Friday khutba – 20 February 2026 (2. Ramadan 1447 AH)
What Fasting in the Month of Ramadan Brings Us
All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We turn to Him in repentance and rely upon Him. We bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and we bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.
“O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of truth and righteousness. He will rectify your deeds and forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed attained a great success.”
Servants of Allah,
Fear Allah as He deserves to be feared. Glorify Him for His countless blessings and thank Him for granting you life until you reached this blessed month. Ramadan is a season of obedience and righteousness. It is a time when intentions are renewed, determination is strengthened, and believers compete in seeking Allah’s pleasure through acts of devotion—hoping for a reward whose reality they will witness on the Day they stand before the Lord of all worlds.
How abundant is the mercy of this month. How immense are its blessings, its gifts, and its forgiveness. How many hearts has Allah revived after heedlessness, and how many souls has He returned to Him after distance and neglect.
Out of His mercy, Allah prescribed for His servants various acts of worship so that their hearts remain connected to Him and never drift away. He prescribed prayer, remembrance, charity (zakat), pilgrimage (Hajj), fasting, and many other acts of devotion.
Among the greatest of these acts is fasting. Allah honored it in His Book, and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified its immense virtues. Allah prescribed fasting for this Ummah just as He prescribed it for the nations before: “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa.” (2:183)
When an act of worship is prescribed across nations, it reflects its profound importance and transformative power. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Fasting has been prescribed for you, and there is nothing comparable to it.”
O Muslims,
Ramadan is the month of fasting and night prayer. Allah has promised forgiveness to those who fast and stand in prayer with sincere faith and in hope of reward. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward will have his previous sins forgiven.”
Ramadan is a month of devotion, generosity, compassion, and excellence in good deeds. And Allah loves those who excel.
Let us reflect on some of the great benefits of fasting:
1) Attaining Taqwa (God-consciousness)
Fasting is a school of self-discipline. It trains the soul to restrain desires and protects the limbs from sin. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Fasting is a shield.”
It shields the believer from Hellfire and from wrongdoing. Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allah, Allah distances him from the Fire by seventy years.
2) Forgiveness and Expiation
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeking reward will have his previous sins forgiven.”
And he said: “From one Ramadan to the next is expiation for what is between them, as long as major sins are avoided.”
3) The Unique and Immense Reward
In a sacred hadith, Allah says: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for himself—except fasting. It is for Me, and I shall reward it.”
Fasting demands sincerity and patience, and the reward of the patient is beyond measure:
“Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without measure.” (39:10)
4) The Gate of Ar-Rayyan
In Paradise there is a gate called Ar-Rayyan, reserved exclusively for those who fast—an honor granted only to them.
5) Intercession on the Day of Resurrection
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Fasting and the Qur’an will intercede for the servant on the Day of Resurrection.”
Ramadan unites the sanctity of time with the sanctity of worship.
Among the virtues of this month is the multiplication of good deeds. Whoever feeds a fasting person receives a great reward. ‘Umrah performed in Ramadan equals the reward of Hajj.
Within it is Laylat al-Qadr—the Night of Decree—better than a thousand months. Whoever stands in prayer during it with faith and seeking reward will have his previous sins forgiven.
It was in this month that the Qur’an was revealed—a guidance, mercy, and light for humanity. Whoever holds firmly to it will be saved from the Fire and granted success. It will intercede on behalf of its companion and even for members of his family.
In this month also occurred the Battle of Badr and the Conquest of Makkah, making it a month of victory and strength, as well as purification and worship.
Brothers and sisters,
Ramadan brings blessings in countless forms. Do not waste its days or its nights. Do not allow a single hour to pass without benefit.
Allah says: “Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy—let them rejoice.” (10:58)
Establish your prayers. Give charity. Fast with sincerity. Repent sincerely to Allah. Cleanse your hearts from resentment and reconcile with one another.
Remember: fasting is not merely abstaining from food and drink. It is abstaining from sin. Guard your tongues. Lower your gazes. Fill your time with recitation of the Qur’an and remembrance of the Most Merciful.
Increase in supplication, especially at the time of breaking your fast, for the supplication of the fasting person is not rejected.
“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the caller when he calls upon Me.” (2:186)
This is Ramadan—the month of piety and forgiveness, the month in which hearts are purified and faith is renewed.
Blessed are those who make it a season of repentance and reform. Blessed are those who leave it forgiven.
We ask Allah to make us among those who are accepted, to help us fast and stand in prayer, to grant us sincerity and taqwa, and to save us from the Hellfire. Indeed, He is Most Capable of all things.
