The Sermon Given By The Prophet On The Last Friday Of Sha’ban On The Reception Of The Month of Ramadhan (Arabic with English subs)
“O People! The month of Allah (Ramadhan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. This is the month that is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours.
This is a month in which he has invited you. You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful. In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the Sawab/thawab (heavenly reward) of ‘Tasbeeh’ (the praise of Allah on rosary beads), and your sleep has the thawab of worship.
Your good deeds are accepted in this month. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you, observe fast, in this month, and recite the Holy Quran.
Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter). While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow in Qiyamat. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respects to your elders.
Have pity on those younger than you and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen. Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.
Be kind to orphans so that when your children become orphans they also may be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins. Do raise your hands at the time of Salat (Prayers), as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything, it is accepted by Him.
O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him for Istighfar (repentance/forgiveness). Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.
Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who fast and offer Salat in this month and perform ‘sajda’ (prostration), and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
O People! If anybody amongst you arranges for the Iftar (food for the ending of the fast) of any believer, then Allah will give him a reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins.
Then the companions of Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: “But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so?”
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) told them: – Keep yourself away from the Fire of Hell, by inviting for ‘Iftar’, though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else. O People! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this month will walk over the ‘Siraat’ (Bridge) in ‘Qiyamat’, though his feet may be shaking.
Anybody who in this month may take light work from his servants (male or female), Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.
Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody, who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat.
Whoever offers ‘Sunnat’ (Recommended) prayers in this month, Allah will give him a certificate of freedom from Hell. Whosoever offers one ‘Wajib’ Salat in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, which were offered by him in any other months.
Whosoever recites repeatedly ‘Salat and salam (Salawat)’ on me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending towards lightness.
Whosoever recites in this month only one ‘Ayat’ (verse of the Holy Quran), he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Holy Quran in the other months.
O People! The Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month. Do invoke that the gates may not be closed on you, while the Gates of Hell are closed. Do invoke that these gates may never be opened. During this month Shaitan (Satan) is imprisoned so ask your Lord not to let him have power over you.”
Reference: Wasail al-Shia, Book 10 p313 Hadeeth #13494
عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنِ الرِّضَا ، عَنْ آبَائِهِ ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ( عليهم السلام ) ، قَالَ : إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه و آله ) خَطَبَنَا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَقَالَ :
” أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ إِلَيْكُمْ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ بِالْبَرَكَةِ وَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ ، شَهْرٌ هُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلُ الشُّهُورِ ، وَ أَيَّامُهُ أَفْضَلُ الْأَيَّامِ ، وَ لَيَالِيهِ أَفْضَلُ” اللَّيَالِي ، وَ سَاعَاتُهُ أَفْضَلُ السَّاعَاتِ ، هُوَ شَهْرٌ دُعِيتُمْ فِيهِ إِلَى ضِيَافَةِ اللَّهِ ، وَ جُعِلْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ كَرَامَةِ اللَّهِ ، أَنْفَاسُكُمْ فِيهِ تَسْبِيحٌ ، وَ نَوْمُكُمْ فِيهِ عِبَادَةٌ ، وَ عَمَلُكُمْ فِيهِ مَقْبُولٌ ، وَ دُعَاؤُكُمْ فِيهِ مُسْتَجَابٌ ، فَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ بِنِيَّاتٍ صَادِقَةٍ وَ قُلُوبٍ طَاهِرَةٍ أَنْ يُوَفِّقَكُمْ لِصِيَامِهِ وَ تِلَاوَةِ كِتَابِهِ ، فَإِنَّ الشَّقِيَّ مَنْ حُرِمَ غُفْرَانَ اللَّهِ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ الْعَظِيمِ ، وَ اذْكُرُوا بِجُوعِكُمْ وَ عَطَشِكُمْ فِيهِ جُوعَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ عَطَشَهُ ، وَ تَصَدَّقُوا عَلَى فُقَرَائِكُمْ وَ مَسَاكِينِكُمْ ، وَ وَقِّرُوا كِبَارَكُمْ ، وَ ارْحَمُوا صِغَارَكُمْ ، وَ صِلُوا أَرْحَامَكُمْ ، وَ احْفَظُوا أَلْسِنَتَكُمْ ، وَ غُضُّوا عَمَّا لَا يَحِلُّ النَّظَرُ إِلَيْهِ أَبْصَارَكُمْ ، وَ عَمَّا لَا يَحِلُّ الِاسْتِمَاعُ إِلَيْهِ أَسْمَاعَكُمْ ، وَ تَحَنَّنُوا عَلَى أَيْتَامِ النَّاسِ يُتَحَنَّنْ عَلَى أَيْتَامِكُمْ ، وَ تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ ، وَ ارْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِ أَيْدِيَكُمْ بِالدُّعَاءِ فِي أَوْقَاتِ صَلَاتِكُمْ ، فَإِنَّهَا أَفْضَلُ السَّاعَاتِ يَنْظُرُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهَا بِالرَّحْمَةِ إِلَى عِبَادِهِ ، يُجِيبُهُمْ إِذَا نَاجَوْهُ ، وَ يُلَبِّيهِمْ إِذَا نَادَوْهُ ، وَ يُعْطِيهِمْ إِذَا سَأَلُوهُ ، وَ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُمْ إِذَا دَعَوْهُ .
