Holy Prophet's Sermon in Ramadhan — Rites, Supplications & Translation

رَوَى الشَّيْخُ الصَّدُوقُ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ الإِمَامِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ عَنْ آبَائِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ قَالَ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ خَطَبَ النَّاسَ فَقَالَ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّهُ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ إِلَيْكُمْ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ بِالْبَرَكَةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ. شَهْرٌ هُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلُ الشُّهُورِ، وَأَيَّامُهُ أَفْضَلُ الْأَيَّامِ، وَلَيَالِيهِ أَفْضَلُ اللَّيَالِي، وَسَاعَاتُهُ أَفْضَلُ السَّاعَاتِ. هُوَ شَهْرٌ دُعِيتُمْ فِيهِ إِلَى ضِيَافَةِ اللَّهِ وَجُعِلْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ كَرَامَتِهِ. أَنْفَاسُكُمْ فِيهِ تَسْبِيحٌ، وَنَوْمُكُمْ فِيهِ عِبَادَةٌ، وَعَمَلُكُمْ فِيهِ مَقْبُولٌ، وَدُعَاؤُكُمْ فِيهِ مُسْتَجَابٌ. فَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ بِنِيَّاتٍ صَادِقَةٍ وَقُلُوبٍ طَاهِرَةٍ أَنْ يُوَفِّقَكُمْ لِصِيَامِهِ وَتِلاَوَةِ كِتَابِهِ. فَإِنَّ الشَّقِيَّ مَنْ حُرِمَ غُفْرَانَ اللَّهِ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ الْعَظِيمِ.» ثُمَّ قَالَ (ص): «اذْكُرُوا بِجُوعِكُمْ وَعَطَشِكُمْ فِيهِ جُوعَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَعَطَشَهُ، وَتَصَدَّقُوا عَلَى فُقَرَائِكُمْ وَمَسَاكِينِكُمْ، وَوَقِّرُوا كِبَارَكُمْ، وَارْحَمُوا صِغَارَكُمْ، وَصِلُوا أَرْحَامَكُمْ، وَاحْفَظُوا أَلْسِنَتَكُمْ، وَغُضُّوا عَمَّا لاَ يَحِلُّ النَّظَرُ إِلَيْهِ أَبْصَارَكُمْ، وَعَمَّا لاَ يَحِلُّ الاِسْتِمَاعُ إِلَيْهِ أَسْمَاعَكُمْ، وَتَحَنَّنُوا عَلَى أَيْتَامِ النَّاسِ يُتَحَنَّنْ عَلَى أَيْتَامِكُمْ...» وَقَالَ (ص): «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، مَنْ فَطَّرَ مِنْكُمْ صَائِمًا مُؤْمِنًا فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ كَانَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ لِذُنُوبِهِ الْمَاضِيَةِ.» فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، لَيْسَ كُلُّنَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ! فَقَالَ (ص): «اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ، اتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشَرْبَةٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ.» وَذَكَرَ (ص) فَضَائِلَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ خُلُقَهُ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ، وَمَنْ أَعَانَ خَادِمَهُ، وَمَنْ أَكْرَمَ يَتِيمًا، وَمَنْ وَصَلَ رَحِمَهُ، وَمَنْ تَنَفَّلَ فِيهِ بِعِبَادَةٍ، وَمَنْ أَكْثَرَ فِيهِ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ عَلَيْهِ (ص)، وَمَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةً مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ أَبْوَابَ الْجَنَّةِ فِي هَذَا الشَّهْرِ مُفَتَّحَةٌ فَاسْأَلُوا رَبَّكُمْ أَنْ لاَ يُغْلِقَهَا عَنْكُمْ، وَأَبْوَابَ النِّيرَانِ مُغَلَّقَةٌ فَاسْأَلُوا رَبَّكُمْ أَنْ لاَ يَفْتَحَهَا عَلَيْكُمْ، وَالشَّيَاطِينُ مَغْلُولَةٌ فَاسْأَلُوا رَبَّكُمْ أَنْ لاَ يُسَلِّطَهَا عَلَيْكُمْ.»

