Ramaḍān the Sultan of Months

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa Raḥmatullāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu Billāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismillāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi Rasūlillāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al-Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

Everything is by Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla’s will., “Yaf’alu mā yashā”, ‘He does what He wills.’ (Qur’ān 03:40). He ﷻ does what He ﷻ wants. Not asking, “What must I do?” Ḥāshā! (far from it). He ﷻ makes some higher than others. The highest one is Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam and Companions, Ahlu l-Bayt, Companion and of course Prophets. Besides this, there are some places more valuable, some times more valuable.

We are in shā’a Llāh in this valuable time: the three months. These very blessed three months. Now we are nearly finished, coming to the end. Maybe in ten days in shā’a Llāh we will be, around ten or a little bit more, reaching the month of Ramaḍān.

Ramaḍān is, as the Turkish say, Sultan of years, of the eleven months. Allāh ﷻ in this month gives endless mercy, endless happiness, endless Barakah. Maybe it is difficult for people to fast. But when they fast and it is time for ifṭār, Allāh Azza wa Jalla gives them endless happiness. When you have ifṭār, you cannot find this happiness anytime else; only in this time. And from this also, there is reward for ākhirah in which only He ﷻ knows what He ﷻ will give.

So we are lucky to be in shā’a Llāh in this way, way of happiness. Human beings are looking for happiness most of them with dirty things. Happiness must be with clean, pure things. Not taking dirty things and after that you say, “I'm happy.” No, only happy for maybe five minutes. But this happiness is forever.

Really, anywhere you are in Ramaḍān in this world, even if nobody is practicing or nobody knows about Ramaḍān, still Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla is giving this happiness for the believer, for the Mu’min. Even if nobody is fasting, you feel this happiness. This is special for Ramaḍān.

And of course in this month there are many things, especially Laylatu l-Qadr. Most of the time [it is in Ramaḍān]. Laylatu l-Qadr can be any time in the year but our Holy Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is saying that it is mostly in the month of Ramaḍān, and especially in the ten days, the last ten days.

In which there is also one ībādah: itikāf, to be in the mosque for ten days. Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam was all the time doing this. But once when he ﷺ couldn't do it, he ﷺ made it the next Ramaḍān twice. He ﷺ did it not only ten days, but twenty days, Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam.

There are many things, tarawīḥ also. Awliyā’u Llāh, ulamā’ are doing it twenty Raka’ah. Now they came up with a new fashion: eight. When they finish the eight, they are slowly running out from the mosque. I don't know where they running to: to eat, to drink; but they cannot pray two more Rak’aat. They don’t want to do it.

Before, the imām was making twenty Raka’ah. The Jamā’ah, after the eighth Raka’ah, half of them leave or more than half of them. But now unfortunately, the imām also leaves after the eighth Raka’at and finishes. This is not good. Because as much you worship Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla, there will be more benefit for you. No harm for you if you make it twenty Raka’at. Especially for the imāms. The Jamā'ah can do as they want. But when they (imāms) do this, it becomes - Because for centuries, the whole Muslim world know tarawīḥ is twenty Raka’āt. And in the end of this time, ten or twenty years ago, it became like this. Before, as we said, maybe some of the Jamā'ah leave after eight raka'āt but the imām still continues.

May Allāh ﷻ give hidāyah, and give us love for worshipping in shā’a Llāh. The most sweet thing is ibādah for the Mu’min. Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wasallam says, “Wa ju’ilat kurratu a’yni fi s-salāt”, “My happiness has been provided in prayer.” My happiness is in praying, Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says. So we must be happy. Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wasallam gives us only the good thing – happiness. May Allāh ﷻ make it Mubārak in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 27 February 2024/ 17 Sha’ban 1445 Fajr Prayer - Sheikh Nazim Dergah; London, UK