Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Allah (swt) has created the universe and everything in it in a certain order and balance. There is no deficiency in any of the creations. Everything created remembers Allah (swt) in a constant state of movement. The life of a human being is constantly active, just as in other creatures. At the stage of human life, there is birth and childhood like spring, which is the first of the seasons, youth like summer, maturity like autumn, and finally old age and death like winter. Every season, every age has its own special aspects, eases and difficulties, as well as blessings and opportunities. If we use these blessings and opportunities as we have been commanded, we have the hope that we will achieve salvation both in this world and in the hereafter. The change of seasons does not only affect nature, it also has a psychological effect on people. For example, the revival and joy seen in nature in spring and summer also affect human beings. On the other hand, it has been observed that people are more pessimistic in closed and cold weather.

Dear Jama’ah!

Rasulullah (saw) has said, “Winter is the spring of the believer. He fasts because the days are short. Since the nights are long, he stands up and prays.”[1] When we look at the winter season, we realise what a great blessing and opportunity we have. When we turn the winter season into an opportunity and spend the day with fasting, and the evenings with worship, dhikr and contemplation, spring will come to our spirituality. Especially when we consider our problems such as not being able to plan time well and thus wasting time, which is one of the biggest problems of our time, the winter months offer a new opportunity for us.

The Quran mentions, “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.”[2] 

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The Winter season is the seasons to discipline our souls. It is also a great opportunity for our brothers who do not have the habit of praying yet to start praying. The prayer times in winter is an inevitable good opportunity to gain the habit of prayer. We must complete the Quran which we could not read, and the Surahs that we could not memorise in these fruitful days. Our Companions, who were moralised with the morality of our Prophet (saw), also looked forward to the winter season and when it came, they were more engaged in worship. Together with our family members, we can turn the winter season into a season of opportunity and mercy. We can perform prayers, dhikrs and good deeds that we have not been able to do many times, and we can make this period of time a means of a new beginning in our family life. Participating in Muhabbah is an important opportunity to evaluate the long winter nights. We should be a good example for our future generations by praying in congregation and participating in activities such as morning prayer programs organised at our mosques. Our Prophet (saw), who took the utmost care in praying in congregation and never stopped doing this until his death, said, “Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning and evening, Allah will prepare a place for him in Paradise every morning and evening.”[3]

Dear Jama’ah!

We will never reach our spiritual spring if we waste our day with unnecessary works other than our daily work, and if we are busy with things for which we are not responsible. For this reason, we should see the winter season as the season of mercy, evaluate it as a preparation for the blessed three months, and guide our lives this way.

May Allah (swt) allow us all to spend the winter season in the most beautiful and fruitful way. Ameen!

[1] Ahmed bin Hanbel, Müsned, III. 75; Ebû Ya‘le, Müsned, II, 519

[2] Surah Âl-i İmrân, 3:190

[3] Buhârî, Ezân, 37; M1524 Müslim, Mesâcid, 285

Khutba: The season of the believers – Winter