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Khutba Shaban 4 Tawbatan Nasuha

My dear brothers, Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “If my nation new the good that was

contained in this holy month they would wish the whole year was Ramadan.” (Ibn

Khuzayma, Al-Bayhaqqi,& Ibn Haban) Qaala Rasoolullaahi صلى الله عليه وسلم, man Hurima khayra

ha faqad Hurima." He who is misses out on its good has indeed suffered a great

loss." (Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Nasa'i) He who is misses out on its good has indeed

suffered a great loss. None of us want to miss out on the good of Ramadan, so in this

month of Shaban we have been learning how to prepare ourselves so that we can get

all of its gifts.

Ramadan is the high point of a year of worshipping Allah جل جلاله , and this coming

Ramadan will be, in shaa Allah, the high point of all the time we have spent

worshipping Allah جل جلاله .

Ramadan has many gifts, and the more we can get the happier the rest of our lives

will be. To many people, happiness means the gifts of wealth and fame. But the

Muslim knows that the gifts of Ramadan are not like this. The gifts of Ramadan are

Allah's mercy and forgiveness, and freedom from the fire. In Ramadan, our Iman

increases, and Iman leads to Ihsan, which is knowing that Allah sees us all the time,

and worshipping Allah as if we can see Him. Knowing this brings us closer to Allah,

and increases our Taqwa. If someone receives these gifts from Allah, he will have

found true and lasting happiness in this world and the Next.

This is a very important point. If you really understand the great value of Taqwa, and

the joy of being close to Allah جل جلاله through Ihsan, you will long for these gifts with all

your heart. When Allah gives them to you, the duties of Islam will not be a burden

and all the ibadat will become pleasures. You will look forward to them and enjoy

performing them.

The Muslim who is longing for these gifts is already trying to get them every day. He

will already be trying to increase his Taqwa by doing nawafil amal like voluntary

fasting, praying qiyam al-layl, and giving sadaqa.

On the other hand, if a Muslim doesn't try to do any extra ibaada all year, and he

fasts, prays qiyam al-layl, and gives sadaqa only in Ramadan, it is a clear sign that the

Iman and Taqwa that Allah gave him for fasting last Ramadan have just slipped

through his fingers like sand.

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So obey Rasoolullah's صلى الله عليه وسلم warning, " man Hurima khayra ha faqad Hurima", we must

establish good habits in our ibadah and all our amaal. That is why we have been

reminding ourselves of the four things that we should do before Ramadan comes:

1. SAWM, Aa'isha (radiallahu anha)qalat: Lam yakun rasoolullahi صلى الله عليه وسلم fee shahri mina

as-sanati akthara Siyaaman minhu fee Sha'baan. Kaana yaSoumu Sha'baan

kullahu. illa qaleelan."The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم did not fast in any month of the year

more than he did in Sha'baan. He used to fast all of Sha'baan."Except a little. (Bukhari

and Muslim)

2. MUHASIBATUL NAFS, Allah ta 'ala teaches us: Innaa naHnu nuHyee al-mawtaa

wanaktubu maa qaddamoo wa aathaarahum wakulla shayin aHsaynahu fee

imaamin mubeen. Verily, We shall indeed bring the dead back to life; and We shall

record whatever [deeds] they have sent ahead, and the traces [of good and evil]

which they have left behind: for of all things do We take account in a record clear.

36.12. Actually, we are all mukasir. Why? Because the good deeds that we do not do

are written against us. From the famous hadith Qudsi where Allah says: "Ya ibni

Adam. Mardat falam ta'danee, istaTa'mtak falam taTa'mnee." You didn't visit me

when I was sick, you didn't feed me when I asked you for food." And Allah ta 'ala

says in Surah Imran, man yurid thawaaba ad-dunya nutihi minhaa, wa man yurid

thawaaba al-aakhirati nutihi minhaa, wa sanajzee ash-shakireen. 3:145 If a person

desires a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if a person desires a reward

in the Next Life, We shall give it to him. We will quickly reward the ones who give

thanks. Dunya or Akhira? We have to chose! And we cannot thank Allah enough for

His blessings, but we must do our best.

3.ISTAGHFIR. Asking for forgiveness. After we know that we are all in debt to Allah,

we must ask Him for forgiveness, for our lack of good deeds.

4. CHANGING OURSELVES, if we don’t stop bad things, if we don't try to be better

Muslims, do we really deserve to receive Allah’s mercy? The beginning of changing

ourselves is making Tawba.

