Until we meet again, O Ramadan

First Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, who has guided us to His obedience and encouraged us to persist in His worship. I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, alone without a partner, and I bear witness that our master and prophet, Muhammadﷺ, is His servant and messenger. O Allah, send Your peace, blessings, and mercy upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance. As for what follows: O people of fasting, prayer, and ihsan, fear Allah,and rejoice in the words of our Most Merciful Lord: ﴿إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ * آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ * كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ * وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ * وَفِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ﴾ Indeed, the righteous will be in gardens and springs, receiving what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good. They used to sleep but little of the night, and in the pre-dawn hours, they would seek forgiveness. And in their wealth was a right for the beggar and the deprived. O fasting believers, the month of Ramadan continues to open for you the doors of obedience, and its nights remain filled with blessings. The mercies have not ended, the records of good deeds have not been sealed, the gates of heaven have not been closed, and the waves of those freed from Hellfire have not ceased. Have you not heard the words of your Prophet ﷺ as he gives you glad tidings, saying:  «وَلِلَّهِ ‌عُتَقَاءُ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَذَلِكَ ‌فِي ‌كُلِّ ‌لَيْلَةٍ». Allah frees people from the Fire in every night of Ramadan” So strive in what remains of this month that your necks may be freed, so you may attain the bliss of your Lord’s Paradise. Allah Almighty says: ﴿فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ﴾. So whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has indeed attained success. Strive with Determination in Worship. Dedicate yourself to acts of obedience, for “Deeds are judged by their conclusions” «‌إِنَّمَا ‌الْأَعْمَالُ ‌بِالْخَوَاتِيمِ». Whoever has planted the seeds of obedience in the past should continue striving to reap the best of what they have sown, for fruits are not picked until they are fully ripe, and deeds are only accepted with a good ending. Know, O servants of Allah, that the night we all seek to witness and earn its immense reward is to be sought until the very last night of Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: الْتَمِسُوا لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ فِي آخِرِ لَيْلَةٍ. Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the last night [of Ramadan] O Fasting Believers, Preserve the blessings you have gained in Ramadan and remain steadfast in them throughout the year. Whoever has become accustomed to praying at night should continue doing so in the nights of the year, for this is the advice of your Prophet ﷺ. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «يا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ! لَا تَكُنْ بِمِثْلِ فُلَانٍ، كَانَ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ ‌فَتَرَكَ ‌قِيَامَ ‌اللَّيْلِ» “O Abdullah! Do not be like so-and-so; he used to pray at night, then he abandoned the night prayer.” O you who became accustomed to fasting in Ramadan, set aside days for fasting throughout the year, for our Prophet ﷺ informed us: «مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمًا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ فَخُتِمَ لَهُ بِهِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ» “Whoever fasts a single day seeking the pleasure of Allah, and that day is the last of his deeds, he will enter Paradise.” O you who found joy in the company of the Qur’an, beware of abandoning it after Ramadan, for it is the speech of the Most Merciful and a source of comfort and tranquility. Allah says: ﴿أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ﴾. “Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace.” O you whose hands were generous in feeding and giving charity, increase in goodness, and you shall receive manifold rewards from your Lord, the Provider. Allah says: ﴿وَمَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ﴾. “And whatever you spend, He will replace it, for He is the best of providers.” O you who remained steadfast in remembrance “azkar” and consistently sought forgiveness during this blessed month, set for yourself a daily routine of dhikr and istighfar, both in the night and throughout the day. Allah says: ﴿وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى﴾ “And glorify [your Lord] during the night and at the ends of the day, so that you may be pleased.” O you who were diligent in performing acts of goodness and charity during Ramadan, do not abandon them after bidding farewell to this month. Rather, continue them throughout the year, for this was the way of your Prophet ﷺ. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked: How was the Prophet’s ﷺ worship? Did he specify certain days for it? She replied:  «لَا، كَانَ عَمَلُهُ ‌دِيمَةً» “No, his worship was constant.” And He ﷺ said: «أَحَبُّ الْعَمَلِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ‌مَا ‌دَاوَمَ ‌عَلَيْهِ ‌صَاحِبُهُ، وَإِنْ قَلَّ». “The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are done consistently, even if they are small.” O Allah, conclude our Ramadan with Your pleasure, grant us freedom from Your Fire, and write us among the people of Your Paradise. ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” I say this, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness, for indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.  The Second Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, who has diversified acts of worship for His servants so they may increase in good deeds, elevate in ranks, and attain His pleasure. May peace and blessings be upon our noble Prophet Muhammad, the Trustworthy, and upon his family, companions, and those who follow them. O fasting believers! Allah has prescribed for you acts of obedience that complete your fasting and compensate for any shortcomings. one of these is Zakat al-Fitr. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ طُهْرَةً لِلصَّائِمِ مِنَ اللَّغْوِ وَالرَّفَثِ، وَطُعْمَةً لِلْمَسَاكِينِ. “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ obligated Zakat al-Fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene talk and as food for the poor.” Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory upon every Muslim for himself and for those under his financial care, such as family members he supports. Our Prophet ﷺ specified its amount as the equivalent of 2.5 kilograms of the staple food of the country’s inhabitants. Scholars have also permitted giving its monetary value if it is more beneficial to the poor. The UAE Fatwa Council has set its value at 25 dirhams per person, and it can be given from today. However, the best time to offer it is after Fajr on Eid day until the Eid prayer. So, give it with a willing heart, purify your fasting, please your Lord, and bring joy to those in need. Servants of Allah: In His infinite wisdom and vast mercy, Allah has ordained for us a joyous occasion after completing our fast. Eid al-Fitr, a day that uplifts our spirits and brings comfort to our hearts. We welcome this Eid with Takbeer and praise, following the command of Allah: ﴿وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾ “So that you may complete the prescribed period and glorify Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful.” So, proclaim the greatness of Allah on your Eid day as you head to your mosques and prayer grounds, saying: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, wa Lillahi al-hamd. Give thanks to Him for His guidance, glorify Him for granting you success, and rejoice in His grace and mercy upon you. Bring joy to your families, for in doing so, your happiness in this world will be complete, and you will attain the pleasure of your Lord in the Hereafter. O Allah, send Your blessings, peace, and grace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, companions, and all who follow them. Be pleased, O Allah, with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and all the noble companions. O Allah, do not let Ramadan end for us without forgiving our sins, accepting our deeds, elevating our ranks, allowing us to witness Laylatul Qadr, and granting us freedom from the Hellfire, O Almighty and Most Forgiving. O Allah do not make this Ramadan our last but allow us to witness it for many years to come, while we are in good health, faith, safety, and Islam. O Allah, let our share of Ramadan not be merely the passing of its days and nights, but make us better after it than we were during it. Instil in our hearts the love of obedience and perseverance in worship and grant us steadfastness in righteousness. O Allah, grant stability, progress, and prosperity to the UAE. Bestow well-being upon us, bless our provisions, our spouses, and our children. O Allah, guide the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, his fellow rulers, and his trustworthy Crown Prince to what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and the founding leaders. Grant them Your vast paradise by Your grace. Encompass the martyrs of our nation with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on all Muslim men and women, and all believing men and women, both the living and the deceased. O Allah, send us rain and do not let us be among those who despair. O Allah, grant us rain, O Allah, grant us rain, O Allah, grant us rain. ﴿‌رَبَّنَا ‌آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴾. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, and He will remember you. Give thanks to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you.