Hadrat Salman al-Farisi reported that on the last day of Sha’ban the Messenger of Allah delivered a sermon. He said, “O people, a great month, a blessed month, a month wherein there is a night which is better than a thousand months has come to you. Allah has made the observance of fasting during it as obligatory, and the standing (in prayer) in its nights as voluntary. Whoever draws near to Allah during it with some good (voluntary, optional) act he is like the one who fulfills an obligatory duty in another month, and whoever fulfills an obligatory duty in it, is like the one who fulfills seventy obligatory duties in another month. [Mishkat, Page 173]
It is the month of endurance and the reward of endurance is Paradise. It is the month of sharing with others, and a month in which the believer’s provision is increased. Whoever gives one who has been fasting something with which to break his fast it shall result in the forgiveness of his sins and it shall save him from Hell, and he will have a reward equal to his without his reward being diminished in any respect.” We said, “O Messenger of Allah, no one from among us has the means to give one who is fasting something with which to break his fast. He said, “Allah gives this reward to him who gives one who is fasting some milk, or a date, or a drink of water with which to break his fast; and whoever gives a full meal to one who is fasting Allah will give him the drink from my Pond (fountain – Kauthar) and he will not feel the thirst till he enters Paradise. It is a month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is Forgiveness, and whose end is Freedom from Hell. Whoever makes things easy for his slave during it; Allah will forgive him and free him from Hell.”
Useful reading material for Ramadan:
- Beautiful Doah for Ramadan
- Compilation Ramadan tips and activities
- Daily Doah for Ramadan
- Planning Ramadan
- Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)’s Sermon on Ramadan
- Ramadan Report