Allah ta‘ala says in the Holy Quran, watooboo ila Allahi jamee’an ayyuha

almuminoona la’allakum tuflihoon “Turn all together toward Allah [in repentance],

O believers, that you may attain success” (24:31). Rasoolullaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “The

person who repents from his sin is like person without a sin, and if Allah loves His

servant, sin does not stick to him.”

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Ya Allah help us to be ready to receive the blessings of Ramadan.

A kulli qawloo hadhaa, wastaghfirullah, ladhee wa lakum

Second Khutba

Bismillahi Rahmaani Raheem. Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil ‘alameen, was-salatu was-

salamu 'ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala alihi, wa asaHabihi, wal tabeena lahum illa

yomi-ddeen. Ammaba'd

Dear Brothers, We should always be trying to change for the better, and the first step

is Tawba. Allahجل جلاله says. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo tooboo ilaa Allaahi tawbatan

nasoohan. O you who believe! Turn to Allah in true, sincere repentance (66:8).

Tawba nasuha is to feel such sadness in your heart for your sin that you try to stop

doing it. Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “ Tawbatun nasuha, means that the sinner who repents

does not return to his sin, just as milk does not return to the breast”

We should make Tawba as soon as possible. If is a matter between the servant and Allah, three conditions must be met for the one who seeks forgiveness:

1. He must stop doing the sinful act of disobedience 2. He must feel sorry for what he has done 3. He must be determined never to do it again.

If these conditions are met, his repentance is sincere [nasuh]. But if any one of them is missing, his Taqwa is not complete and Allah does not accept it. If he has harmed another person, there is a fourth condition:

4. He must undo the harm he has done and get the person's forgiveness.

When the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was asked, “Ya Rasoolullah, what is the sign

tawba?” He replied, “An-Nadm (To be sorry for your sins) and he صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “feeling

sorry is Tawba.” And he صلى الله عليه وسلم said: amsik 'alayka lisaanak, wal yasa'ka baytuk, wa abki

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'alaa KhaTeeatik. Control your tongue. Be content with what you have, and cry

about your sins.”

We must never think that our sins are so bad that Allah will not forgive us. Say: Qul

ya ‘ibadiya allatheena asrafoo ‘ala anfusihim. O My slaves who have committed

evil deeds and sins. laa taqnatoo min rahmati Allahi; inna Allaha yaghfiru ath-

thunooba jamee’an; “never despair of the Mercy of Allah: truly, Allah forgives all

sins. innahu huwa al-ghafooru ar-raheemu; Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most

Merciful.” 39:53. We should remember last week's story about how Allah forgave the

murderer who left bad company and died on his way to a new life. And what about,

the woman from Juhayna who committed zinna and came to the Holy Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم

while she was pregnant and asked again and again to be punished until she returned

with her baby. When Rasoolullah eventually granted her request, while she was

being stoned to death, Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم prayed for her. Sayyidinah Umar, radiallahu

anhu, asked him: “Why do you pray for this woman?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم answered: “O Umar!

She was sorry for what she did and she really wanted Allah to forgive her. Her tawba

was so great that it would be enough for seventy of the people of Medinah.” and he

added: Wa hal wajadta tawbatan afDala min 'an jaadat binafsihaa lillahi azza wa

jalla? Have you ever seen repentance better than the one who sacrificed herself for

the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime?"

Qala Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم: Allahu afrahu bi tawbati abdihi min ahadikum safaT alaa

ba'eerihi, wa qad aDalahu fee ardi falaatin."Allah is more pleased with the

repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he

had lost in the desert. "

So we must ask Allah for forgiveness, and ask our brothers to forgive us.

Wa allatheena ithaa fa'aloo faaHishatan aw thalamoo anfusahum, thakaroo

Allaaha fa istaghfaroo li thunoobihim wa man yaghfiru ath-thunooba illaa Allaah,

and who, when they have committed a shameful deed or have sinned against

themselves, remember Allah and pray that their sins be forgiven - for who but Allah

could forgive sins? - wa lam yusirroo 'ala ma fa'aloo wa hum ya'lamoona. and do

not continue to repeat their sins. Olaaika jazaaohum maghfiratun min rabbihim wa

jannatun tajree min taHtihaa al anhaaru khaalideena feehaa wani'ma ajru

al'aamileena. These it is who shall have as their reward forgiveness from their

Sustainer, and a home in gardens through which rivers flow: and how excellent a

reward for those who make an effort! - 3:135-6