Alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin. All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds. We praise Him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we turn to Him in repentance. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide; and whoever Allah leaves to stray, none can guide.
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharika lah: I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner. Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh: and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, upon his family, his companions, and all who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
Servants of Allah, I counsel myself and you to have taqwa of Allah. Taqwa means to be mindful of Allah, to protect yourself from His displeasure by obeying Him and avoiding sin.
O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.
Quran 3:102
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul, and created from it its mate, and spread from them many men and women. Fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and fear regarding the ties of kinship. Surely Allah is ever watching over you.
Quran 4:1
O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of upright truth. He will rectify your deeds for you and forgive you your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly achieved a great success.
Quran 33:70-71
First Khutbah
Dear brothers and sisters, Ramadan does not begin only when the crescent is sighted. For the serious believer, Ramadan begins before Ramadan. It begins in the intention that is renewed quietly. It begins in the sin that is left today. It begins in the prayer that is protected today. It begins in the mushaf that is opened today. It begins in the heart that says, before the month arrives: My Lord, do not let me meet Ramadan asleep, distracted, bitter, and unchanged. Let me meet it as a servant who is ready.
Many of us prepare early for things that matter in this world. A student prepares before an exam. A family prepares before a guest arrives. A business prepares before a busy season. A traveler checks the passport, the ticket, the bags, the route. But what about the month in which Allah opens doors of mercy? What about the month of fasting, Quran, night prayer, charity, forgiveness, and freedom from the slavery of our desires?
Ramadan is not an ordinary guest. It is a gift from Allah. It is a season of mercy, but it is not magic for a heedless heart. A seed thrown on hard ground does not grow like a seed placed in soil that has been softened, watered, and cleared of weeds. Ramadan is rain. The question is: what condition is the soil of my heart in before the rain falls?
Allah tells us the purpose of fasting. He says:
O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain taqwa.
Quran 2:183
Notice, dear believers, Allah did not say fasting was prescribed so that we would only feel hunger. He did not say so that we would only change meal times. He said: so that you may attain taqwa. Ramadan is a training ground for the heart to become more aware of Allah. If taqwa is the purpose, then preparation for Ramadan is preparation for taqwa.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, gave us glad tidings about Ramadan:
When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1899; Sahih Muslim 1079
Subhan Allah. The gates are opened. But when a door opens, a person still has to walk through it. The devils are chained, but our habits are not automatically chained. Our phones are still in our hands. Our tongues are still in our mouths. Our grudges can still sit in our chests. Our laziness can still follow us to Fajr. That is why preparation matters.
The first preparation is intention. Niyyah means the purpose in the heart. Why do I want Ramadan? Is it only because everyone around me is fasting? Is it only because I enjoy the atmosphere, the food, and the gatherings? Or do I want Allah? Do I want forgiveness? Do I want a cleaner heart? Do I want to become a person who can say no to myself when Allah has said no?
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1; Sahih Muslim 1907
So prepare your intention before Ramadan arrives. Say in your heart: O Allah, I intend to fast for You, not for people. I intend to pray for You, not for reputation. I intend to read Your Book to be guided, not just to finish pages. I intend to give charity to seek Your Face, not praise. I intend to protect my tongue, lower my gaze, feed the hungry, forgive people, and return to You.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.
Sahih al-Bukhari 38; Sahih Muslim 760
Out of faith and seeking reward. Not out of habit only. Not out of family pressure only. Not out of cultural routine only. Faith in the promise of Allah. Seeking the reward from Allah. This is why the same Ramadan comes to many people, but it does not leave them all the same. The month is one, but the intentions are different.
The second preparation is tawbah: repentance. Tawbah means returning to Allah after turning away. Do not wait for Ramadan to repent. Repent now so that Ramadan becomes growth, not merely emergency treatment. If a person is about to meet a noble guest, he cleans the house before the guest arrives. Ramadan is coming; clean the house of the heart.
Allah says:
O you who believe, repent to Allah with sincere repentance.
Quran 66:8
Sincere repentance has a reality. It is not only a sentence on the tongue. It is to stop the sin, to regret it before Allah, to resolve not to return to it, and if the sin involved the rights of another person, to restore the right or seek forgiveness as much as you are able. If money was taken, return it. If someone was slandered, correct what you can. If a parent was hurt, humble yourself. If a spouse was wronged, apologize without turning the apology into another argument. If prayer has been neglected, begin guarding it today.
And do not let Shaytan turn your guilt into despair. Despair is not humility. Despair is a trick. Allah says:
Say, O My servants who have transgressed against themselves: do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Quran 39:53
The door is open now. The One who invites you to Ramadan is the One who invites you to repent today. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Allah extends His Hand during the night so that the one who sinned by day may repent, and He extends His Hand during the day so that the one who sinned by night may repent, until the sun rises from the west.
