It was narrated by Salman Al-Farisi that the
Messenger of Allah (SAW) delivered a
khutbah on the last day of Sha’ban.
The Prophet said: “O you people! A great
and a blessed month have arrived for you. A
month therein a night is better that one
thousand months. The fasting during this
month is an obligation, and the extra
prayers during its nights are voluntary.
Anyone who comes closer to Allah through
good deeds during this month is as if he
performed an obligatory duty during times
other than Ramadhan, and he who fulfils an
obligatory duty in it would be like one who
fulfils seventy obligatory duties in another
month. It is the month of patience, and the
reward of patience is Paradise. It is the
month of visiting the poor, the sick and the
needy so as to share their sorrows. It is the
month in which the nourishment, sustenance
and income of the believing Muslim increase
and they are blessed. Anyone who invites
others to break their fast at iftar will be
provided with forgiveness of his sins and be
saved from hell, and will receive reward
equal to the fasting person without reducing
his own reward in any respect.”
Some of the followers of the Prophet said:
“Not all of us may find food to share with one
so that he can break his fast.” The Prophet
said: “Allah will reward you even if you help
the fasting Muslim to break his fast with a
date, a sip of water, or a drink of milk…It is a
month: its beginning is mercy (rahmah), and
it middle part is forgiveness (maghfirah) and
its last part is freedom from hellfire. Anyone
who helps a slave to be freed, Allah will
forgive him and free him from Hell. Increase
in yourselves four characteristics: two by
which you will please your Lord, and two
others by which you cannot live without it.
The first two qualities to please Allah are to
bear witness that there is no one worthy of
worship except Allah, and to ask forgiveness
from Allah. However, the other two things
that you cannot live without are: to ask Allah
for Paradise and to ask Him to protect you
from hellfire. Anyone who gives water to a
Muslim at iftar, Allah will give him water on
the Day of Judgment from the fountain of the
Prophet Muhammad which will make him not
feel thirsty till he enters Paradise.”
We hope and pray to Almighty Allah that we
will benefit from the above hadith and will
act according to the teachings of Muhammad
(SAW).
May Allah (SWT) help us to live according
to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the
Sunnah so that Allah and His Messenger will
be pleased with us all.