise. As one scholar said: شَهْرَ ‌رَجَبٍ ‌شَهْرُ ‌الزَّرْعِ، وَشَهْرَ شَعْبَانَ شَهْرُ السَّقْيِ، وَشَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ حَصَادِ الزَّرْعِ Rajab is the month of planting seeds, Sha'ban is the month of watering, and Ramadan is the month of reaping. Whoever wishes to reap the rewards of obedience in Ramadan and receive Allah’s immense mercy and forgiveness should prepare in Sha'ban, with acts of devotion and by purifying their soul from ill feelings toward others. We ask Allah Almighty to enable us to make the best use of this month, to elevate our good deeds, to forgive our sins, and to purify our hearts. May He guide us to obey Him and those whom He has commanded us to obey, as He says: O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. [Qur’an: 4:59] I say this and seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord. Second Sermon: All praise is due to Allah, the Most Generous Giver, who has sent down the Qur’an, the best companion. May blessings and peace be upon our noble Prophet Muhammad, the Trustworthy, and upon his family, companions, and followers. To proceed: O those seeking your Lord’s bounty, know that Sha'ban is the month of the reciters and the Qur’an, as confirmed by some of the righteous predecessors. So, let us fill this month with the Qur’an, accompany it in our daily lives, recite it properly, and strive to live by it. The Qur’an is the most honourable companion, the most loyal friend, and the best guide. Begin now with a daily portion of the Qur’an in preparation for Ramadan, gather your family around its recitation, and act upon its teachings. This will help you reflect upon the Book of your Lord during Ramadan, the month in which the Qur’an was revealed. Allah says: شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was revealed, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. Servants of Allah, be diligent in remembrance of Allah in all its forms, attending lessons and circles of knowledge, and benefiting from the initiatives launched by the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments during Sha'ban under the theme: “Our Mosques: A Fortress and Faith.” These gatherings are filled with remembrance, enriched with knowledge, strengthen the connection with the Most Merciful, and instill faith in the hearts of attendees. O Allah, send peace, blessings, and mercy upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Honest and Trustworthy, his family, companions, and followers. O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and with all the noble companions. O Allah, guide us to do good, bless our actions, and allow us to witness Ramadan in the best of states. O Allah, make us among those who truly believe in You, worship You, turn to You in repentance, and remain steadfast in companionship with Your Book. Help us make the most of the month of Sha’ban, be dutiful to our parents, and have mercy on them as they raised us when we were young, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, grant stability, progress, and prosperity to the UAE. Bestow upon us well-being, bless our sustenance, our spouses, and our children. O Allah, guide the President of the State, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his loyal Crown Prince to all that You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and the founding leaders. Admit them, by Your grace, into Your vast gardens, and encompass the nation's martyrs with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on all Muslim men and women, all believing men and women, the living among them and the deceased. O Allah, grant us rain and do not make us among those who despair. O Allah, send down upon us beneficial rain, O Allah, send it down, O Allah, send it down. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. O servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase them for you. And establish the prayer.