Sahih Muslim 2759
Think about that. Allah is not in need of our repentance, yet He opens the door. Allah is not harmed by our sins, yet He calls us back. Allah does not benefit from our fasting, yet He rewards it beyond measure. So who is the deprived one? The deprived one is not the one who sinned and returned. The deprived one is the one who sinned and insisted, who was called and refused, who was given time and wasted it.
The third preparation is to rebuild your relationship with the Quran. Ramadan is the month of the Quran. Allah says:
The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was sent down as guidance for mankind, clear proofs of guidance, and the criterion.
Quran 2:185
If Ramadan is the month of Quran, then do not meet it as a stranger to the Quran. Some of us open the mushaf in Ramadan like someone opening a message after ignoring the sender for eleven months. Allah is generous; He still welcomes us. But let us do better. Begin now, even with a little. Ten minutes a day. One page a day. A few verses with meaning. Read slowly. Ask: What is Allah saying to me? What command do I need to obey? What warning do I need to take seriously? What promise should give me hope?
Do not measure your Quran only by speed. Some people finish recitation many times, and may Allah bless them. Others struggle with Arabic letters, translation, or consistency. Do not be defeated. The goal is not to impress others with a number. The goal is guidance. The Quran was not sent only to decorate shelves, to be recited at ceremonies, or to be opened when someone dies. It was sent to bring life to hearts that are alive.
The fourth preparation is salah, especially Fajr and Isha, and then night prayer. If Ramadan comes and our obligatory prayers are weak, then our voluntary worship will be unstable. The house cannot stand if the foundation is cracked. Begin with the five prayers. Pray on time. Men who are able should make serious effort to pray in congregation. Families should help one another. Parents, let the home hear adhan and Quran, not only notifications and entertainment. Youth, do not underestimate one prayer. One sincere sujud can open a door in the heart that has been closed for years.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.
Sahih al-Bukhari 37; Sahih Muslim 759
But a person who has not prayed any extra prayer for months may find the first nights heavy. So train gently now. Two rakahs after Isha. A short witr with focus. A few minutes before Fajr once a week. Do not begin by promising what you cannot sustain. Begin small, but begin sincerely. The most important step is the step you actually take.
The fifth preparation is to discipline the tongue and the eyes before Ramadan. Fasting is not only staying away from food and drink. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need of his giving up his food and drink.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1903
This hadith should make us pause. A person can be hungry and still be feeding the ego. Hungry but lying. Hungry but backbiting. Hungry but insulting. Hungry but watching what displeases Allah. Hungry but carrying hatred from one iftar to another. Ramadan is meant to discipline the whole person.
So start now. Before you forward a message, ask: is it true, is it useful, is it pleasing to Allah? Before you comment online, ask: would I be happy to see these words on my record on the Day of Judgment? Before you speak about another Muslim, ask: if he were standing here, would I say it the same way? Before you look at something, ask: is this gaze darkening my heart before the month of light?
The sixth preparation is practical. Some people think spirituality has nothing to do with calendars, sleep, shopping, cooking, and work schedules. But many Ramadan failures begin with poor planning. We enter the month exhausted. We turn iftar into a nightly food festival. We spend more time discussing desserts than dua. We leave charity as an afterthought. We sleep so badly that Fajr becomes a battle. We make the kitchen carry the weight of the month while the Quran waits on the shelf.
Plan now. Simplify meals. Reduce unnecessary gatherings. Decide as a family what matters this Ramadan. If you have children, teach them that Ramadan is not only hunger and sweets; it is mercy, prayer, Quran, generosity, and self-control. If your work is demanding, look at your schedule early. If you have debts, make a plan. If you usually lose hours on the phone at night, set boundaries before the first night. If you are able to give charity, prepare your sadaqah. If you know someone lonely, include them. If there is a convert, a student, a widow, a refugee, or a neighbor who may be forgotten, remember them.
It is also from the Sunnah to fast in Shaban for those who are able, without making it a hardship and without inventing rules. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
I never saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, complete a month of fasting except Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than in Shaban.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1969; Sahih Muslim 1156
At the same time, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught balance and clarity:
Do not precede Ramadan by fasting one or two days before it, except for a man who habitually fasts, so let him fast.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1914; Sahih Muslim 1082
So we prepare with knowledge, not exaggeration. We prepare with sincerity, not show. We prepare with hope, not panic. We prepare with discipline, not harshness. Ramadan is a mercy, not a performance. The aim is not to create a perfect image of worship. The aim is to return to Allah as real servants: weak but trying, sinful but repenting, distracted but coming back, tired but hopeful.
Dear believers, ask yourself today: What is one sin I must not carry into Ramadan? What is one prayer I must begin protecting now? What is one relationship I must repair? What is one habit stealing my heart? What is one door of good I can open before Allah opens the doors of Paradise in Ramadan?
