Gain Allah's forgiveness this Ramadan
“We're talking about gaining the forgiveness of Allah SWT this month.”
Ramadan is a decisive opportunity to gain Allah's forgiveness, but that forgiveness requires active repentance, fulfilling obligations like zakat, suppressing anger, and reconciling with others, not passively letting the month pass.
The khutbah in 9 steps
- Opening adhan and standard Arabic khutbah preamble with taqwa verses
- Warning not to take hellfire lightly (sun's heat vs. hellfire)
- Jibreel's 'ameen' hadith: woe to whoever reaches Ramadan and is not forgiven
- Fasting is prescribed to gain taqwa; faith cannot idle, you go up or down
- Allah's rights: prayer, fasting, and zakat are not optional; zakat neglect jeopardizes fasting (Ibn Qudama, Ibn Qayyim)
- Second khutbah: Quran on those who spend, suppress anger, and forgive others (muhsineen)
- Quran on preferring others over oneself and subduing greed
- Hadith: Allah forgives every Monday/Thursday except two people at odds, reconcile before Ramadan ends
- Final warning from Talha ibn Ubaidullah: whoever withholds zakat is accursed; don't let Ramadan pass unpaid
In the khateeb's words
“Islam does not stay on 55 or 70. Either you go up or down. It does not stay like that. Idle.”
“Brothers, we're talking about gaining the forgiveness of Allah SWT this month. This is all about gaining the forgiveness of Allah SWT. If you gain the forgiveness of Allah SWT, you hit the mark. Otherwise, you have to rethink and reset your goal.”
“As for those who forgive others, Allah will forgive them. As for those who repress their anger and are open-hearted to others, Allah will forgive them.”
“greed is your biggest enemy. The biggest enemy is your greed. Selfishness.”
For the dinner table
Sheikh Sami Leka's khutbah asked us one big question: are you actually gaining Allah's forgiveness this Ramadan, or just letting the month pass by? He reminded us that the Prophet, peace be upon him, sought forgiveness constantly and pushed himself harder in Ramadan than the rest of the year, and we should compete with ourselves the same way. Fasting is not just staying hungry; it means watching our tongues, never hurting people's reputations, paying our zakat, and mending broken relationships, because Allah holds back forgiveness from two people who refuse to reconcile. He warned that faith can't run on cruise control, we're either moving up or sliding down. The good news is that the door is wide open: sincere tawbah, good deeds, a clean and eager heart, and forgiving others is exactly how we earn Allah's forgiveness and 'hit the mark' this month.
- What is one thing you could do this Ramadan that would make you better than last year's you?
- Is there anyone you need to forgive or say sorry to before Ramadan ends?
- The sheikh said fasting also means protecting people's reputations with our tongues, what does that look like at school or online?
More on Ramadan & fasting
Fast the six days of Shawwal.20:06SALAM Arden · Sacramento, CA · Apr 3, 2026Six Shawwal fasts can earn a year
The most valuable thing is time.16:36NWIIC · Crown Point, IN · Apr 3, 2026Carry Ramadan’s taqwa throughout the year
Every single day you are doing something to make Allah happy.26:16ISGW · Worcester, MA · Apr 3, 2026Turn Ramadan’s remainder into lasting worship