Friday khutba – March 13, 2026 (23rd of Ramadan 1447 AH)
The last ten days of Ramadan
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam)
Brothers and sisters,
The blessed month of Ramadan is slowly coming to its end. It feels as if it began only yesterday, yet today we stand at the moment of bidding it farewells. The days have passed quickly and the nights have gone by like a brief moment.
Whoever spent this month doing good, reading the Qur’an, reflecting on its meanings, praying, and striving to draw closer to Allah through good deeds—such a person deserves congratulations. They have gained a great blessing and a precious opportunity.
And whoever feels that they could have done more, or that some moments were lost—we say: do not lose hope. It is not too late. Before us are the final nights of Ramadan.
These nights are the crown of the entire month and its most precious part. In them the gates of Allah’s mercy are opened, blessings descend, and many people are freed from the punishment of the Fire. For this reason, the Prophet (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) devoted special attention to them.
The Mother of the Believers, ʿĀ’isha (radhia llahu anha), narrated: “When the last ten nights of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah would spend the night in prayer, wake his family, and devote himself to worship with great effort.”
He dedicated these nights to prayer, supplication, remembrance of Allah, and the recitation of the Qur’an. And if he—the Messenger of Allah, whose sins were forgiven—strove in this way, how much more should we strive.
Among these nights there is one that is truly extraordinary—the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr). It is the night in which the Qur’an was revealed. Allah says in the Qur’an: “The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.”
This means that a good deed performed during this one night can be more valuable than deeds done for more than eighty years. The Prophet (salla lláhu ʻalayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever spends the Night of Decree in prayer with faith and hope in Allah’s reward will have their previous sins forgiven.”
ʿĀ’isha (radhia llahu anha) once asked the Prophet: “O Messenger of Allah, if I recognize the Night of Decree, what should I say?” He replied: “Say: O Allah, you are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness, so forgive me.”
Therefore, let us make the most of these nights through prayer, supplication, recitation of the Qur’an, and good deeds, so that we may experience the beauty of these blessed nights and receive Allah’s mercy.
We ask Allah to allow us to witness Laylat al-Qadr, to accept our deeds, forgive our sins, and include us among those who receive His mercy.
