Ramadan & fastingFrom the masjid's own video, Feb 13, 2026.
Ramadan should train restraint, not feasting
“I'm going to lower my intake.”
In one sentence
Fasting is uniquely Allah's because it is hidden, sincere, and rooted in patience, so Ramadan should prioritize worship and disciplined desires rather than compensatory feasting.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Worship takes diverse forms: salah sacrifices time, zakah money, and fasting the body and its desires.
- A hadith qudsi distinguishes fasting from other deeds, whose rewards have stated multipliers.
- Because fasting is hidden from people, it protects sincerity and reflects a special divine promise.
- Fasting embodies sabr and carries a reward beyond ordinary calculation, according to the sermon’s scholarly explanations.
- Ramadan should emphasize restraint and worship rather than shifting excessive eating and desire into nighttime.
- Eid becomes a genuine celebration when Ramadan’s discipline and spiritual work have been completed.
Try this week
Reduce food intake during Ramadan instead of merely shifting the same consumption to nighttime.
Avoid eating until discomfort or lethargy prevents worship.
Lower entertainment and desire-feeding habits during Ramadan.
Put ibadah and worship before appetite and personal enjoyment.
Approach Eid as a celebration earned through purposeful Ramadan discipline.
Sources the khateeb cited
Sahih al-BukhariUsed to explain that fasting uniquely belongs to Allah and will receive His special reward.
Sahih MuslimUsed to explain the ordinary multiplication of good deeds from tenfold up to seven hundredfold.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“Everything else is for you. Fasting is for me. And so I will reward it.”
“Ramadan is not a feast. It's not a festival. We do have a feast and a festival. That is Eid.”
“I'm going to lower my intake. I'm going to lower the types of fun and how I feed my desires. I'm going to lower that a little bit for Ramadan.”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
The khateeb teaches that fasting is special because it is a hidden act known fully only to Allah. It trains us in patience and self-control, so Ramadan should not become a nighttime feast that simply shifts our eating and desires. We should eat less, protect time for worship, and keep our souls, not our appetites, at the center. Eid becomes a deeper celebration when we have worked for it through the month. The khutbah closes by asking Allah to help Muslims facing hardship in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Kashmir, Myanmar, and elsewhere.
- What is one habit you could reduce during Ramadan to make more room for worship?
- How can we tell whether Ramadan is changing our priorities, not just our meal schedule?
- What would make Eid feel like a celebration we truly earned?
Where it was given
The masjids
Daar-Ul-Islam Masjid (Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis)517 Weidman Rd, Ballwin, MO 63011Jumu'ah 12:30 PM and 1:30 PMMasjid Bilal Ibn Rabaah (West Pine Masjid)3843 W Pine Mall Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108Jumu'ah 12:30 PMKhateebHamzah ImtiazMore khutbahsArchiveAll khutbahs at Daar-Ul-Islam46 khutbahs
Keep listening
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