Virtues of Ramadan in Holy Prophet’s Words
According to the book “Kanz al-Maram fi Amal Shahr al-Siyam”, Sheikh al-Saduq (died 991 AD) has narrated Imam Reza (AS) as saying that on one of the last days of the lunar Hijri month of Shaaban, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) delivered a sermon, known as Al-Shaabaniyah Sermon, in which he said:
“Oh people! Month of Allah has come toward you bringing divine blessing, mercy and forgiveness. In the sight of Allah, this month is the best month and its days are the best days and its nights are the best nights and its hours are the best hours. And this is the month in which you have been invited to the banquet of Allah. And in this month, you are made of those people whom Allah respects and honors.
Your breaths in it (the month of Ramadan) are glorification (of God) and your sleep in it is worship and your deeds are accepted in this month and your prayers are responded in this month.
You may thus ask Allah with sincere intentions and pure hearts that He will guide you to observing fasting (properly) and to reciting His book (Al-Qur'an), verily, the true miserable is he whom is deprived of Allah's forgiveness in this magnificent month.
And as you feel hunger and thirst in this month, you should remember the hunger and thirst of the Resurrection Day.
And Give alms to the poor and the needy among you and respect those who are older than you and have mercy upon those who are younger than you and esteem your ties with your relatives.
And keep your tongues and cast down your looks from all that which is unlawful for you to gaze, and close your hearing against all that which is unlawful for you to hear. And treat kindly the orphans among you so that yours will be treated kindly.
And repent to Allah from your sins and raise your hands toward Him with supplications at the times of your prayers, for these times are the best hours, in those, Allah looks at His servants with mercy – He will respond to their prayers, answer their calls and receive their supplications.
O people, truly, your soul are dependent upon your deeds; therefore, try to free them by means of imploring for forgiveness, likewise, your backs are heavily burdened by your sins; therefore, try to lighten it by means of long sajdas (prostrations).
And let it be known to you that Allah has sworn by His Mighty that He shall not chastise the performers of prayers and those who prostrate before Him and that shall not frighten them with Hellfire in that day when all humankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds.
O people, if anyone of you gives iftar to a faster (an observer of fasting), he shall be awarded by Allah the reward of manumitting a salve as well as a forgiveness of all his past sins.
O people, as to those among you who behave politely in this month, they shall be permitted to pass the Discriminating Bridge (sirat) on the day when many feet will slip (the day of Resurrection).
And as to those among you who relieve their servants from a part of their jobs, Allah shall make easy for them the interrogation on the Day of Resurrection.
And as to those who stop bothering the others, Allah shall save them from His ire on the day when they shall meet Him.
And as to those who honor an orphan in this month, Allah shall honor him on the day when they will meet Him.
And as to those who keep good ties with their relatives in this month, Allah will keep good ties with them through His mercy on the day when they will meet Him. On the other hand, as to those who rupture their relations with their relatives in this month, Allah will prevent them from receiving His mercy on the day when they will met Him.
O people, certainly, the gates of Paradise are wide open in this month; therefore, pray your Lord not to close them before you. And similarly, the gates of Hellfire are close in this month; therefore, pray your Lord not to open them on you. And devils are tied up in this month; therefore, pray your Lord not to set them up over you.”
