Friday khutba – 23 January 2026 (4 Sha‘ban 1447 AH)
Sha‘ban: A Neglected Month or a Cherished One?
All praise is due to Allah. We worship Him alone and seek His help alone. We bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is His servant and His Messenger. Allah says: “O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of truth. He will set right your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed attained a great success.”
Out of His mercy toward His servants, Allah has placed within our lives special moments of grace and divine closeness. Whoever recognizes these moments and makes use of them attains success in this world and the Hereafter. The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “There are days in which breezes from your Lord reach you, so expose yourselves to them.”
Among these blessed times is the month of Sha‘ban—a month many people overlook, yet one that is greatly honored by Allah. It is the month in which deeds are presented to the Lord of the worlds and a month of preparation for Ramadan.
The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) gave Sha‘ban special attention. He fasted frequently during it, and when asked about this, he said: “It is a month between Rajab and Ramadan that many people neglect. It is the month in which deeds are presented to the Lord of the worlds, and I love that my deeds be presented while I am fasting.”
Although fasting is a hidden act of worship unseen by people, the Prophet’s consistent fasting in Sha‘ban clearly demonstrates its virtue and importance.
Why should believers give special attention to Sha‘ban?
First: Because it is a neglected month
Many people honor Rajab because it is one of the sacred months, and they honor Ramadan because of fasting, night prayers, and the recitation of the Qur’an. But Sha‘ban stands quietly between them, and so it is often ignored.
For some, Sha‘ban becomes a purely worldly month, filled with preparations and distractions. Yet it is precisely here that sincere believers distinguish themselves. They fill neglected times with remembrance, worship, and obedience.
While others are heedless, they remember Allah. While others sleep, they stand in prayer. While others do not fast, they fast. Because of this, Allah raises their rank and grants them His pleasure. The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) indicated that worship during neglected times carries immense reward, as it requires sincerity and struggle, and few people persist in it.
For this reason, those who guard the dawn prayer, observe night and forenoon prayers, and remember Allah during everyday activities receive great reward—because these acts are performed when most people are distracted.
Second: Because it is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah
Sha‘ban is the appointed time for the annual presentation of deeds to Allah, as informed by the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam).
This presentation occurs in three forms:
- daily, for deeds done by night and by day
- weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays
- annually, in the month of Sha‘ban
For this reason, the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) was keen to perfect his worship at the times when deeds are presented. He chose fasting because it is a continuous act of worship—one that awakens the heart from heedlessness and strengthens all other acts of obedience. The fasting person remains in a state of worship whenever deeds are presented.
Third: Because it is a month of forgiveness
During Sha‘ban—especially in its middle—Allah looks upon His creation and forgives them, except for one who associates partners with Him and one who harbors hatred or enmity.
Whoever is granted forgiveness in Sha‘ban enters Ramadan with a purified heart, a cleansed record, and renewed spiritual energy—ready to strive in obedience and deserving of Allah’s mercy.
Fourth: Because it is the best preparation for Ramadan
Sha‘ban is the bridge to Ramadan. Whoever neglects it will struggle to fully benefit from Ramadan. The early generations used to say: Rajab is the month of planting, Sha‘ban is the month of watering, and Ramadan is the month of harvest.
When Sha‘ban arrived, the righteous predecessors increased their acts of worship in preparation for Ramadan.
What deeds are especially recommended during Sha‘ban?
1. Purifying the heart
The heart is the place Allah looks at. When it is sound, actions become sound. The Qur’an and Sunnah teach that the condition of the body follows the condition of the heart.
2. Fasting
Fasting in Sha‘ban is a confirmed Sunnah. The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) fasted more in Sha‘ban than in any month other than Ramadan.
Its virtues include:
- multiplied reward
- protection from Hellfire
- revival of the Sunnah before Ramadan
- a sign of Allah’s love
- an opportunity to make up missed fasts
- gradual training for fasting in Ramadan
3. Guarding the prayers
- especially the dawn prayer (Fajr)
- performing congregational prayer when possible
- increasing voluntary prayers
- praying at night, even if only a little
4. Reciting the Qur’an
Sha‘ban was known among the early Muslims as the month of the reciters, as they devoted it to reading the Qur’an in preparation for Ramadan.
5. Maintaining good relationships
Keeping good ties with relatives and others brings great reward, strengthens one’s relationship with Allah, and removes barriers to forgiveness—such as resentment, hatred, and grudges.
Servants of Allah,
This is a noble month that has arrived—a month many people overlook, yet one that Allah honors. Be among those who are mindful, not among the heedless; among those who hasten to do good, not among those who delay it.
Renew your intentions, purify your hearts, and expose yourselves to the breezes of Allah in this blessed month, so that He may count you among those who are accepted.
We ask Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, to awaken our hearts from heedlessness in the month of Sha‘ban; to include us among those who remember Him and are grateful; among those who are accepted and successful; and to allow us to reach Ramadan with purified hearts, with our deeds presented and our Lord pleased with us.