Do not wait for the first night to become serious. The first night may come while we are busy, while we are tired, while we are still arguing about food, schedules, and announcements. Start now. Start with one sincere tawbah. Start with one page of Quran. Start with one protected Fajr. Start with one apology. Start with one secret charity. Start with one dua: O Allah, allow me to reach Ramadan, and allow Ramadan to reach my heart.
Aqoolu qawli hadha, wa astaghfirullaha li wa lakum. I say these words, and I ask Allah to forgive me and you. Seek His forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin. All praise is for Allah, abundant, pure, and blessed praise. We praise Him for His mercy, His guidance, His patience with us, and His countless favors. We bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and we bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. O Allah, send peace and blessings upon Muhammad, upon his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance.
Servants of Allah, have taqwa of Allah in private and in public. Know that the most honored of people are not those with the longest speeches or the most impressive appearances, but those whose hearts are most mindful of Allah and whose deeds are most sincere.
Second Khutbah
Dear brothers and sisters, the message today is simple: do not meet Ramadan unprepared. Prepare your intention, prepare your repentance, prepare your prayer, prepare your Quran, prepare your tongue, prepare your home. Ramadan is a gift, and gifts from Allah deserve gratitude before they arrive, humility while they are with us, and lasting change after they leave.
Some of us may be thinking: I have failed too many times. Every Ramadan I begin strong and then I weaken. Every year I make promises and break them. Listen carefully: the believer is not someone who never falls. The believer is someone who keeps returning to Allah. If you cannot change everything before Ramadan, change something. If you cannot do much, do what is sincere and consistent. If your heart feels cold, bring it to the One who turns hearts. If your sins feel heavy, bring them to the One whose mercy is greater.
For the coming week, take three realistic actions. Not ten. Not a list that looks good and disappears by Monday. Three actions.
- Write one Ramadan intention and make one tawbah. Sit alone for a few minutes. Ask yourself why you want Ramadan. Then choose one sin or harmful habit to begin leaving now. Make sincere repentance to Allah, and if someone has a right over you, take one step to repair it.
- Establish one daily Quran and prayer anchor. Choose a fixed time, even ten minutes, after Fajr, after Maghrib, or before sleep. Read Quran with meaning. Add two rakahs at night once or twice this week if you can. Protect the obligatory prayers first.
- Make a simple household Ramadan plan. Speak with your family or write it for yourself: simpler meals, less waste, less screen time, a charity plan, a sleep plan, and a way to include someone who may be alone or in need.
If we take these steps, by Allah's permission, Ramadan will not surprise us like an unexpected visitor. It will find a servant already knocking on the door of mercy.
Allahumma salli wa sallim wa barik ala nabiyyina Muhammad. O Allah, send Your peace, blessings, and honor upon our Prophet Muhammad, upon his family, his companions, and all who follow him with excellence.
O Allah, forgive the believing men and believing women, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the living among them and the deceased. O Allah, forgive our parents, our teachers, our families, and those who have rights over us. O Allah, forgive our open sins and hidden sins, what we remember and what we have forgotten, what we did knowingly and what we did in weakness.
O Allah, guide us and make guidance easy for us. Keep our hearts firm upon Your religion. O Turner of the hearts, keep our hearts firm upon Your religion. O Allah, allow us to reach Ramadan in faith, safety, and obedience, and help us to fast it and stand in prayer during it out of faith and seeking Your reward.
O Allah, bless our families. Place love, mercy, patience, and truth in our homes. Guide our youth and protect them from confusion, addiction, despair, arrogance, and harmful desires. Make them people of Quran, prayer, modesty, courage, and service. O Allah, grant righteous spouses to those seeking marriage, children to those longing for children, and comfort to those carrying private pain.
O Allah, heal the sick among us and among all Muslims. Relieve those who are anxious, depressed, grieving, lonely, or distressed. O Allah, provide for those in debt, open doors for those seeking lawful work, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and ease the hardship of every person in difficulty.
O Allah, help the oppressed everywhere. Protect the vulnerable, the displaced, the imprisoned unjustly, the orphan, the widow, and the poor. Replace their fear with security, their hunger with provision, and their pain with relief. O Allah, guide leaders to justice, wisdom, mercy, and truth. Protect our communities from corruption, hatred, racism, violence, and division.
O Allah, unite our hearts upon the truth. Do not let our differences make us cruel. Make us humble with one another, sincere toward You, and firm upon the Quran and the Sunnah of Your Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. O Allah, accept our prayers, our fasting, our charity, our repentance, our dua, and every hidden good deed done for Your sake.
O Allah, protect us from trials, those that are apparent and those that are hidden. Protect our faith at the time of death. Make the best of our deeds the last of them, the best of our days the day we meet You, and make our graves gardens from the gardens of Paradise. Our Lord, give us good in this life and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality, wrongdoing, and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may be reminded.
Quran 16:90
Remember Allah, and He will remember you. Thank Him, and He will increase you. Seek His forgiveness, and He will forgive you. Establish the prayer.