Dear Brothers and Sisters!

We are about to end a month in which our bodies have recovered through fasting, our wealth has been purified through zakat and charity and many blessings have been experienced in both our material and spiritual lives. Tonight, we will perform the last Tarawih prayer, wake up for the final suhoor and tomorrow we will observe the last fast of this year’s Ramadan. Endless praise and thanks be to Allah (swt), who has allowed us to reach Ramadan and granted us the opportunity to fast. May peace and blessings be upon His beloved Prophet (saw).

Throughout Ramadan, our consciousness of piety increased. We struggled to protect our eyes, tongues and hearts from sin. Through patience and self-discipline, we strengthened our willpower. By enduring hunger, thirst and waking up at night, we learned to say “no” to our desires. Our connection with the Qur’an deepened we read, listened and tried to understand it. We performed our prayers with greater care and became regulars to the mosques through Tarawih prayers. We tasted the awareness of being a congregation and the peace of worshiping together.

Ramadan also reminded us of sharing. Through our fitrah and charity, we brought joy to those in need. We revived our sense of compassion, kindness, and conscience. At the same time, we learned to repent, purify our hearts, turn to Allah, pray and deepen our servitude.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

These virtues are not exclusive to Ramadan. What truly matters is maintaining the goodness we have gained throughout the year. Let us strive to live without abandoning our mosques, neglecting our prayers or setting aside the Qur’an. Let us continue fasting on certain days after Ramadan as voluntary worship, just as we observed the compulsory fasts during Ramadan. Let us not overlook the fast of Shawwal.

Our beloved Prophet (saw) advised us regarding its virtue, saying: “Whoever fasts during Ramadan and then follows it with six days of fasting in Shawwal, it is as if they have fasted for the entire year.”[1] Indeed, fasting helps restrain our desires, reminds us of the hardships faced by those in need through the experience of hunger and brings both physical health and inner peace.

Dear Jama’ah!

During this month, our wealthy brothers and sisters have distributed their zakat and those who are financially able have delivered their fitrah to those in need through our organisation. If there are still those who have not yet given their zakat or fitrah, they should fulfill this obligation without delay. Let us follow the command of Allah (swt): “Remember your Lord with praise, be among those who prostrate, and worship your Lord until death comes to you.”[2]

The night before Eid, is one of the most blessed nights. On this day, let us remember our deceased loved ones, pray for them and visit their graves. We must be careful not to fall into carelessness, thinking that Ramadan has ended, there is no Tarawih prayer and the next day is Eid. Our beloved Prophet (saw) emphasised the significance of certain nights, saying: “There are five nights in which supplications are not rejected: the night of Friday, the first night of the month of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha’ban (Laylat al-Bara’ah), the night of Eid al-Fitr, and the night of Eid al-Adha.”[3] Let us strive to spend this night in worship and benefit from its blessings. We should also review our Eid preparations, organise our visits to the graves, plan visits to the sick and schedule our Eid gatherings.

To conclude with the meaning of the hadith we recited at the beginning of the khutba:

“May the one who hears my name mentioned and does not send blessings upon me be humiliated! May the one who reaches the month of Ramadan but does not take advantage of it to seek forgiveness be humiliated! May the one whose parents, or one of them, reach old age but fails to earn Paradise through their service be humiliated!”[4]

O Allah! Do not make us among those who are disgraced, but among those who are forgiven and who attain Your pleasure as we welcome Eid. Ameen.

[1] Müslim, Siyâm, 204

[2] Surah Al-Hijr, 15:98-99

[3] Beyhaki, Şuabül-İman, V

[4] Buharî, el-edebu’l-müfred- 1419/1998

Khutba – After Ramadan, Before Eid: The Final Stop