Ramadan Is Near But I Am Worried!

One day before Ramadan, our Prophet ﷺ stood and delivered a powerful sermon where he said to the Companions: “The month of Ramadan has come, a blessed month in which Allah Almighty has obligated you to fast. In it the gates of the heavens are opened, the gates of Hellfire are closed, the devils are chained, and in it is a night that is better than a thousand months. Thus, whoever is deprived of its good is truly deprived.” (Musnad Aḥmad) 

We hear lectures, reminders, and khutbahs, and many of us are eagerly anticipating this month. But what about the person who looks around and sees all this excitement, yet does not feel that excitement in their own heart? What about the one who, instead of excitement, feels worried and might be going through anxiety? “How will I survive this Ramadan?” “How will I endure the fasts?”. What about the one who, instead of planning how many times to complete the Qur’an, is wondering whether they can even read a little more than usual? What about the one who is struggling with sin, still dealing with vices and addictions, while Ramadan is only a few days away? 

Today’s khutbah is for that person, for the one who is struggling and does not share the excitement everyone else seems to have, to raise hope, to encourage, and to remind you that Ramadan is not only for the righteous. Ramadan is not just for the elite, the scholars, or the most pious. Ramadan is for the sinner, for people like me and you, those who sin day and night, those who recognise they have fallen short, who feel overwhelmed by their sins. Ramadan is meant to give us hope, optimism, and certainty that Allah’s mercy can, will, and does reach us. 

O Muslim who is struggling with the daily obligations, who has not yet perfected the five daily prayers, who is still struggling with haram, addictions and private sins. When Ramadan comes, will we not change our lifestyle, even a little? Will we not at least fast the days of Ramadan? Will we not stop eating and drinking from dawn until sunset? For those who are used to swearing and looking at haram, will we not monitor our tongues and our eyes? 

We may not be perfect. We may still fall into sin. But every one of us knows that in Ramadan, our Iman increases, even if only a little. Every one of us puts in extra effort. Every one of us cuts back on the sins we commit. And I say to you: that very effort, even if it is minimal compared to others, is proof of Taqwa in your heart. It is a proof that you are conscious of Allah. And this Taqwa will bring Allah’s blessings. Allah says:  

ذَٰلِكَ وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ 

“That is so, whoever honours the symbols of Allah—then indeed, it is from the Taqwa of the hearts.” [22:32].  

Ramadan is one of the greatest symbols of Allah. The Qur’an is from the symbols of Allah. Salah is from the symbols of Allah. If we change our lifestyle during Ramadan, even slightly, this change is proof that Allah loves us, our Iman is alive and that our spiritual heart is still beating.  

Know your competition in Ramadan is not with other people. It is with yourself. Tomorrow must be better than yesterday. Ramadan is meant to cleanse us. Ramadan reintroduces the sinner to the sweetness of worship and the pleasure of Allah. Ramadan is meant to show that the joy of worship is greater than the joy of sin, to remind us that Allah’s doors of mercy are always wide open. 

Do you know that the Prophet ﷺ said that every single night of Ramadan, Allah frees people from the Fire? Not only the most righteous, not only the top tier. He said people who were destined for punishment—people whose lives were far from Allah—will be forgiven. So I say to you, O sinner: do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy. Your sins are nothing compared to Allah’s infinite mercy.  Giving up hope in Allah’s mercy is a greater sin than any sin you can commit. To believe that Allah cannot forgive you is to accuse Allah of having limited mercy—and Allah’s mercy is limitless. 

Forgiveness is easy in Ramadan. The gates of Jannah are open. The devils are chained. The entire ummah turns toward Allah. Even the one who struggles is carried forward by the atmosphere of Ramadan. As long as you are with the Muslims, fasting, praying, and striving, you are among those Allah will forgive. 

Have good thoughts of Allah. Do not let Shayṭān overwhelm you with pessimism and despair. Allah’s mercy is not based on how long you stand in prayer—it is based on the sincerity of your heart. So you approach Allah with a humble heart. Confess and recognise your own shortcomings and ask Allah to bless you and give you the ability to overcome some of your weaknesses. Put in whatever effort you can but be consistent. Do not give up.  

 

The Prophet ﷺ gave us three guaranteed paths to forgiveness in Ramadan: 

“Whoever fasts Ramadan with Imaan, and seeking reward will have all previous sins forgiven.” [Bukhari]  

“Whoever stands in prayer at night in Ramadan with faith and hope will have all sins forgiven.” [Bukhari] 

“Whoever stands on Laylatul Qadr, with Imaan and hope in Allah’s reward will have all sins forgiven.” [Bukhari] 

Allah has made it very easy for us. Whoever fasts, prays and prays on Laylatul Qadr with Imaan and sincerity, Allah will forgive all of your sins. Who can possibly fail? We can all be forgiven. We just need to do some basic actions and do them consistently.  

There are certain rituals on which that we should focus extra on in Ramadan, the first of which is the recitation of the Quran. This is highlighted by the fact that Allah mentions the Quran before fasting in the verse about Ramadan.  

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ  

“Ramaḍân is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the decisive authority.” [2:185] 

Therefore, we should place a bigger priority to the Quran in Ramadan. So increase your recitation, again, whatever you can manage. Something is infinitely better than nothing. But if you know you can do more than that, don’t miss out on earning that reward, and salvation from the fire. And know that listening to the Quran is a whole separate act of worship, so when you are commuting to work or school play it and listen to it, so you may be of those who receive Allah’s mercy.   

The second ritual is Dua. Ramadan is the month of supplication.  When Allah mentioned the verse about Ramadan, straight after Allah talks about dua. Allah says;  

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ  

“When my servant asks about me, then surely I am ever so close to them, I respond to the supplication of the supplicant when he calls upon Me”[2:186].  

We should make Dua every time; when fasting, during the Sajdahs of Taraweeh, during Tahajjud, before breaking the fast. It should be a month of raising your hands, opening your heart to your Lord, speaking to Allah, in whatever language, in your own way. This is your opportunity to ask from the One Who has no limit, the One Who is the Most Generous, the Ever Giving. Ask for good results, for better health, for better relationship with others, and for the victory of the Ummah.   

None of us knows if we will reach another Ramadan. For some of us, this may be our last. Let us intend to make it our best Ramadan ever. The pious of the past would say, if a person in their graves could wish for one thing, it would be for another day of Ramadan. Your competition is not with others. Your competition is with yourself. If you end Ramadan better than you began it, then Ramadan has been a success. May  

We ask Allah to allow us to reach Ramadan, benefit from it, be forgiven in it, and be transformed by it. Āmīn.