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ : إِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ مَرْهُونَةٌ بِأَعْمَالِكُمْ فَفُكُّوهَا بِاسْتِغْفَارِكُمْ ، وَ ظُهُورَكُمْ ثَقِيلَةٌ مِنْ أَوْزَارِكُمْ فَخَفِّفُوا عَنْهَا بِطُولِ سُجُودِكُمْ ، وَ اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَقْسَمَ بِعِزَّتِهِ أَنْ لَا يُعَذِّبَ الْمُصَلِّينَ وَ السَّاجِدِينَ وَ أَنْ لَا يُرَوِّعَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ .
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ : مَنْ فَطَّرَ مِنْكُمْ صَائِماً مُؤْمِناً فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ كَانَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عِتْقُ نَسَمَةٍ ، وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ لِمَا مَضَى مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ .
قِيلَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَلَيْسَ كُلُّنَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ .
فَقَالَ ( صلى الله عليه و آله ) : اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَ لَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ ، اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَ لَوْ بِشَرْبَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ .أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ : مَنْ حَسَّنَ مِنْكُمْ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ خُلُقَهُ كَانَ لَهُ جَوَازاً عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ يَوْمَ تَزِلُّ فِيهِ الْأَقْدَامُ ، وَ مَنْ خَفَّفَ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ عَمَّا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُهُ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ حِسَابَهُ ، وَ مَنْ كَفَّ فِيهِ شَرَّهُ كَفَّ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ غَضَبَهُ يَوْمَ يَلْقَاهُ ، وَ مَنْ أَكْرَمَ فِيهِ يَتِيماً أَكْرَمَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ يَلْقَاهُ ، وَ مَنْ وَصَلَ فِيهِ رَحِمَهُ وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَتِهِ يَوْمَ يَلْقَاهُ ، وَ مَنْ قَطَعَ فِيهِ رَحِمَهُ قَطَعَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ رَحْمَتَهُ يَوْمَ يَلْقَاهُ ، وَ مَنْ تَطَوَّعَ فِيهِ بِصَلَاةٍ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بَرَاءَةً مِنَ النَّارِ ، وَ مَنْ أَدَّى فِيهِ فَرْضاً كَانَ لَهُ ثَوَابُ مَنْ أَدَّى سَبْعِينَ فَرِيضَةً فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنَ الشُّهُورِ ، وَ مَنْ أَكْثَرَ فِيهِ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَيَّ ثَقَّلَ اللَّهُ مِيزَانَهُ يَوْمَ تَخِفُّ الْمَوَازِينُ ، وَ مَنْ تَلَا فِيهِ آيَةً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ كَانَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ خَتَمَ الْقُرْآنَ فِي غَيْرِهِ مِنَ الشُّهُورِ .
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ أَبْوَابَ الْجِنَانِ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ مُفَتَّحَةٌ فَاسْأَلُوا رَبَّكُمْ أَنْ لَا يُغَلِّقَهَا عَنْكُمْ ، وَ أَبْوَابَ النِّيرَانِ مُغَلَّقَةٌ فَاسْأَلُوا رَبَّكُمْ أَنْ لَا يُفَتِّحَهَا عَلَيْكُمْ ، وَ الشَّيَاطِينَ مَغْلُولَةٌ فَاسْأَلُوا رَبَّكُمْ أَنْ لَا يُسَلِّطَهَا عَلَيْكُمْ.”
المصدر: وسائل الشيعة ( تفصيل وسائل الشيعة إلى تحصيل مسائل الشريعة ) : 10 / 313 ، حديث رقم : 13494 ، للشيخ محمد بن الحسن بن علي ، المعروف بالحُر العاملي طبعة : مؤسسة آل البيت ، سنة : 1409 هجرية ، قم / إيران .