Shaykh al-Saduq narrated from Imam al-Ridha (a.s.) from his pure forefathers, from Imam Ali (a.s.) that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) once addressed the people saying: “O people, the month of Allah has come to you with blessings, mercy, and forgiveness. It is the best of months in the sight of Allah. Its days are the best days, its nights are the best nights, and its hours are the best hours. In this month, you are invited to the hospitality of Allah, and you are made worthy of His honor. Your breaths in this month are tasbih, your sleep is worship, your deeds are accepted, and your supplications are answered. Therefore, ask Allah with sincere intentions and pure hearts to grant you success in fasting and reciting His Book. Truly, the unfortunate is he who is deprived of Allah’s forgiveness in this great month.” He (s.a.w.a.) continued: “When you feel hunger and thirst, remember the hunger and thirst of the Day of Resurrection. Give charity to the poor and needy among you. Respect your elders, have mercy upon your young, keep good ties with your kin, guard your tongues, lower your gaze from what is unlawful, and close your ears to what is forbidden to hear. Be kind to orphans so that others may be kind to your orphans. Repent from your sins, raise your hands in supplication during your prayers, for these are the best hours when Allah looks upon His servants with mercy, answers their prayers, and grants their requests.” He added: “O people, your souls are tied down by your deeds, so free them through seeking forgiveness. Your backs are burdened by sins, so lighten them with long prostrations. Know that Allah has sworn by His Might that He will not punish those who pray and prostrate, nor will He frighten them with Hellfire on the day when people stand before the Lord of the Worlds.” He also said: “Whoever among you gives food to a fasting believer to break his fast, Allah will grant him the reward of freeing a slave and forgiveness of past sins.” When the companions objected that not everyone could afford it, the Prophet replied: “Protect yourselves from the Fire, even with half a date, or with a sip of water. Allah grants this reward to whoever does even the least they can.” He then mentioned the virtues of good manners, helping servants, honoring orphans, maintaining kinship ties, praying voluntarily, invoking blessings upon him, and reciting even a single verse of Qur’an in this month. The Prophet (s.a.w.a.) concluded: “O people, the gates of Paradise are open in this month, so pray your Lord not to close them. The gates of Hellfire are shut, so pray your Lord not to open them. The devils are chained, so pray your Lord not to set them loose upon you.”

Shaykh al-Saduq amenukuu kutoka kwa Imam al-Ridha (a.s.), kutoka kwa mababu zake watoharifu, kutoka kwa Imam Ali (a.s.) kwamba Mtume Mtukufu (s.a.w.a.) aliwahutubia watu akisema: “Enyi watu, mwezi wa Mwenyezi Mungu umewajia ukiwa umejaa baraka, rehema na msamaha. Ni mwezi bora kabisa mbele ya Mwenyezi Mungu. Siku zake ni bora zaidi, usiku wake ni bora zaidi, na saa zake ni bora zaidi. Katika mwezi huu mmekaribishwa kwenye ugeni wa Mwenyezi Mungu, na mmefanywa kuwa miongoni mwa watu wa heshima Yake. Pumzi zenu ndani ya mwezi huu ni tasbihi, usingizi wenu ni ibada, matendo yenu yanakubaliwa, na dua zenu zinajibiwa. Basi muombeni Mwenyezi Mungu kwa nia za kweli na nyoyo safi awape tawfiq ya kufunga na kusoma Kitabu Chake. Hakika mwenye kuadhibiwa ni yule atakayenyimwa msamaha wa Mwenyezi Mungu katika mwezi huu mkubwa.” Akaendelea: “Mnapohisi njaa na kiu, kumbukeni njaa na kiu ya Siku ya Kiyama. Toeni sadaka kwa maskini na wahitaji miongoni mwenu. Waheshimuni wazee wenu, warehemuni vijana wenu, shikamaneni na undugu, jilindeni ndimi zenu, teremsheni macho yenu mbali na yaliyoharamishwa, na fungeni masikio yenu dhidi ya maovu. Kuweni wema kwa mayatima ili watu wawe wema kwa mayatima wenu. Tubuni kutokana na dhambi zenu, inuweni mikono yenu kwa dua katika nyakati za sala, kwani hizo ni saa bora ambazo Mwenyezi Mungu huwaangalia waja Wake kwa rehema, hujibu maombi yao na kuyakubali.” Akasisitiza: “Enyi watu, roho zenu zimefungwa na matendo yenu, basi zifungueni kwa istighfaar. Migongo yenu imebebeshwa dhambi, basi ipunguzieni kwa kusujudu kwa muda mrefu. Fahamuni kwamba Mwenyezi Mungu ameapa kwa Ukuu Wake kwamba Hatowaadhibu wasalaji na wenye kusujudu, wala Hatowaogopesha Moto wa Jahannam siku ya kusimama watu mbele ya Mola wa Walimwengu.” Pia alisema: “Atakayemlisha mfungaji chakula cha kufuturu, Mwenyezi Mungu atampa thawabu ya kumkomboa mtumwa na kumsamehe madhambi yake yaliyopita.” Masahaba waliposema si wote tunaoweza kufanya hivyo, Mtume akajibu: “Jilindeni na Moto hata kwa kipande cha tende, au kwa funda moja ya maji. Mwenyezi Mungu huwapa thawabu kubwa wale wanaofanya kidogo kulingana na uwezo wao.” Baadaye akataja fadhila za kuwa na tabia njema, kuwapunguzia kazi watumishi, kuwatunza mayatima, kushikamana na undugu, kuswali sunna, kumtaja mara kwa mara kwa sala na salamu, na kusoma hata aya moja ya Qur’ani ndani ya mwezi huu. Mtume (s.a.w.a.) akahitimisha: “Enyi watu, milango ya Pepo iko wazi katika mwezi huu, basi muombeni Mola wenu asiifunge kwenu. Milango ya Moto imefungwa, basi muombeni Mola wenu asiiifungue kwenu. Mashetani wameshikwa minyororo, basi muombeni Mola wenu asiwatupie juu yenu.”