Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Khutbah
22 May 2020M / 29 Ramadan 1441H
Ramadan: The Month of Returning to Fitrah
Blessed Muslims,
Let us be ever-conscious of Allah, our Creator. Let us abstain from His prohibitions and commit ourselves to obeying His commands.
Dear Muslims, among the creations of Allah s.w.t. is time. The alteration of day and night are so accurate and finely tuned that they govern how we live our lives. Such is the decree of Allah s.w.t., and no being can change what Allah s.w.t. has decided.
Alhamdulillah, Allah has granted us yet another opportunity to meet with Ramadan again this year. But Allah s.w.t. has also decreed that every Ramadan will come to an end. Countless gifts were bestowed upon us throughout this blessed month. Allah showered us with His mercy, opened for us the doors of repentance, and multiplied His rewards for our good deeds.
As people of faith, surely our hearts must have felt the warmth of Ramadan. Surely, we must have experienced its charm and joy. Surely, we must have been humbled by its greatness. Ramadan has extended to us peace amidst these uncertain times. Throughout Ramadan we have cried our hearts out to Allah the Most Gentle as we reflected on our sins towards Him, as we admitted our weaknesses and flaws before Him, as we sought with full humility His assistance and protection for what lies ahead. But Ramadan is once again departing, leaving us with whatever spiritual provisions that we have managed to gather from it.
Beloved Muslims, we are left with just one day of Ramadan. It may seem as though there is not much time left to do good deeds and acts of worship, but it is these moments nearing the end that determine our success in Ramadan. Know that our deeds are judged by their endings.
Therefore, let us make full use of this opportunity. Let us fill these last few moments with the remembrance of Allah. Do not be among those who lose sight of their ‘ibadah towards the end of Ramadan, lest our efforts throughout the last few weeks go to waste. Instead, let us spend this time to supplicate to Allah and seek His forgiveness.
Yes, this is indeed the time to do as much supplications and seeking forgiveness from God as we can! Ask Allah to forgive the sins for which, perhaps, we might not have asked Him to forgive. Let us look deep into ourselves. Have we managed to tame our ego? Is there any resentment or bitterness inside us which we have not yet replaced with compassion? Are there any responsibilities that we have yet to fulfil? Have we stopped lying, backbiting, cursing, inciting hatred amongst one another and humiliating others?
Have we performed qada’ for prayers which we have missed? Do we still hesitate when giving charity to the less fortunate? Have we managed to control our temper and overcome our stubbornness? Are there any blessings from Allah s.w.t. for which we have not given thanks? Have we learnt to accept the fate which Allah s.w.t. has destined for us? Have we mended our severed ties of kinship? Or appeased our parents whom we have hurt? Or our children whom we have mistreated?
These are all important questions we must ponder upon nearing the end of Ramadan, so that we may return to the pure state of fitrah upon which Allah s.w.t. has created us. We must look closely at how we have spent our Ramadan and what we have achieved since it began, so that we can improve on our shortcomings. Yes, there is not much time left, but it is enough for us to make one last effort to achieve a blessed end to our Ramadan.
Let us not despair from the mercy of Allah, my fellow Muslims! Perhaps some of us feel ashamed because we have committed many transgressions against Allah s.w.t., or we have neglected our ibadah throughout Ramadan, but let it not prevent us from seeking Allah’s forgiveness. Know, dear Muslims, that Allah s.w.t. is not arrogant to not forgive His servants’ sins – no matter how immense they are. So repent to Allah s.w.t., and do not heed the words of those who belittle and criticise. Listen to what Allah s.w.t. says in Surah Al-Mu’minun, verses 109-111:
Meaning: “Indeed, there was a party of My servants who said, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us, and You are the best of the merciful.' But you took them in mockery to the point that they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them. Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance - that they are the attainers [of success].”
My dear Muslims,
In addition to self-reflection in the last moments of Ramadan, let us also ask Allah s.w.t. to grant us the strength to continue obeying Him, being grateful to Him and glorifying Him, even after Ramadan leaves us. This means that it is equally important to examine how we are going to live our lives after Ramadan. What are our plans after Aidilfitri? Are we going to continue worshipping Allah s.w.t. with the same enthusiasm and vigour we had during Ramadan? Or are we going to allow Ramadan to pass us by without having made an impact on our iman and taqwa?
Let us not forget that we worship during Ramadan and not for Ramadan. Allah, the Most Merciful is our God – not Ramadan. As such we should not feel as though we do not need to perform acts of worship when Ramadan has ended. Let us dosome prospective reflection and reinforce our intention to continue trying to be the best servant we can to Allah s.w.t. after Ramadan. Let us truly feel what it is like to be a servant whom Allah has purified and returned to the fitrah. Let us plan our lives after Ramadan, guided by the taufiq and hidayah of Allah s.w.t.
Ya Allah!
Only You we worship and obey, and unto You we place our trust. We are grateful to You for bestowing upon us the gift of Ramadan. We trust in Your promise, and do not doubt the magnitude of Your mercy. We have devoted ourselves to You as best as we can, so accept us ya Allah! Our deeds do not exceed the birds that traverse Your skies. They are not as plentiful as the waters that flow in Your rivers, nor as grand as the mountains You placed on Your earth – yet we yearn for Your love and Your favour. Accept us, ya Allah! Look upon us with kindness and mercy, ya Rahman! It is only by Your will that we could welcome Ramadan, hearts full of faith; and by Your will, we ask that You grant us a most beautiful ending to it – by filling our hearts with taqwa and gratefulness to You. Forgive us, ya Allah. Forgive us.
