Honorable Muslims!
The shadow of the three holy months have fallen upon us, which are our opportunity for mercy and forgiveness as well as affection and barakah. We will have reached the month of Rajab next Wednesday. Next Thursday night turning to Friday, we will be enjoying the Night of Raghaib, insha'allah.
Endless thanks and praise be to our Lord Almighty (swt), who has allowed us to welcome these exceptional days, and salat and salam be to our Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (saw) who taught us how to spend these blessed times.
Dear Believers!
The three holy months are signs of the infinite mercy of Allah (swt) on people. It is a season when merits and abundance of divine blessings pour down on us. When our Prophet (saw) reached this very valuable and significant season, he would pray to Allah the Almighty (swt) as follows:
اَللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي رَجَبَ، وَشَعْبَانَ، وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ
"O Allah, bless us in the month of Rajab and Sha'ban, and make us reach the month of Ramadan."[1]
Dear Muslims!
The first beam of the season of mercy is the Night of Raghaib. The Night of Raghaib is a wonderful opportunity for us. To turn in full submission to the Almighty Allah (swt) by knowing its value and virtues... To review our daily life, and to ask ourselves where we are heading... To reflect on where and for what we have spent our lives, and to bring ourselves to account before death... To quit all the things that do not benefit our life in this world and our Afterlife and to be kneaded with the yeast righteousness and truth... To purify ourselves of unpleasant and bad habits, and gird ourselves with good morals... To express regret for our wrongs and sins and seek refuge through sincere repentance in the boundless mercy of our Lord (swt)... To prepare for that dreadful Day of Resurrection when each of us will run away even from our brothers/sisters, mothers, fathers, spouses, and children, and when nobody will be able to help anybody...
Dear Believers!
Without a doubt, what falls upon us is to take advantage of the spiritual climate of the three holy months, which our Lord (swt) has bestowed upon us as divine times of grace and as an opportunity to respond to our invocations and forgive our sins. We know, however, that being a servant of Allah (swt) is not limited to certain periods of time. Regardless of any specific month, day or hour, every moment of ours spent with the awareness of servitude to Allah (swt) is valuable. In this sense, our Prophet (saw) informed us in a hadith qudsi that Allah the Almighty (swt) stated as follows: "O children of Adam! Devote yourselves in servitude to Me at all times and I fill your heart with pleasure and cover your needs."[2]
Dear Muslims!
The happiness in this world and in the Afterlife will be attained by those who believe in the Almighty Allah (swt), seek His pleasure only, and fill every moment of theirs with good deeds. I would like to conclude this Friday's khutbah with the Surah al-'Asr:
وَالْعَصْرِۙ اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ لَف۪ي خُسْرٍۙ اِلَّا الَّذ۪ينَ اٰمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
"By Time, surely man is in loss. Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience."[3]
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[1] Tabarani, al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, IV, 189.
[2] Ibn Hanbal, II, 359.
[3] 'Asr, 103/1-3.
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